Susan G. Komen Controversy Prompts Stirring Response From Breast Cancer Survivor Linda Burger (VIDEO)

Linda Burger, a 56-year-old breast cancer survivor from Las Vegas, Nevada, filmed an emotionally charged message earlier this month, expressing her personal disgust with the recent decision by cancer charity group Susan G. Komen for the Cure to cut grants for women's health group Planned Parenthood.

Burger's video -- shot before Komen's reversal of its decision following the explosive fallout, as well as the resignation of Karen Handel, a top executive for the group -- laments the emergence of politics in an organization that is supposed to be exclusively dedicated to combatting the devastating disease.

Clothed in a bathrobe, Burger describes her difficult battle with breast cancer, which included a double mastectomy and the removal of her ovaries and fallopian tubes, and tears into Komen for their move.

"Do you see politics on my chest?" she says, showing the scars from her surgery. "Do you see Republican, Democrat, Tea Party, or Independent anywhere on my chest? I don't."

"Do you see moral values on my chest, or what you believe to be our moral values? No, that's not cancer at all. It's not on my chest, and that's not it," she continues.

"So, Susan G. Komen, if you're seeing this video I was such a proud supporter but I can no longer support your cause. Because politics, religion, and God only knows what has infiltrated your program. Its broken my heart."

(Video below. Warning, some of the images may be disturbing to some viewers)

Read Burger's entire monologue, transcribed by Big Think.

Comments

[catherinelom]

12:41 PM on 02/15/2012

Thank you for your articulate intelligent response - I was moved to tears. As a Nurse Practitioner who worked for Planned Parenthood for 7 years, I can tell you that the family members of the "opponents to care", take wonderful advantage of the services that Planned Parenthood has provided for years. Its ironic that so many receive services, and at the same time maintain anonymity, due to the stringent confidentiality maintained by all who come to Planned Parenthood.

[Prub]

02:20 PM on 02/11/2012

Wonderful. Bravo. I, too, have breast cancer. I only wish Linda had added some of the things said by Anna Holmes in her recent column in the Washington Post. Breast cancer, as Ms. Holmes stated, should NOT be the crass commercialization and the infantilization of the cancer patient into something "fashionable, cheerful, or sexy". I, for one, cringe, when I see the pink ribbon, whether on toilet paper or jewelry. It makes me want to scream. If the money went to research and not the bs, we could dispense with the rest as they would have targeted chemo and ultimately a cure. For now it is slash, burn, and poison--the Dark Ages.
You rock Linda!

[amaboss52]

04:34 PM on 02/09/2012

Linda Butler has more guts than anyone I know, man or woman. Her video made me cry!

[nlw820]

12:13 AM on 02/09/2012

I think you are way off base in your observation. Linda is defending the role that PP plays in helping to detect breast cancer and all other women's health services they provide. She is angry that SGK let politics dictate who they would and wouldn't provide services to.

[Ann Barton]

12:48 AM on 02/09/2012

Do we all live in the same country? Planned Parenthood played the politics. SGK can donate to whoever they want to... or not..

[Sophie the Cat]

12:20 AM on 02/09/2012

She has the right to be angry! Don't you dare tell her she could have stopped it sooner; you don't know that. I had 10 years of screening mammograms beginning at age 30 due to a family history of breast cancer. None of these screenings detected the large 2.9-cm stage 2 tumor in my breast that was diagnosed when I was 40. It was only detectable once it was large enough that I could feel it.

After being subjected to barbaric treatment, we have the right to be angry. That doesn't mean we aren't grateful to be alive.

Also, she's clearly not blaming her cancer on the Komen group. She's stating that politics have no place in breast cancer screening, treatment or research.

[Ann Barton]

12:51 AM on 02/09/2012

I am really sorry for your "barbaric experience". That was why I became a nurse..I had a labor and delivery nurse who was horrible..and I didn't want anyone to go through what I had gone through.

Do we all live in the same country? Planned Parenthood played the politics. SGK can donate to whoever they want to... or not..it is NONE of PPH's business!!! THEY made it political...

[amaboss52]

04:32 PM on 02/09/2012

Ann the fake nurse doesn't even think let alone understand. If she were a real nurse, she'd know what breast cancer patients went through. Plus the fact she is callous, cold hearted and cruel. My auntie is a registered nurse, has been in the nursing field for over 40 years. She read Ann the fake nurse's post and the first thing she noted was how callous she was.

[Sophie the Cat]

11:30 PM on 02/08/2012

Thank you Linda for telling & showing the world the reality of breast cancer.

[iceage7]

10:57 PM on 02/08/2012

Only 20% of donations to komen go to breast cancer..The rest goes to cocktail parties, jets, adm. costs, travel to exotic places, political donations etc

[Scojam]

10:55 PM on 02/08/2012

Following the video there are other videos provided a couple of which suggest that PP doesn't "do" mamograms. One such video has someone calling a number of PP centers across the country asking the question "do you do mamograms?" the answer to which is no in every case. I received a number of replys to my post on the subject that indicates that in fact while PP doesn't actually do the tests they facilitate them as well as paying for them in part or in total.

That video appears to be a smear tactic however perhaps PP should look into how calls are answered because obviously they must have a better response to the simple question "do you do mammograms?" than simply no assuming of course that the calls were valid.

I am male as one of the callers suggested. I have had a keen interest in cancer including breast cancer as my mother who was eventually claimed by cancer battled several types incluiding breast cancer over 20 years.

At one time I thought the statement in the obituraries that "after a courageous battle ..." was just a nicety for such announcents. That was until I saw the battle my mother put up month after gruelling month for tests and operations.

[Honest Babe]

01:28 AM on 02/09/2012

My gynecologist doesn't do mammograms either. Most providers refer to a mammography center because these use specialized equipment and are read by radiologists. But she does do breast exams and women's healthcare. PP provides a means to obtain that screening, referral and follow-up, just as my provider does.

[Maconman380]

10:53 PM on 02/08/2012

God bless you Linda Burger.

[Bloggerrogr]

10:27 PM on 02/08/2012

WOW ! ! !
Powerful video. As a cancer survivor myself, I can vouch for the incredible pain, stress and discomfort that chemotherapy inflicts on those that are victimized by it.
For the Susan G Komen Foundation to deliberately play politics with this malady is the lowest form of fearmongering. SGK does not deserve any form of tax exempt under IRS rules.
Linda, you are ONE BRAVE LADY and you have made the most prescient statement on this subject. 

FWIW

[OnceProudAmerican]

09:33 PM on 02/08/2012

Here1 Here! This lady IS a surviver and a hero. My heart goes out to her and so do my prayers!!

[msstrick40]

09:29 PM on 02/08/2012

Whoa....at first I was gonna by past the video...but I'm glad I looked at it. That was powerful. Thumbs up to the video Linda created and my thoughts are with her.

[Blue Pup in PHX]

09:22 PM on 02/08/2012

If you loved this video as much as I did, here's the youtube version...

http://youtu.be/2ZwpSwm_4as

Please visit it, and here's why. Any youtube video that gets a significant number of hits starts to pay dividends. I'm sure Linda could use the money! It doesn't seem like much, but it's the very, very least we could do! Cheers!!

[chris stl]

10:04 PM on 02/08/2012

Thanks for the link .... I went there and watched,

[DreamWeaver2nd]

09:19 PM on 02/08/2012

Thank you, Linda.

[lukylip98]

08:52 PM on 02/08/2012

Linda Berger is a good person. When donate money to Susan G Komen, I want my donation to go to a person in Linda's condition and not for an abortion. If Susan G. Komen could direct my donation to go only to the Cure of cancer and not into spongable funds of Planned Parenthood, I would feel SGK was being accountable. I'm sure there is a way that can be done.

[Blue Pup in PHX]

09:20 PM on 02/08/2012

You are so freaking clueless. You missed the ENTIRE point of Linda's video. The SGK funds that go to Planned Parenthood are SPECIFICALLY earmarked for breast cancer screenings ONLY. How on EARTH could you listen to her, read about what has happened and NOT get that!!

Pathetic!!

[lukylip98]

09:52 PM on 02/08/2012

Have you donated money to SGK?

[ufg8rsfan]

05:52 PM on 02/09/2012

Planned Parenthood has an annual budget of about $1 billion. If you give $100 earmarked for breast cancer screening, then that just diverts their undesignated funds to do abortions, as well as other services. So you're still supporting abortions, as Komen is. Breast cancer screenings can be done at other places. It's not like PP is the only place you can get them. By Komen diverting funds to PP, they are supporting the killing of around 350,000 children each year. It's PP's primary business, accounting for about 40% of PP's clinic income. You're naive if you think designating funds means you're not supporting abortion.

[msstrick40]

09:31 PM on 02/08/2012

Isn't that just the type of mentality Linda is talking against???

[SitandStay]

08:36 PM on 02/08/2012

"With the drug companies now controlling medical science, it can take decades before the truth is revealed about how their products may cause an early death......More than 40 percent of American women between the ages of fifty and seventy-four were taking P****** or a similar drug in 2002, when a large government study found that the pills raised a woman's risk of breast cancer, heart attack, and stroke....."
Women stopped taking it. (65 percent decrease in prescriptions written) In December 2006, it was discovered that in 2003 there was a terrific decline in breast cancer diagnosis. The year women stopped taking the drug.

Our Daily Meds, Melody Petersen ISBN-13 978-0-312-42825-9

[DreamWeaver2nd]

09:23 PM on 02/08/2012

What we don't know can kill us ...
And Republicans try to hog-tie potential regulators and lawyers who fight against the wrongs of toxins and poisons that make up so much of corporate profit including drug profits...

[Bloggerrogr]

10:41 PM on 02/08/2012

"DreamWeaver"; 
Find the book 'Killing Cancer NOT People' by researcher Robert G Wright, then check out the work of the American Anti-Cancer Institute; visit the website; www.americanaci.org
As a cancer survivor, I want to recommend the preceding to you and anyone who is concerned about cancer in themself or a loved one.

FWIW