Susan G. Komen PR Train Wreck Continues

I’m no public relations genius, but I’m preeeeetty sure the latest move by Susan G. Komen, the breast-cancer foundation that’s been embroiled in controversy this week, was not a smart one. On the heels of its run-in with Planned Parenthood—which has everyone from outraged bloggers to congressmen weighing in—Gawker is reporting that Komen has partnered with a company called Discount Gun Sales to market handguns decorated in its signature pink.

The gun sells for $429.99, and an unknown portion of the proceeds will go to support Komen’s Seattle outpost. Discount Gun Sales has the product up on its website.

The P-22 Hope Edition has an exclusive DuraCoat Pink slide in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness month. Utilizing the same reliable controls and firing mechanism that has made the Walther P-22 America’s top selling handgun, the Hope Edition will be a limited production pistol offered exclusively through Discount Gun Sales.

Maybe all the folks canceling their donations and asking for refunds for Race for the Cure events (we heard from a few on our Facebook wall) has the organization suddenly hard-up for cash. But more likely, someone, somewhere just thought this partnership was a really good idea—when, well, it’s not.

UPDATE: Aaaand, just like that, Susan G. Komen has announced it will revise its policy that led to the defunding of Planned Parenthood earlier this week:

“We want to apologize to the American public for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women’s lives,” president and founder Nancy Brinker said in a statement today. “We have been distressed at the presumption that the changes made to our funding criteria were done for political reasons or to specifically penalize Planned Parenthood. They were not. …We will amend the criteria to make clear that disqualifying investigations must be criminal and conclusive in nature and not political. That is what is right and fair.”