Exploiting Katrina

What do you think are the most urgent needs of the survivors of Hurricane Katrina? I would imagine that most people would start ticking off food, water, medicine, clothing, shelter…. Planned Parenthood, on the other hand, thinks that the most desperate need of hurricane survivors is for free birth control pills and "emergency contraception":

"’It is absolutely unconscionable that Planned Parenthood would use the tragedy of hurricane Katrina to push its shameless agenda on the American public,’ said Jim Sedlak, executive director of American Life League’s STOPP International.

"Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southeast Texas has offered to provide free birth control pills at its Houston clinics to individuals with a Mississippi or Louisiana driver’s license. The organization undoubtedly knows that thousands of Gulf Coast residents have already found refuge in Texas, and thousands of people currently housed in the New Orleans Superdome will soon be on their way by bus caravan to Houston’s Astrodome, in the hometown of this Planned Parenthood affiliate.

"’In New York City in 2001, Planned Parenthood used the 9/11 attacks to publicize its programs by offering free contraceptives and abortions for the week after the terrorists struck,’ said Sedlak. ‘Now the organization is exploiting one of the worst natural disasters in American history for cheap publicity by offering one month’s supply of free birth control and so-called emergency contraception to victims of Katrina.’"

GET THE STORY.

I surfed over to the web site of Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southeast Texas and confirmed the bizarre offer. As of September 1, when I saw the site, here was the ad:

"Did you escape the hurricane without your birth control? [Editor’s note:  Emphasis Planned Parenthood’s –MA] As a courtesy to women fleeing Hurricane Katrina, we will offer one free cycle (one month) of birth control or one free Emergency Contraception kit to women presenting to a PPHSET [Editor’s note:  Link in original –MA] clinic with a valid Louisiana or Mississippi driver’s license. We also are offering one depo injection at a total fee of $41.00 (we are waiving the office visit charge, and offering the depo at a 50% discount). This offer is good until September 10th. For those at The Astrodome, we are one block east of the ENSEMBLE Metro Rail stop, call 713-522-3976."

I don’t doubt that the Planned Parenthood chapter will have some takers on this offer since most people do not pack contraception into their first-aid kits or evacuation supplies. I wouldn’t be surprised if a couple of months from now the offer changes to a "courtesy" abortion for those women who fled Hurricane Katrina without their birth control and ended up pregnant.

Is it just me or is anyone else picking up the scent of brimstone?