Bruce Nolan of the Times-Picayune (Louisiana) has reported (Sun., 8/7/11) that Barbara Blaine, the testy founder and president of SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), wrote a passionate letter in 2009 to the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners on behalf of disgraced SNAP psychiatrist Dr. Steve Taylor.
Dr. Steve Taylor was arrested in April 2008 for "possessing more than 100 sexually explicit pictures of children."
Dr. Taylor worked extensively with SNAP in Louisiana for several years. He and his wife, Lyn, founded a New Orleans chapter of SNAP in 2003.
In her 2009 letter, Blaine reportedly asked the medical licensing board, in the words of Nolan, "to consider Taylor's humanitarian work and professional contributions to victims of childhood sexual abuse."
Church-bashing author and SNAP buddy Jason Berry also wrote a letter on the child-porn doctor's behalf.
Hypocrisy does not get much more glaring than this.
Over the years, SNAP leaders and spokespeople have been relentless and unforgiving in bludgeoning the few Catholic priests who have been guilty of possessing child pornography.
As The Catholic League aptly pointed out in an excellent press release (Mon., Aug. 8, 2011):
"[W]hy should it matter if Taylor has done some good work in the past? After all, SNAP has never shown the slightest interest in weighing the totality of an accused priest's record before condemning him publicly, and neither has Berry. Indeed, SNAP advises on its website that when a priest is accused, parishioners who support him should do so 'PRIVATELY.' [Its emphasis.] To support him publicly would be 'terribly hurtful to victims.'
"Blaine and Berry should immediately issue an apology to all victims, stating how contrite they are for causing such terrible hurt; they should also withdraw their public support for Dr. Taylor."
Of course, SNAP should issue an apology. It is highly unlikely that they will, however. In the organization's long documented history of dishonesty, TheMediaReport.com is unaware of SNAP ever apologizing for any of the wrong and hurtful actions it has committed.
[Previous: From April 2011: "SNAP Shocker: SNAP Trumpeted Shrink as a 'Leader' Even After His Child Porn Arrest"]
