Planned Parenthood Honors Martin Luther King Jr.

Planned Parenthood honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. today with a tweet saying “On Martin Luther King, Jr. day, we celebrate the man who dedicated his life to ending oppression.”

Pro-life activists have long argued that King, a devoutly Christian minister, was against abortion and would be active in opposing Roe v. Wade, a decision that was delivered several years after his assasination. King never directly addressed the topic of abortion during his life. An extensive search of his public and private statements produce no direct commentary on the topic.

Pro-abortion activists often point to the fact that King accepted an award from Planned Parenthood in 1966, but it’s important to point out that at the time of that award, even Planned Parenthood was officially against abortion. An early pamphlet produced by the organization made the distinction between birth control (which they advocated) and abortion:

Dr. Alveda King, a pro-life activist and King’s niece, has long argued that her uncle would have joined her crusade against abortion:

Whether King would have opposed abortion rights or not is something we will never know. But Planned Parenthood’s tweet is still ironic on the face of it when you look at King’s quote that they highlight and their message of support.

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

These words could easily serve as a rallying cry for those who stand against Planned Parenthood’s pro-abortion advocacy. They could easily inspire prayer warriors protesting in front of an abortion clinic. And then there’s Planned Parenthood’s description of King. “We celebrate the man who dedicated his life to ending oppression.”

For pro-life activists who firmly believe that abortion extinguishes an innocent human life, it’s hard to see any greater oppression in our society worthy of ending.