You have to wonder what is going on at the Sarah Jane Brain Foundation. Jennipher Dickens and the Sarah Jane Brain Foundation sent out email this morning (see excerpts below) complaining about the “soul of your [Apple and AT&T] organizations” after a 3rd party wrote an iPhone application called “Baby Shaker.”  The application was removed from the iPhone App Store quickly once it was pointed out how stupid it was.  But that wasn’t enough for them.  It looks like  another attempt to shake-down corporations to support their cause.  The cause, while certainly sympathetic, isn’t well served with tactics like this in my opinion.

SJB Foundation has demanded a response or is threatening a demonstration outside 15 Apple Stores. Seems like the typical tactic when an opportunity comes up: threaten protests, send out emails to get publicity, get a donation or ten from big companies. For a group that is supposed to be doing good work it is extremely disappointing to see  the Sarah Jane Brain Foundation resort to something like this, while I do not doubt their sincerity, shakedowns are not a way to get positive press.

In this case, the “soul of [the Sarah Jane Brain Foundation] organization” seems to be the part lacking.  Positive, useful, productive yes, shakedowns of corporations, no.  Who is in favor of child abuse?  No one in their right minds, but something like this from them?  In short, a very disappointing message from the Sarah Jane Brain Foundation.  Blaming Apple and AT&T for the actions of individuals who have harmed children and babies is insane.

Excerpts below:

The Sarah Jane Brain Foundation held a news conference today outside the Apple Store in downtown Manhattan releasing the letter below to the Boards of Directors of Apple and AT&T. Just about every television network was represented at the news conference so watch your local evening news tonight for complete coverage. While Apple has removed the “BABY SHAKER” app from its online store, Steve Jobs and Randall Stephenson have not issued a personal public apology, Apple has not issued a full accounting of how this was vetted and launched and Apple and AT&T have not offered a significant plan to mitigate the damages they have done to prevent child abuse.

…

If we do not receive an adequate response from Apple and AT&T by the time we begin our 15-city American PABI Tour on May 3rd (pabitour.com – to promote awareness and support families who are dealing with PABI) we will hold a demonstration in front of the Apple Store in all 15 cities.