This image is the artwork we submitted for our Christmas digital billboard campaign. Shortly after submitting it, we received a response from the billboard company saying our contract was cancelled because this ad would create too much controversy. 

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I have been giving this a lot of thought. There are many angles to approach it from, but mainly all I can think about is how have we let it get this far in our country? How has life become so offensive that a billboard designed to highlight the beauty and excitement of pregnancy is deemed controversial?

 

I think it gets down to one word. Fear. The life debate is surrounded by fear on all sides. Women are told to fear their pregnancies and babies; Governments create fear by pitting life and women’s rights against each other; Businesses fear legal and economic consequences if there is any indication they support life; Churches fear offending their congregations or losing their charitable donation status; Individuals fear losing friends and acceptance.

 

However, if we want to start influencing our culture for life, it is going to take some courage from all of us at every level. Together we need to have the courage to speak love and truth into the fear and the courage to speak up in support of life. In my experience, most people are more reasonable about life than we’ve been led to believe.

 

There is strength in numbers and if we are all in this together, I believe we can start transforming our culture into one where a life-affirming billboard is not considered controversial, but is appreciated.

Susan Penner
Executive Director

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