Increasingly unhappy with these statistics, a nonprofit Pro-Life group called Life Always decided to be the voices of these unborn children. They placed a large sign on the side of a three-story building in the SoHo district of New York City.
This ad was strategically placed close to Planned Parenthood who are advocates of the right to choose abortion over life, performing numerous abortions each year at that site. To add fuel to the fire, Life Always unveiled this advertising during Black History month. Its message?
"The most dangerous place for an African American is in the womb."
Wow. Whether you are pro-life or pro-rights, you have to agree that is one powerful message.
Not surprisingly, the message on this building created quite a stir in New York. From the moment it went up, a battle erupted between pro-rights and pro-life supporters.
But, round one goes to the pro-rights advocates who succeeded in getting the ad taken down after only one day.
The owners of the building claim they removed the ad because of the negative effect it was having on people living and working in the area. Allegations of the wait staff at a nearby restaurant being harassed contributed to their decision. Additionally, civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton had planned a protest for the following day claiming, "The billboard was offensive, especially during Black History Month."
With protests in my own state capital of Madison, Wisconsin regarding Governor Scott Walker's efforts to eliminate collective bargaining rights for many state workers, I must admit that it's nice to see the spotlight shifting towards New York for a change.
Well, the ad certainly is a punch in the kisser; and to that extent, must be considered effective. Apparently, the pro-choice folks thought so, too. However, like all "issue ads" that focus on only one-aspect of a multi-dimensional issue, it seems to me that there is a fair question as to whether it contributes anything to the discussion. To be sure, both side of the debate would prefer to focus on only a single dimension: for the pro-choice people, it's a woman's "right to control her body and/or to choose" and for the pro-life people it's "baby killing." So, from my perspective, advocates on both sides are locked into a closed loop . . . and this ad does nothing to break out of it.
ReplyDeleteGreat comments Bruce. I wholeheartedly agree with you.
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