A Pro-Life Billboard is Getting a lot of Attention From People on Both Sides of the Issue

A graphic pro-life billboard in downtown Midland is getting a lot of attention from people on both sides of the issue. Some tell Big 2 News they're appalled by the images, while others believe the billboard is needed in the community to force people to understand abortion is murder.

Midland Catholics for Life is the group that paid for the billboard to be displayed across Planned Parenthood in Midland. Father James Bridges is the chaplain for the organization. He said the explicit billboard displaying an aborted fetus is doing exactly what they wanted it to do.

"This has caused a great discussion," said Bridges. "The people that have already show an interest that before were silent is amazing. We are getting a respond we never got before when we used more gentle billboards."

The billboard has given him the opportunity to talk to with more people than usually in the community about abortion.

"I think that people, the more that people know what's taking place when an abortion happens...killing some helpless unborn human being; the more that we are probably going to win stopping that tragedy that's happening downtown," he said.

"To us it's another form of harassment, it really is almost a bully type of tactic," said Carla Holeva, with Planned Parenthood in the Basin.
    
But, Planned Parenthood said it's not working because women know better then to get medical advice from a billboard.

"I think they listen, they investigate, they consult with their clinician, their physician, they have trusted individuals they speak with when it comes to their healthcare. They are a little smarter then relying on a billboard," she said.

Planned Parenthood serves 50 West Texas counties and performs anywhere from from 1,200-1,300 abortions annually. Holeva also said that they've had people that are pro-life stop by their office and tell them they find the billboard offensive, even though they might not agree with everything Planned Parenthood does.