July 5, 2021

New pro-life billboard off Interstate 91 aims to change minds on abortion

REGIONAL
Story and photos by Carolee McGrath

SPRINGFIELD – A new pro-life billboard, designed and sponsored by Massachusetts Citizens for Life (MCFL) can be seen through July 27 off Interstate 91 in downtown Springfield. More than 2 million drivers are expected to pass the billboard in July which shows a 20-week unborn baby girl, with the message, “She feels pain. Let her live.”

“MCFL decided on a billboard for a few reasons. First, the timing is right. Up until recently, we prioritized fighting the Roe Act and applied our resources mostly to digital messaging. Sadly, that legislation passed at the end of 2020. It effectively codifies abortion access up to birth in Massachusetts and denies lifesaving medical care to infants who survive late-term abortions,” said Myrna Maloney Flynn, president of MCFL.

“So we believe it’s critical to promote the basics of fetal development. That is, our neighbors deserve to know the truth, however uncomfortable it might be. That’s why we chose the design and message we did. ‘Reproductive justice’ and ‘abortion care’ are whitewashed phrases now commonplace and often unquestionably accepted among so many here. Massachusetts Citizens for Life wants people to know exactly what’s being normalized in our state. We can choose to look away. Or we can act ethically, humanely and lovingly as informed defenders of human rights.”

Massachusetts lawmakers passed the so-called Roe Act late last year. According to the Massachusetts Catholic Conference (MCC), the abortion expansion legislation allows for abortion past 24-weeks in certain circumstances, including a lethal fetal anomaly and to “preserve a woman’s physical or mental health.” The law changed parental consent for a minor from 18 to 16 years old. 

Flynn said she hopes the billboard’s picture and message will help clarify for people what abortion is truly about.

“The abortion issue continues to be so controversial and involves emotions in a way that other issues do not. A lot of people avoid discussing it because it is so divisive. I also think many young people believe it was settled long ago and is just part of society now, the status quo. We hope the message on this billboard reawakens those good people to the violent, abhorrent truth,” said Flynn.

“Perhaps some will simply roll their eyes and keep on driving. But I do believe most people have good hearts. And good hearts aren’t wired to permit bad things. Ideally, our billboard and its factual message will seep into consciences and prompt passersby to speak on behalf of those who cannot.”

Flynn said MCFL will continue to drive home the viability issue as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health. The case hinges on a Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks.

“As medical advances continue, the age of fetal viability continues to drop. Again, it’s about education. The more people learn about prenatal biology, the harder it is to justify late-term abortion. Featuring a 20-week-old fetus on the billboard will, we believe, prepare the population for what’s to be argued and what’s actually at stake in Dobbs,” explained Flynn. 

“Because the ROE Act is now law here, a favorable decision in that case will still leave the unborn in Massachusetts at risk. Yet there’s no doubt that, should the Court rule in Mississippi’s favor, residents here will think twice about what’s legal in their state and what is shifting nationwide,” explained Flynn.

MCFL filed five life-affirming bills this legislative session and continues to work with other organizations to repeal the Roe Act.

MCFL will hold its annual meeting, Saturday, Sept. 18, when new board directors will be announced. Their annual Mother’s Day Dinner, which had been postponed because of the pandemic, will now be held Thursday, Nov. 4 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. Melissa Ohden, a survivor of abortion, is the keynote speaker.

For more information on MCFL’s billboard and other pro-life efforts, visit www.masscitizensforlife.org/billboard2021