Pro-Life Billboard Near University of Oregon Vandalized

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Jun 27, 2012   |   10:23PM   |   Eugene, OR

A pro-life billboard near the University of Oregon directing women considering abortion to a web site that helps them evaluate better options has been vandalized.

Oregon Right to Life, which operates a web site called Stand Up Girl, paid for the billboard at the corner of Villard and Franklin that read Abortion: a lifetime of regret.” Last Thursday, an apparent pro-abortion vandal threw a can of paint on the sign and then toppled the sign.

George Rode, the owner of the Euro-Asian Automotive, whose parking lot the sign fell into after it was toppled, talked with KEZI about what happened.

He said the sign “hit about four cars, but the good news is one of our people that we use to detail the cars sent their father over and he spent all morning cleaning the cars off.

Oregon Right to Life says CVS owns the space and eventually dropped the ad because of complaints from pro-abortion activists that it was too controversial. ORTL received its money back from CBS on the sign.

“Recently a billboard expressing a sincere message was vandalized by some people who did not like the point of view it expressed. Not only was an expression of free speech defaced, but the property of innocent bystanders was damaged,” ORTL told LifeNews in a statement. “Unfortunately, after being up for 10 days, the billboard was taken down. The message apparently was not welcome by many who preach tolerance, trumpet free speech and call themselves “pro-choice.”

“Bottles filled with house paint were thrown at the billboard, destroying the sign and splashing paint on cars parked in the Euro-Asian Automotive parking lot, causing thousands of dollars in damage. The business owner, upset over the damage and vandalism done to the cars, called the sign company. The fine print in the contract was read, and the billboard was removed and permanently banned,” ORTL continued.

“While abortion is a controversial subject, helping women in an unplanned pregnancy certainly should not be,” ORTL continued. The group said the billboard was “not political. Rather, it is hosted by dedicated volunteers from around the world who spend endless hours answering letters from young women in unplanned pregnancies, helping them find the answers they need for their individual situations.”