Texas Pro-Life group begins successful campaign with life-affirming message

Drivers in Montgomery County can see a beautiful message about the sanctity of human Life.  Montgomery County Right to Life (MCRTL), the local chapter of Texas Right to Life, sponsored the life-affirming billboard on Texas 105 near Old Highway 105 in Conroe.

The message, “Every Life…Priceless!” is emblazoned on the billboard above three powerful images representing the spectrum of Life: a couple expecting a child holding an image of a newborn, a young girl with Down syndrome, and a smiling elderly woman.  MCRTL Director Teresa Strack told Texas Right to Life, “We chose the message as a way to have a broader conversation with the community.”  By posting on a billboard, Strack noted, “You reach every section of the community.”  People from all walks of life are on the road, and MCRTL hopes that their messages reaches people who wouldn’t otherwise visit their website or attend Pro-Life events.

Though Montgomery County is a strongly Pro-Life area of greater Houston, MCRTL wanted to expand the conversation by drawing attention to the assault on Life that affects us all.  The preborn facing the threat of abortion are not the only people at risk.  The disabled are threatened by a culture that subscribes to a dangerous quality-of-life ethics that deems some children “incompatible with life” and decides whose Life is “worth living.”  The elderly and hospitalized patients are at risk from anti-Life laws in Texas and the rapidly expanding assisted suicide lobby in our nation.

While this powerful Pro-Life message seems uncontroversial, MCRTL was surprised to find that companies were unwilling to rent billboard space and post the message.  Days before the first billboard was set to launch last July, MCRTL received an email stating, “We regret to inform you that we will not [be]able to run the MCRTL billboard campaign.”  Over the next six months, Strack says they faced other companies unwilling to post the message, but MCRTL continued to gain support.  They eventually found a vendor, and the first billboard launched in late January.

The response has been overwhelmingly positive.  Throughout the struggle to place the billboard, MCRTL received vocal support and funding from most of the elected officials in Montgomery County including top office holders.  U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady was personally involved in fundraising for the project.  After the message was posted, MCRTL has received many positive responses from the community.  All four local papers featured stories about the billboard, most of them as front-page news.  To date, Strack says MCRTL has not received any negative feedback.  The MCRTL website and social media have seen tremendous growth following the coverage of the billboard campaign.  After such success, MCRTL is expanding their campaign with another billboard at a major intersection and is in talks with other companies to find more ad space.

Samantha Callan, the beautiful smiling girl featured on the billboard, is thrilled to see the billboard.  Samantha’s family told Texas Right to Life, “We have a joyous life with Samantha.  We are involved [with the billboard campaign] because we want to share that joy.  Samantha, like all children, is a huge blessing.  We believe that every Life is full of purpose, joy, and value.  Down Syndrome is not a tragedy.  Samantha is blessed and a blessing.”

The Callan family’s statement underscores the importance of MCRTL’s life-affirming campaign.  We hope to see more beautiful billboards around Houston in the coming months!