UPDATE: We have received confirmation from Lamar Outdoor Advertising that they will be taking action against the messaging on the billboards in Omaha within the hour. We would like to express our gratitude to those who contacted this company in order to advocate for the truth. In the future, they will request that the Washington, D.C.-based abortion advocacy group Just and Free modify their messaging.
We are writing to request your immediate expression of disapproval of a decision made by Lamar’s Outdoor Advertising. Recently, Nebraska Right to Life has been in communication with the company regarding a misleading billboard that has been erected in the vicinity of Omaha. The company has been informed that the wording is deceptive, yet has refused to take action. Consequently, we are appealing to all Nebraska pro-life supporters. It is therefore requested that you contact them and inform them of your desire for them to take a stand for the truth.
It is imperative to express disapproval of Lamar’s inaction, despite the fact that they are now aware that the information is deliberately misleading. We are grateful for your efforts to express your concerns.
This summer, the Washington D.C.-based advocacy group Free and Just has placed billboards in the most heavily trafficked areas of Omaha, Nebraska, which read: The billboards state that women are being imprisoned in Nebraska as a result of the state’s abortion ban. It is evident that this assertion is false and that the message is therefore misleading.
The billboards are a response to a case in Norfolk, Virginia in which a then-teenager took the chemical abortion drug cocktail, illegally procured via mail by her mother. The teenage girl and her mother buried the 30-week-old fetus, dug up the remains on two occasions, and even attempted to burn the body. Furthermore, this was an act of barbarism towards the child and a clear violation of human decency. Additionally, the handling of the body after death was in direct contravention of the law.
The juvenile was sentenced to 90 days in prison and two years of probation. The sentence was not imposed as a consequence of the woman having undergone an abortion. Rather, it was handed down due to the removal and concealment of human remains and the woman’s subsequent lies to law enforcement.
Additionally, the infant’s grandmother has been accused of removing and concealing human remains, as well as violating Nebraska’s abortion law by illegally acquiring chemical abortion drugs through the mail and dispensing them without a license to her daughter. Additionally, she was accused of providing false information to law enforcement officials. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for 22 September, at which time the defendant may be sentenced to up to five years’ imprisonment.
Nebraska Right to Life has contacted Lamar Outdoor Advertising to request the removal of the ambiguous messaging. The billboard’s wording implies that women who undergo abortions will be incarcerated. In May of this year, the Nebraska Preborn Child Protection Act was enacted into law. It is explicitly stated that a woman will not be prosecuted for undergoing an abortion.
When we inquired of Dave Halpin, the Lamar Sales Manager, as to the rationale behind the company’s acceptance of the billboard containing intentionally misleading information, he replied: “Should we remove the billboard, it is likely that an even more misleading advertisement will be erected in its place.” Although he expressed reservations about the content of the message, he was reluctant to address our concerns.
Daniel Miller is responsible for nearly all of National Right to Life News' political writing.
With the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, Daniel Miller developed a deep obsession with U.S. politics that has never let go of the political scientist. Whether it's the election of Joe Biden, the midterm elections in Congress, the abortion rights debate in the Supreme Court or the mudslinging in the primaries - Daniel Miller is happy to stay up late for you.
Daniel was born and raised in New York. After living in China, working for a news agency and another stint at a major news network, he now lives in Arizona with his two daughters.
