Deception is What Deception Does

To paraphrase Forrest Gump: “Deception is what deception does.”

A little over three years ago a small group of families concerned about the agenda of Planned Parenthood launched the, “No Thank You Planned Parenthood” billboard campaign. You’ve no doubt seen our billboards around town featuring a woman with dark hair, wearing dark clothing and holding out her hand in a “stop” gesture.

A few months ago, some friends of Planned Parenthood put up their own billboard featuring a woman (who looks like she could be the twin of our model) with dark hair, wearing dark clothing and holding out her hand with a “thumbs up” gesture. Did the women represented by our billboard change their minds? Nope.

For the record, we heartily embrace the hurly-burly of public discourse. And we welcome opportunities to respectfully discuss and debate the issues surrounding abortion. But families in the crisis of an unplanned pregnancy deserve access to all the facts concerning all the options available to them without the spin and deception of misleading advertisements – from any quarter.

So, our concern is for the distraught woman driving up Miller Street who, through tears, sees the knock-off of our billboard and wonders, perhaps unconsciously, if the pro-life women of Wenatchee (represented by the woman featured in our ads) have had a change of heart; a change of mind regarding the plans and procedures of America’s number one abortion provider. Contrary to what copycat-ad implies, the pro-life women of our valley remain steadfastly against the taking of innocent human life, and decidedly for the sacred beauty of life “from the womb to the tomb.”

Tactics reveal character. And this sneaky billboard suggests not merely a lack of creativity, but a calculated willingness to deceive women when they are most vulnerable. Sadly, their copycat advert is just another reason that we of Citizens for Strong Families continue to believe, and will continue to say, “No Thank You Planned Parenthood. We Can’t Trust You.”

Gene Helsel, pastor of King’s Cross Church
Member of Citizens for Strong Families and Pro-Life Pastors NCW