AR Dept of Transportation backpedals, says pro-lifers can hold signs after all
The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department sent Thomas More Society a letter today stating Fayetteville 40 Days for Life could resume holding signs at its prayer vigil outside the Fayetteville Planned Parenthood abortion facility.
“It appears that the communication from the AHTD district office was misinterpreted and/or misunderstood,” wrote Rita Looney, Chief Legal Counsel for AHTD.
With that, the Department’s violation of the pro-lifers’ right of free speech ended one week after it began.
Thomas More Society is a national pro-life public interest law firm that quickly took up the cause of the 40 Days for Life campaigners after AHTD employee Tina Sinclair approached the group on February 23 and 25 and claimed members were not only forbidden from posting pro-life signs in the ground but also from even holding them.
This warning came although the pro-lifers were standing on public property and had heretofore conducted eight vigils at the same location without incident.
Sinclair said the volunteers would be fined $25-$100 each for violations.
Since that time the pro-lifers have been holding vigil at the same location, but wearing pro-life t-shirts instead of holding signs to broadcast their message….
But today, the 40 Days group resumed holding signs.
It’s never easy. Thanks to 40 Days and TMS for standing their ground for the sake of preborn babies and their mothers.
To date at least 87 babies have been saved from abortion from the 40 Days spring campaign.
[Bottom photo via arkansasonline.com]
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
God bless the Thomas More Society — and the Fayetteville 40 Days For Life vigil!
Awesome!
[…] There are quite a few websites that have been carrying these stories, and this time, a prominent pro-life blogger, Jil Stanek picked up the story. […]
Thanks so much for sharing our story, Jill. Because of the Thomas More Society, we were easily able to get front page coverage of the story with a follow up story the next day, plus promises of more articles. I am one of the people who simply pray–no official leadership role–but I felt so grateful to feel part of a large, vibrant, growing, pro-life movement where people all over the country wanted to share the press release and get the word out.
Only good has come out of this seeming set back. Some of us realized we now needed to focus on side walk counseling more. We had a better understanding that we could be more active at another entrance–where we could hold signs. I felt inspired to call and get advice from pro-life heroes like Troy Newman of Operation Rescue and Ann Scheidler of Prolife Action.
One blogger who picked up the story told me she might be stopping by our vigil when she is in the area. A young editor of a local weekly paper said that he is passionate about 1st Amendment rights, and he is in the process of writing yet another story. My daughter wrote her first letter to the editor ever–and they called today to ask her permission to publish it. The list goes on!
I am thankful that we have a God who will ALWAYS make something good out of what seems bad for those who love him and are called to his purposes. Thank you for making something good and being a whistle blower in this day where people don’t want to make waves.
To date at least 87 babies have been saved from abortion from the 40 Days spring campaign. – evidence?
[…] https://www.jillstanek.com/2015/03/ar-dept-transportatation-prolifers-hold-signs/ […]