Originally published in Christian Today
Two billboards stand inside the Catholic cemetery in Orillia, Canada. One depicts an image of an infant and adult holding hands with the caption, “Take my hand not my life.” The other signboard shows a picture of a baby with a gift-wrapped bow over the message, “Life is the greatest gift of all.”
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Although these pro-life signboards convey seemingly harmless messages, they did not escape the eyes of abortion supporters who recently pray-painted them with black paint.
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Two pro-life Canadians, the couple Mike and Julie Holjevac, spent $1 200(R16 691) for the billboards, believing that more people should see babies as gifts from God. They also had to seek permission from the city government and the Department of Highways to be able to erect the billboards.
Mike said he was not surprised to see the billboards vandalised. After all, just a month after they were put up, they were already defaced.
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“We expected this might happen,” the 70-year-old man told LifeSiteNews. “There are probably more pro-choice people in Canada than pro-life.”
Julie, meanwhile, diligently tried to remove the black paint on the billboard using lacquer thinner. While she was doing so, a passerby yelled a profanity towards her.
“I wasn’t angry. I felt sad and I felt sorry for the person who did it,” she said, adding that they have not filed complaints to the police in connection with these incidents of vandalism. “They must really be hurting somewhere along the line or they are full of hate.”
Julie nevertheless called on pro-choice Canadians to show some respect for individuals who do not subscribe to the same values as theirs.
“It’s a hate crime,” she said. “Freedom of speech cuts both ways. You don’t have to agree with me, but you don’t have to be destructive.”
