Texas Highway 287 and the pro-life movement

 John Pisciotta - American Thinker

"Thousands of American towns have an impact multiplier from a major highway.  The pro-life movement should capitalize on this traffic flow with billboards and yard signs.  Though these signs are common in our movement, the opportunities in small-town America are largely untapped.".

"Can one resident of a town of 1,800 people reach thousands every day for a cause he loves?  I discovered that the answer is yes while driving through Clarendon, Texas on Highway 287 in June of 2026.  His name is Jimmie Griffin.  He turned an idea for Christian evangelization into a lasting public witness.

"In 2012, Jimmie Griffin wanted to share his Christian faith in a big way following a near-death experience.  Jimmie saw an opportunity with Highway 287 merging with Clarendon’s Main Street through the city.  I call this travel arrangement “Mainstreet-Highway Fusion.”  Ten to eleven thousand vehicles pass through Clarendon each day.

"Jimmie built ten-foot-high white crosses with PVC pipe.  He installed the crosses at no charge for Clarendon property owners, with priority on locations next to Highway 287.

"Jimmie’s campaign was the talk of Clarendon.  He eventually installed fifty crosses.  Clarendon locals and Highway 287 travelers still see Jimmie’s legacy.  His 2019 obituary described Jimmie as a man who “was never afraid to stand up for the Lord.” . . .

. . . "The post-Dobbs era has exposed strengths and weaknesses of the pro-life movement.  We have won significant victories, such as federal legislation defunding Planned Parenthood.  We have also suffered major setbacks, such as losing 14 of 17 statewide ballots on abortion.  Clear gains for the culture of life will require bold expansion of the pro-life playbook.  If one man’s initiative in a town of 1,800 can reach thousands every day, imagine what thousands of small hometowns could accomplish."