Over the past twenty five years since Roe v.Wade, prolife activists have developed many means and methods to bring attention to the atrocity of abortion, and to affirm the personhood of preborn children. One of the most unique and effective tools ever developed toward that end are the giant photo signs of living and aborted children seen in demonstrations across the country. These signs are the brainchild and passion of a quiet, unassuming man from a little town in Wisconsin.

"My first real prolife activism was picketing at Albany Abortion Clinic in Chicago" the founder relates. "I used to pass by the abortion clinic and just try to ignore it, but there was usually one person picketing there by himself. That made me feel guilty." Deciding to join that lone protester in 1979 was the beginning of a life changing - not to mention life saving ministry that now reaches across the U.S. and even overseas.

Despite a subsequent move to Wisconsin where he participated in a highly publicized car rescue, he continued to place the greatest value in reaching women outside the abortuary with the truth while they still had a chance to change their minds. "I started using pictures at the Imperial abortion mill in Milwaukee" he recalled, "however, I wanted the women at the abortion clinic to have to deal with the pictures for a longer time". So, with strong encouragement from a long-time prolife activist and Executive Director of The Pro-Life Action League the founder began the process of making the signs bigger and better. Today, the signs, complete with headlines such as Choice is Abortion, 7th Week Aborted, and LIFE are printed using outdoor, weather-resistant paper and inks, some laminated, and come in 12 different varieties representing both live and aborted babies in sizes up to four by six feet and beyond.

The greatest single breakthrough in getting the signs widely used and recognized occurred at the San Diego Republican Convention in 1995. Operation Rescue ordered hundreds of them, lining the streets near the convention center. "While holding the signs, prolifers could for the first time see the reactions on the faces of passers-by. In an instant, those driving past were seeing the 'face' of abortion as it really is," the founder recounted, "then these prolifers went home and ordered signs of their own! A Texan wrote me to say 'For five years I've been going out there, and they've just been ignoring me. I was so discouraged. But now [with these huge signs] they can't ignore me!'"

The signs soon became a staple at abortion clinics, political demonstrations, high schools, street corners and the successful Freedom Tours which took place across Wisconsin during the summers of 1996-97. "If it wasn't for the founder's signs, there would have been no freedom tour" said Rev. Matt Trewella of Missionaries to the Preborn, pro-life leader and Freedom Tour organizer. Signs are currently being used in Ireland, South Africa, France, Poland, Australia, and Trinadad/Tobago, but according to Chet, there is still a lot to be done.

Of the future, he notes "Despite the fact that thousands of people in the U.S. and around the world are using the signs, and countless numbers of babies have been saved, it is very frustrating to realize that only a small fraction of the women walking into abortion clinics daily ever see even one of the signs before their babies are killed. With the signs, we can now go around the media, directly to the public, and educate people before they decide on abortion. We can make abortion the litmus test in the next election if we are willing to take the signs where the public will see them. That means more people sharing the vision and using the signs." When asked how he feels about the impact his idea is making on the prolife movement, the founder answers in typically humble terms, "I don't see myself as a hero for doing this - I am really just a sign salesman. God gave me this opportunity and I am grateful for it." We suspect a lot of babies and mothers are grateful too.