[GunLawReform] Liar Rosenthal gets dozens of free billboards. Time to rally against clear channel outdoors and the others.

Dozens of billboards to replace landmark Mass. Pike sign New sites donated as sign is removed

John Rosenthal, founder and president of Stop Handgun Violence, in front of the landmark billboard along the Massachusetts Turnpike.

BILL GREENE/GLOBE STAFF

John Rosenthal, founder and president of Stop Handgun Violence, in front of the landmark billboard along the Massachusetts Turnpike.

By Steve AnnearGLOBE STAFF MARCH 31, 2015

The Newton nonprofit that for two decades sponsored the eye-grabbing billboard along the Massachusetts Turnpike that inveighed against gun violence is promising to keep that message fresh in the minds of motorists with a new series of targeted ads.

Beginning Tuesday, Stop Handgun Violence will be “saturating” highway signs at three-dozen locations across the state, an interim solution until cofounder John Rosenthal finalizes construction of the Fenway Center complex over the turnpike.

The new highway signs being installed this week will read, “We’re Not Anti-Gun. We’re Pro-Life. Massachusetts Gun Laws Save Lives,” and feature a Bushmaster XM-15 assault rifle, with a white surrender flag poking out from the barrel.

Billboard space was donated by Clear Channel, Logan Communications, Total Outdoor, and Outfront Media, Rosenthal said. All but four of the signs will be on digital displays.

“It will be huge coverage,” Rosenthal said. “Having billboards all over the state that are literally positioned to have maximum exposure from the highways is a huge win.”

Photos: Gun violence billboard

After 19 years, the Newton nonprofit Stop Handgun Violence is looking for a new location for its 252-foot-long billboard.
Billboard must seek new home

The campaign comes as Rosenthal bids farewell to the iconic 252-foot-long billboard affixed to the Lansdowne Street parking garage he once owned.

The large billboard was given a March deadline for removal, after Rosenthal sold the garage to the Red Sox’s parent company in 2013. He expects the sign will come down within the next 30 days.

‘That billboard campaign I started . . . is as close to a kid as I have had, and it’s hard letting go.’ –John Rosenthal, Cofounder of Stop Handgun Violence
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An estimated 150,000 drivers a day have cruised by that billboard, taking in variations of the message plastered there for 20 years.

“It’s sad. I don’t have kids, and that billboard campaign I started . . . is as close to a kid as I have had, and it’s hard letting go,” Rosenthal said.

To launch the latest campaign, Rosenthal said he called billboard companies across the Commonwealth, who offered their services.

“When we realized he would no longer have his . . . billboard to get out the message about gun control, we offered to utilize some of our space,” said Stephen Ross, president of the Boston division of Clear Channel Outdoor.

“It was easy for us to make a huge impact on such an important message.”

While Stop Handgun Violence, which pushes to reduce gun deaths without banning firearms, has seen considerable support for the latest campaign, some people aren’t too keen on the new signs.

Jim Wallace, executive director of the Gun Owners’ Action League, the state affiliate of the National Rifle Association, laughed at the words and imagery used for the billboard when a reporter described it.

“I don’t know what a white flag has to do with their message,” he said.

Wallace called Rosenthal’s turnpike billboard an “eyesore,” and said it hasn’t amounted to anything in the 20 years since it was installed. He expects the same could be said about Rosenthal’s latest push.

“The billboards are ineffective. I don’t think they have any effect at all, and I don’t think they’ve had any effect on firearm safety in general,” he said.

Rosenthal disagreed.

He said the messages on the turnpike, which in the past included imprints of hands representing the children and teachers killed in Newtown, Conn., in 2012 have helped drive the conversation about gun violence on a national level.

He said when the Fenway Center complex is complete, that conversation will be even more robust, because the building will be constructed over the highway and have more space for permanent signs.

“We are going to come back with a big, permanent billboard that will continue to keep this debate alive for the rest of time,” Rosenthal said. “There’s potential for the billboards to be the first and last thing you see coming in and out of Boston.”

What I’ve learned from Andy Rooney …

If you will take the time to read these. I promise you’ll come away with an enlightened perspective. The subjects covered affect us all on a daily basis:

They’re written by the late Andy Rooney (ex-60 Minutes USA ), a man who had the gift of saying so much with so few words. Enjoy…….
I’ve learned…. That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.
I’ve learned…. That when you’re in love, it shows.
I’ve learned…. That just one person saying to me, ‘You’ve made my day!’ makes my day.
I’ve learned…. That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.
I’ve learned…. That being kind is more important than being right.
I’ve learned…. That you should never say no to a gift from a child.
I’ve learned…. That I can always pray for someone when I don’t have the strength to help him in some other way.
I’ve learned…. That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.
I’ve learned…. That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.
I’ve learned…. That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.
I’ve learned…. That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
I’ve learned…. That we should be glad God doesn’t give us everything we ask for.
I’ve learned…. That money doesn’t buy class.
I’ve learned…. That it’s those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
I’ve learned… That under everyone’s hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
I’ve learned…. That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
I’ve learned…. That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.
I’ve learned…. That love, not time, heals all wounds.
I’ve learned…. That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
I’ve learned…. That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.
I’ve learned…. That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.
I’ve learned… That life is tough, but I’m tougher.
I’ve learned…. That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.
I’ve learned…. That when you harbour bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.
I’ve learned…. That I wish I could have told my Mum that I love her one more time before she passed away.
I’ve learned…. That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.
I’ve learned…. That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
I’ve learned…. That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you’re hooked for life.
I’ve learned…. That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it.
I’ve learned…. That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.
To all of you…. Make sure you read all the way down to the last sentence.
It’s National Friendship Week. Show your friends how much you care. Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND, even if it means sending it back to the person who sent it to you. If it comes back to you, then you’ll know you have a circle of friends. HAPPY FRIENDSHIP WEEK TO YOU!!!!!! YOU ARE MY FRIEND AND I AM HONORED! Now send this to every friend you have!! And to your family. This was sent to me by a friend.