ALTOONA, Pa. (WTAJ) — “Choose Life. Not Drugs.” That’s the message written on the Amtran bus wrap for Operation Our Town. Some argue the design oversimplifies addiction as a simple “no,” while the organization said it’s a sign of the consequences of bad decisions.
“We believe that addiction is a disease and prevention is the best medicine,” Board member Randy Feather said.
This is the fourth bus design Operation Our Town has done with Amtran. On one half, children are playing basketball and playing musical instruments, representing good choices. On the other half, coffin and skeleton, showing the effects of bad choices: choices that Feathers said includes using drugs.
“Especially with the types of drugs causing the overdoses nowadays: the meth, the cocaine, the heroin. These are not drugs to be played with,” he said.
Marianne Sinisi lost her son Shawn last September to a drug overdose, and is a member of a group called Families United for Change. She said using the word “choose” is misleading when talking about addiction.
“There are people that are suffering this that had no intentions of taking medication that would become habit forming, but now they’re living the consequences,” she said.
And the images used in the design: “The coffin, the skeleton is painful because it is our reality,” Sinisi said.
Sinisi said she voiced her concerns to Operation Our Town. Feathers said they have no regrets with the design of the wrap, but never intended to have negative affect families that have lost someone to addiction.
“We are very sensitive to people that have lost loved one because of drug addiction and drug abuse, and we’re all on the same page. Sometimes, it’s a little bit different how we get there, but we’re pulling ropes in the same direction, and we’re making something positive out of it,” Feathers said.
Sinisi will be at a meeting on Monday with Feathers and other members of Operation Our Town to possibly work together to bring positive change to the community, and make sure no other families have to lose a loved one to this disease.
