Yes, that’s right. According to PoliticsDaily’s Kaitlynn Reily (see post below) it has come to this:

“At around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, I heard the droning noise of a small plane and looked out my window to see one flying low over campus. It carried a banner behind it featuring a picture of an aborted fetus and words, in bold white letters, that described it as a 10 week abortion. The plane circled the boundaries of campus for at least two-and-a-half hours.”

Apparently the plane banner is the work of an anti-abortion group, The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform (CBR). The South Bend Tribune reports that the CBR plans to fly the plane around for three hours a day until the May 17 commencement and will drive a similarly decorated billboard truck around the South Bend region. CBR spokesman Mark Harrington said the plane will switch between the billboard seen Tuesday and one that will read: “Abortion is Terror,” which also will show a picture of a fetus.

“The pro-life community at Notre Dame is, in part, responsible for the invitation of Barack Obama,” Harrington said by phone Tuesday. “If they were doing a good job of reaching the campus, it’s unlikely Obama would have been invited.” … Harrington said CBR has tried to contact the campus in hopes of setting up a smaller “display” on campus, but Notre Dame “has made it clear they’re not interested in inviting us.”

Harrington said these kind of photos will help end abortion, “even if pro-life activists must show them over the objection of pro-life pacifists.” Harrington said the demonstration will be peaceful.

That’s reassuring. Will this bring a response from bishops or pro-life activists? Will the CBR effort be effective? A letter writer to The Observer, the UND student newspaper, is not so sure. And Kaitlynn Reily points to a student debate held at the university yesterday as an example of the fruitful exchanges that can happen: “The students were respectful to each other, all made good points and the audience of mostly students listened respectfully.”

Coverage of that event here by The Observer.