Who deserves to die?

Early last month, a mysterious viral ad campaign began to confuse and enrage people as messages like “Hipsters Deserve to Die”, “Cat Lovers Deserve to Die”, and “The Tattooed Deserve to Die” popped up on pay phone backs in cities around the U.S.

Passersby ripped down posters all over in protest. “Nobody deserves to die; come on, that’s a hell of a statement,” one man told CBS Chicago.

Until recently, the organization’s website only displayed a slideshow of images like this:

with the message:

“Every year over 160,000 lives are lost to a deadly disease. They didn’t ask for it, but many people seem to think they deserved it. This disease doesn’t discriminate. It affects almost all of us and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. So what is the killer? You’ll find out soon enough.”

The anonymous organization has since been revealed as the Lung Cancer Alliance, the campaign “No One Deserves to Die“. The website now reveals their fight against the stigma that people with lung cancer somehow deserve it:

“Many people believe that if you have lung cancer you did something to deserve it. It sounds absurd, but it’s true. Lung cancer shouldn’t discriminate, and neither should you. Help put an end to the stigma and the disease.”

The Alliance encourages everyone to help make a difference by spreading the word through the viral campaign, becoming an advocate, or making a donation.