Visually Effective? (Extra)

The most important political issue to me is the Pro-Life movement. I believe that a person is given life at the moment of conception, because from that moment on they grow. In society today, abortion has become such a big issue. There have been severe debates on what constitutes abortion, and whether or not it should be a right, and this extends into the issue of birth control as well. While I believe this political issue is more of an ethical issue, in our current culture abortion becomes a topic of politics. 

Following a Pro-Life group on Facebook I see a lot of the arguments for our cause. But are these arguments effective? Each post is accompanied with an image, and whether or not these images are actually effective could be determined through analysis of these images. 

The image to my left is one that I believe is not very effective. The argument immediately creates negativity with any women who believe their body is their choice. It would cause the pro-choice people to not consider the argument, since it seems like any of their views are pushed away immediately. The image of the baby is poorly photoshopped, where the edges are harsh and it looks less like a baby in the womb. Editing a photo of the baby in the womb would cause less proof that the baby is alive and does deserve respect. Making this image un-realistic looking counteracts the argument, and through that there's nothing that would cause anyone to consider this position. While the wording is accurate, the image itself causes invalidity in the argument. A better way to portray this argument in my opinion would be the next image to the right. 

In this image it shows the baby in the womb, such as the first image, however the baby looks more realistic. Since this is actually a baby in the womb it creates a more effective argument. The color choice seems to compliment each other as well as creating a realistic outlook. It doesn't create negativity with the other side, it's simply asking as opposed to forcing a message. Stating that this isn't an argument, it's the truth doesn't force against either side. This shows that abortion is an issue of mortality and ethical rights other than an issue of political rights. Though the central argument of this issue is apparently political in our society. I believe this message is more effective than the first, not only at showing the truth but for protecting the rights of the other side. While they believe abortion is a right they have and a choice they should be able to make, this is more of an argument that makes one think as opposed to forcing them to choose one side over the other. 

These two different sides don't seem to give each other any "wiggle room" when it comes to the issue. One side believes that if abortion was illegal it would take their rights away as a woman, but that side doesn't seem to consider the life of the child in that situation. The other side believes that abortion should be illegal and that our society should focus on the right of the child, but they don't seem to take into consideration the emotional toll of some circumstances. As a pro-life person, I believe the right of the child is what we should focus on, because they are a living being. However I do believe that my side tends to use extremities when it comes to arguing and that the different ways they push the argument are not always effective. The most effective argument I've seen is this. 

This piece to the left is a work of art that I found browsing through Facebook in a memorial for the unborn children in 2010. This work is by Martin Hudacek from Slovakia. The piece is based off the lose of a child at age 15 to abortion. The speaker at this event spoke about how she believed she could bury the child's memory, but that it could not happen. Burying the child's memory instead ended up capturing her over many years, but that God performed a miracle and let her see the child and that is what the piece represents. This piece shows the struggle of actually having an abortion, and how it affects someone deep down. This image visually seems to give a deep impact. It reflects on someone's personal struggles as well as representing the pain of loosing a child and how it never goes away. I believe this piece is the most visually effective, but it takes an understanding of the image to see why.

This image might not seem like it would be as effective because it takes the understanding of the artwork to notice it, but the fact that the photo of this image is always followed by an explanation allows for the impact of the image to be successful. This is the only way to show an effective argument to both sides, to show the trauma of an abortion years later down the road. In order to change someone's beliefs, you must first get them to understand. There is no winning or loosing when it comes to different sides of an issue, there needs to be an understanding. For what I believe in, the image showing loss and pain I believe is the most visually affective image to promote this belief.