Pro-lifers are nothing if not creative. Over the decades, they have produced thousands upon thousands of “visual aids,” from the simplest black and white one-sheeter to full-blown movies—and everything in-between.
The common denominator is—to adapt a cliché—to help the public get its collective head around both the humanity we share with the unborn child and the sheer magnitude of the loss of lives since January 22, 1973.
Although I scribble for a living, I really do believe a picture–or in this a case a 4 ½ minute long video–is worth a thousand words.
Gayle Atteberry, executive director of Oregon Right to Life, tells me the video below opened the 2017 Rally for Life in Portland, Oregon. Take the time to watch it right now.
The technique is as simple as it is effective. Starting with the declaration, “The United States Legalized Abortion in 1973,” the viewer watches as the numbers inexorably rise at an incredible pace. For example, by the beginning of 1983, the number had already reached nearly 13 million!
Why is it so immensely powerful? As the numbers spin and whirl across the screen, like a kind of demented Dow Jones figure. a bell tolls each time the cumulative abortion count is shown. That alone would be enough to grab your attention.
But in addition, the numbers roll directly under a map of the United States with the states in yellow. State by state “disappears,” representing the ever-mounting numbers of children who have disappeared over time.
Whatever someone’s view is on abortion, this video will help them grasp the immensity of the loss of life which is the real legacy of Roe v. Wade.
Thank goodness the number of abortions performed annually is decreasing. But this video reminds us of the lives already lost and how we must never rest until the scourge of abortion is eliminated.
Chelsea Garcia is a political writer with a special interest in international relations and social issues. Events surrounding the war in Ukraine and the war in Israel are a major focus for political journalists. But as a former local reporter, she is also interested in national politics.
Chelsea Garcia studied media, communication and political science in Texas, USA, and learned the journalistic trade during an internship at a daily newspaper. In addition to her political writing, she is pursuing a master's degree in multimedia and writing at Texas.
