Issue of Concern : Attitudes towards Abortion and Fetal Birth Right
Review of Process and Justification of Symbol
My T-shirt design, presented below, raises the issue of clinical abortion and surgery's lack of appreciation for the value of life and creation. With steady technological advancements in surgery and health initiatives, along with changes in cultural and religious values regarding birth right and creation, clynical abortion, for the past century, has received its fair share of public criticism's and support in regards to whether life comes before choice, or choice comes before life, with two opposing groups coming into conflict on the issue. Pro-Life representatives argue that indeed life comes before choice, and thus oppose abortion on moral and perhaps religious grounds, arguing that birth is a natural and organic process that should not be prevented, or altered by human hands, particularly on the basis of a young mother who's pregnancy is incidental and in fact has no emotional attachment to the child she bares. The Pro-Life group in general have no remorse for mothers who look to abortion purely as a way of forgetting their mistakes and to be rid of an extra burden, arguing that in today's society there are plenty of health care initiatives aimed at supporting mothers and their new born child. Furthermore, pro-life enthusiasts argue that although the fetus has no physical control over his or her own life, that fetus should still have a fair chance at life and should be regarded as precious life not an expendable item. Religious Pro-life individuals have particular concerns towards the accessibility and, what is more controversial, doctor's encouragement of abortions, as they believe that creation should be in the hands of God and not invaded by human choice.
In opposition to Pro-life campaigners, Pro-Choice individuals, supported by many medical figures, and scientific atheists, argue that abortion is a legal choice and reasonable alternative to pregnancy for the young mother, based on the mother's personal health and future, and that the mother, as the creator, has the dominant say over the fetus.
The official and overall aim of my symbol was not generate one of the above views but rather to give light to a neutral perspective on the issue, to raise the horror of the issue, but leave the personal views to the perspectives of viewers.
My approach thus, was to give a symbolised insight into the overall abortion process, hopefully without generating an overly crude or gruesome image, and to leave the issue open for the public.
In regards to student feedback, issue raised by the symbol was quite clear, and strongly communicated, however the execution of the symbol's presentation could have been better, (the burnt background behind the symbol was not intended), and I believe that those faults pulled away from the overall strength of symbol and its effectiveness to communicate the issue. Furthermore, my decision to give the symbol and related issue a neutral stance resulted unfortunately in the message of the t-shirt leaning towards a pro-choice view, which was something I hoped to avoid as it does not share with my personal distaste of abortion and man's control over helpless life. This issue was of the symbol's overall message was raised mainly by Khim, who hinted that the symbol placing abortion in an affirmative light. Thus, to improve on the symbol perhaps I should have taken a strict negative stance, that serves as propaganda to enforce the negative outcomes of abortion as an execution of life and thus draw people towards considering the value of birth and hence away from the surgical alternative.
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