By Dave Andrusko

Part Two tells you of the important work NRLC is doing at the United Nations. Please send comments on either Part One or Part Two to daveandrusko@gmail.com . If you'd like, follow me on www.twitter.com/daveha.

Sometimes when you see a photo, it so speaks to you, it is so arresting that you're reaching for your credit card almost before your brain synapses begin to fire. Such was the case with me a couple of months ago. (I write about the photo today because it took me until yesterday to place it in a frame and hang it on my office wall!)

A rank amateur, I initially thought it was a gimmick, a kind of trick photography, because the shot includes three prominent objects that, geographically, are separated by miles. But I checked around and found that producing such a masterpiece of compression requires elaborate equipment, technical skill, a strong "subject" in the foreground, and often the patience of Job.

Taken at night the foreground image--off to the left--is a tight shot of a portion of the Iwo Jima Memorial, an iconic sculpture if ever there was one, dedicated to all Marine Corps personnel who've died in defense of their country. As you know, it is based on AP photographer Joe Rosenthal's memorable photo of the raising of the Flag on the island of Iwo Jima in 1945.

To the right and in the mid-ground is the Washington Monument, which, as you would read in any brochure, "was built between 1848 and 1884 as a tribute to George Washington's military leadership from 1775-1783 during the American Revolution." And positioned somewhere between the mid-ground and background is the Capitol, home to the House and Senate.

The photo is stunning, a riveting historical composition that speaks of the physical courage and honor without which representative government would be impossible. It hangs off to my left, and I probably look at the photo ten times a day.

I first saw the photo when I dutifully accompanied my wife to an arts and crafts festival.

One glance was all it took for me to tell Lisa that if the kids were looking for a Father's Day present, this was it.

But like most pro-lifers I can't look at anything without it meshing somehow with our cause. I thought to myself if I could rub a lamp and have one wish, it would be to compress the lifespan of a human being into a single image--literally and metaphorically.

One way would be to place a representation of the littlest Americans (the ones that need the most protection) in the foreground, with a 20-ish woman in the mid-ground, and an elderly man in the background. The objective of such a photo would be to help the viewer see the seamless linkage that extends from the beginning of life until the end of life.

It is a truth which is not given the credit it deserves because it is self-evident: that this younger woman and that older man--and every man and every woman of all ages-- were once an unborn child. And yet if you listen to so much debate about abortion, that truth is brushed aside, dismissed as being unworthy of a response.

But as powerful as a photo might be, this sense of continuity, understood as a metaphor, can open eyes seemingly sown shut. For example, if you think about it, life really is a tapestry--unless we rip out the first threads.

There are other examples. I've written about a spectacular National Right to Life DVD, "A Baby's First Months: Infinite Possibilities," both in TN&V (http://www.nrlc.org/news/2009/NRL07-08/InfinitePossibilities.htm) and in National Right to Life News. You can see an extended clip of the six-minute-long DVD at http://nrlc.org/InfinitePossibilities.asp.

The DVD's simple but intriguing narrative helps the viewer make a real connection with the unborn child who we see by way of a breathtaking series of embryoscopic photos. Juxtaposed are scenes of her mother gracefully exercising. Pregnancy is seen for what it is: a natural part of life.

"A Baby's First Months: Infinite Possibilities" operates on many levels. First and foremost, because it is stunningly beautiful, the audience is immediately caught up. From the very first few minutes, the DVD establishes the parallel between the universe "out there" and the universe "within." Good stuff.

But a major part of the genius of "A Baby's First Months: Infinite Possibilities" is the manner in which it enmeshes the child within the web of her social connections. The unborn child ponders whether she will have her dad's large feet; or whether she will be pretty like her mom; or whether she will be a ballerina. The DVD's last shot is a view of out a bedroom window at the moon, with the child concluding, "Maybe I'll be an astronaut someday."

I would end with this. Each and every way we can--by photos, DVDs, sonograms on refrigerators, the natural flow of our conversation that reminds our listener that we are speaking about one of us---our job is to tell an old, old story in ever new and creative ways.

Part Two