Letter to the Editor: Tribune-Review — Oct. 2020
I appreciate the writer’s passion in the letter “Trump is right pro-life choice” (Oct. 15, TribLIVE). I did, though, feel surprised at the implications that the term “pro-life” is so clear-cut and that the decision for a so-called pro-life president is so obvious, as shown in the letter’s last line: “Very easy choice.”
If “pro-life” only means a person standing against abortion in support of the unborn, then, yes, it’s more clear-cut (even there, shades of gray remain). But what about standing against gun violence in support of each life taken? What about standing against war in support of each life lost, both civilian and military? What about standing against the mistreatment of immigrants and the marginalized of society in support of each life in pain?
What about standing against the death penalty in support of each life that’s just as imperfectly human as the next? What about standing against the abuse of the Earth in support of a living planet that offers so much life to us?
It seems that “life” is not only precious in every complex form, but the very term itself brings with it a complexity that defies any clear-cut approach to declaring oneself to be “pro-life.”
Thus, I agree wholeheartedly with the writer’s line about looking into our relationship with God — the divine essence of all life — as each of us must intentionally seek a life-giving spirituality, explore various viewpoints, wrestle with difficult issues and ask hard questions that may not have straightforward answers.
John David Kudrick
Penn Township, Westmoreland County
Original posting here.