In October, Pope Leo XIV addressed issues concerning the sanctity of life. “Someone who says, ‘I’m against abortion’ but says, ‘I am in favor of the death penalty’ is not really pro-life,” he said. “Someone who says that ‘I’m against abortion, but I’m in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States,’ I don’t know if that’s pro-life.”
I have seen many people on the political left using Leo’s message to criticize the political right. I fully agree that undocumented immigrants must be treated with dignity and respect and that the death penalty must be abolished, but the reverse is also true. Many of those who are praising Leo for standing up for immigrants and individuals on death row skip over the first of the three life issues made in that same statement.
People who say they are opposed to the death penalty and the inhuman treatment of immigrants yet support abortion aren’t any more pro-life. Whether done by the left or the right, selectively picking the pope’s words for one’s own political messaging is distasteful. Being pro-life means advocating for the protection of human life from the womb to the tomb in its totality.
What rights matter if every human being does not have the inherent and complete right to life, from the moment of fertilization, and the right to live free from violence and die a natural death? We leave the door open to having all other rights and freedoms taken away.
HAYDEN LAYE
Walhalla
Strangers were kind
I recently had a moment of disorientation while waiting for my luggage at Charleston International Airport. A nice young woman approached me and asked if I was OK. I thought I was, but the incident persisted until I was able to sit down for a minute. Another nice bystander gave me a few tests to see if I was fine. She said I was dehydrated, perhaps from the plane flight and standing in one place for a lengthy period while waiting for my luggage.
An airport police officer also came to my assistance and asked me a series of helpful questions. He later walked me to my ride. After I sat for a short time and passed the various tests, the disorientation passed. The young woman, a student at the College of Charleston, offered to give me a ride home with her roommate who was there to pick her up. I accepted the offer and arrived home safely 30 minutes later after having a wonderful discussion about our common histories living in Connecticut.
Thank you to all who helped me during my brief disorientation. My two new friends from the College of Charleston, both seniors, should be commended for going the extra mile to assist this man in his 80s.
JAY VOSS
Mount Pleasant
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