December 10, 2021

Letters to the Editor

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No letters were printed this week; here is the letter from five weeks ago:

Reader: We must reduce the many threats which attack the sanctity of life

One important issue to consider when voting for our government representatives is that of addressing climate change and the existential threat it poses to humanity—extinction.

We are the stewards of the Earth. To dismiss the pollution of the planet is a dereliction of our Christian duties. To me, this is a most urgent issue.

President Joe Biden has made addressing climate change a top priority of his agenda, allotting a large financial commitment of the infrastructure package to address this challenge. Some objectives of the Build Back Better agenda are to cut carbon emissions in half by 2030 and to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

He was in attendance at the United Nations Climate Summit (COP 26), advocating, as a world leader, for a global commitment to repair the planet. Time is running out.

Abortion also is an existential threat to human life. As Catholics, we have an obligation to reduce the numbers of abortion. President Biden has introduced legislation that will help strengthen families: providing pay during family sick leave, enhancing child care for working families and providing health insurance for those who need help, to name a few. These legislations give people options (other than abortion) in dealing with an unplanned pregnancy.

Reducing the attacks on the sanctity of life involves many threats: carbon emissions, abortion, war, poverty, disease, famine and gun violence to name a few. Making these threats illegal is too simplistic for these complex situations and will be ineffective. These threats will still exist.

For example, although Indiana has laws against domestic violence, experts estimate that as many as 40% of women and 27% of men in Indiana have been victims of domestic violence. Our goal should be to reduce the occurrence of these threats—no easy task, but one that we are called to do by exercising our God-given intelligence, using compassion, educating people and helping each other.

- Melinda Fish | Bloomington

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