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Reader Responds To Pair Of Prior Week’s Letters
Two Mailbag letters in the Aug. 16 edition gave me pause as I read them.
The first, purporting state legislatures are now authorized to practice eugenics, caught my eye. Clearly, the word “eugenics” was used to fan the flames surrounding the current abortion debate. To my knowledge, no legislatures have passed laws that propose to improve the genetic quality of the population (the true definition of eugenics), nor have they singled out any group for forced sterilization, forced abortion, nor singled out any group to be encouraged to reproduce.
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The letter writer correctly identified the core issue, which is when does life begin? Persons who are pro-life are sincere in their beliefs, as are persons who are pro-choice, believing women have the right to control their own bodies. But we ignore the sincerity and continue vilifying.
The second letter — apparently Trump-Russia letter number one million and one — says Trump did nothing when the services warned him of Russia trying to influence the 2016 election. Trump could, of course, have taken no action, as Mr. Obama was president. And, with respect, sometimes the intelligence is less than stellar (see WMD, collapse of Afghanistan, Benghazi Embassy, Hunter Biden laptop).
Sometimes I get fired up and want to fight! But, besides me pointing out my facts, which are in opposition to the letter writers’ facts, what have I really accomplished here? I’m sure I have not changed anyone’s mind, nor do any letters like this. My letter is not persuasive — it is tit-for-tat and divisive. Why do I want to attack, and almost hate, instead of trying to identify areas of commonality to build on, expound rather than explain, be closed-minded instead of open-minded to other ideas?
I’m concerned that our leaders are not interested in working together, and we are permitting their obstinacy and sadly join in.
I, for one, and hope others will, try to be more respectful to each other in this sad era, and insist on it from our elected officials.
Doug Dressel Kirkwood
