Back around 1969, when I was a student at the University of Notre Dame, Professor Charles McCarthy [now a Byzantine-rite Catholic priest] told a small group of students sitting with him in the Huddle snack bar that support for legalized abortion was going to severely undermine the American political left and the peace movement. I was there that day, along with my good friend Chris Cotter, and neither of us has ever forgotten those prophetic words.
Recently I composed a letter that I planned to send to the Cleveland Plain Dealer on the issue of abortion. I tried to submit the letter electronically and it apparently didn't go through. So I thought I would post that letter here:
Dear Editor:
“I have been a Democrat all my life, but I’ve been somewhat unhappy with my party since 1896.” That was a famous line spoken by America’s great poet, Robert Frost, around 1960, when JFK was elected. Frost was elated at Kennedy’s election and read the poem “The Gift Outright” at his Inauguration.
I too have been unhappy with my party, especially on the issue of abortion. Some party leaders act as if all Democrats were pro-choice fanatics, when in reality almost all Democrats I know are very conflicted over this issue. Almost without exception they want the party to reflect their desires to make abortion availability restricted and to make abortion extremely rare.
Especially tragic for us Democrats is the intellectual and moral twisting we see when party leaders try to justify partial-birth abortion and similar outrages. This just gives fuel to the fake pro-life stance that the current version of Republicanism displays.
The Democratic Party must listen to its grass roots members and make room for us pro-life Democrats. We are the pro-life party; we are the party of compassion. And we are the party that must change course and support human life at every stage.
Respectfully,
Bob Coughlin
[I located on the internet the following description of Fr. Charles McCarthy:
"Fr. Charles McCarthy, a priest of the Byzantine Rite Catholic Church, is acting rector of St. George Byzantine Catholic Seminary. A cofounder of Pax Christi USA, Fr. McCarthy has been a retreat director for thirty years. The healing of his daughter, Benedicta, was the official miracle in the canonization of Saint Edith Stein."]
Recently I composed a letter that I planned to send to the Cleveland Plain Dealer on the issue of abortion. I tried to submit the letter electronically and it apparently didn't go through. So I thought I would post that letter here:
Dear Editor:
“I have been a Democrat all my life, but I’ve been somewhat unhappy with my party since 1896.” That was a famous line spoken by America’s great poet, Robert Frost, around 1960, when JFK was elected. Frost was elated at Kennedy’s election and read the poem “The Gift Outright” at his Inauguration.
I too have been unhappy with my party, especially on the issue of abortion. Some party leaders act as if all Democrats were pro-choice fanatics, when in reality almost all Democrats I know are very conflicted over this issue. Almost without exception they want the party to reflect their desires to make abortion availability restricted and to make abortion extremely rare.
Especially tragic for us Democrats is the intellectual and moral twisting we see when party leaders try to justify partial-birth abortion and similar outrages. This just gives fuel to the fake pro-life stance that the current version of Republicanism displays.
The Democratic Party must listen to its grass roots members and make room for us pro-life Democrats. We are the pro-life party; we are the party of compassion. And we are the party that must change course and support human life at every stage.
Respectfully,
Bob Coughlin
[I located on the internet the following description of Fr. Charles McCarthy:
"Fr. Charles McCarthy, a priest of the Byzantine Rite Catholic Church, is acting rector of St. George Byzantine Catholic Seminary. A cofounder of Pax Christi USA, Fr. McCarthy has been a retreat director for thirty years. The healing of his daughter, Benedicta, was the official miracle in the canonization of Saint Edith Stein."]
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