Pope Francis wrong to make Trump and Harris moral equivalents
Re: “Pope slams Harris and Trump as ‘against life’,” Sept. 14 news story
I love Pope Francis, thus it pains me to disagree with him in a public forum. Were I still teaching, his many encyclical letters (really small books) would be required reading in many of my classes. Especially his two letters on our environmental crisis and his numerous letters and exhortations about immigration and economic justice. Yet I must disagree with his recent and widely reported comments about voting for the lesser evil in choosing between Trump and Harris. He criticizes the evil in Trump’s refusal to welcome immigrants and in Harris’ support for abortion. Yet he’s simply wrong to make this equation.
Harris is not promoting abortions but affirming the right of women to make a decision about whether to keep an unwanted pregnancy or to abort (the pope actually says “to assassinate”) an unborn fetus. Yet Trump is clearly calling for the evil not simply of refusing to welcome immigrants but of forcefully deporting them – starting with Venezuelans in Aurora and Haitians in Springfield, Ohio.
Additionally, Trump’s economic and tax policies clearly favor the rich and reject the poor, while Francis himself has continually called for a redistribution of wealth and especially for an “option for the poor” (prioritizing the needs of the poor in economic policies). Harris’s economic plans, though admittedly still quite vague, clearly support helping middle clas and working Americans.
Francis is not wrong in entering the fray of the U.S. elections. And he’s clearly right in affirming the need for all to make serious discernments of conscience in voting, not simply to be swayed by personal passions. Yet he’s very wrong in suggesting an equation between the evils of Trump’s ideas and those proposed by Harris.
John F. Kane, Emeritus Professor of Religious Studies, Regis University (Denver)
Colorado Symphony off to a great start
The Colorado Symphony began its 101st season with an excellent performance and great news. The orchestra played Dvorak’s “New World Symphony” and Gershwin’s piano concerto with true verve and passion. The eminent pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet was completely engaged throughout his splendid rendition of the Gershwin. The big reveals included the extension of music director Peter Oundjian’s contract and the orchestra’s acquisition of new, luxurious Steinway piano.
The 2024-2025 season promises to be exceptional.
John Leopold, Centennial
Some things shouldn’t be decided by the state
Can someone please tell me why, where you live in this vast country, by choice or necessity, can determine how you manage your bodily autonomy and health care decisions? It is not right! This is not a theocracy (yet)!
Jim Aldridge, Golden
Election 2024: The “Regrets question”
What, in the future when you look back on this decision, would you regret doing or not doing and why? Asking that question is relevant in so many situations. Sometimes, it can be fairly quick; other times, it requires more time and research. Picturing what it would look like 5-10 years from now for you, your family, your community, our state, our country, and the planet as a result of each choice is essential. Remember that little choices can sometimes have big consequences.
Asking the “regrets question” is especially important for this upcoming election. Would you regret not voting? We’ve had some very close elections. Would you regret voting a certain way? Why?
It takes time to do the work to make important decisions – using reputable sources to sort fact from assumption, opinion, belief, and disinformation. It takes time to determine a candidate’s competency for the job. It takes time to study a candidate’s record of words and actions, whether they are consistently public-serving or self-serving. None of your choices may be preferable, but deciding not to decide is a decision. Asking the “regrets question” can help.
For this election, give it your best thinking, and have no regrets.
Bev Bachman, Estest Park
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