In response to Gregory Barr's letter about Senator Obama's apparent lack of moral credibility ("Dude, where's your proportionality," Sept 9) on the abortion issue: as a Catholic who supports Obama, I've found that his respect for life in relation to the War in Iraq greatly outweighs his stance on abortion. His opposition to the war from the start, and his urgency in returning troops safely home is seldom recognized, yet equally worthy of praise from pro-life groups.
The next president, whoever it may be, will have much more influence and power to end the violence and bloodshed in Iraq than they will have in ending abortion. If you need evidence, just look at the years since Roe vs. Wade passed through the Supreme Court in 1973: seven presidents (five Republicans, and two Democrats) have been in office and nothing has been overturned.
Abortion is not the only issue in this election, and for that matter, it is more a judicial issue than a presidential issue. Our country is currently in dire straights because politicians insist on campaigning about issues they know will rile up voters (i.e. abortion) instead of focusing on the issues they have the most legitimate power to positively impact (i.e. the economy, a growing energy crisis and the war). My support of one candidate, for my own personal reasons, does not make me any less Catholic than anyone else, and I'm tired of having to defend my faith, along with my vote, to people who are too narrow-minded to understand that elections cannot (and should not) be boiled down to one singular issue.
John Whitty
junior
Stanford Hall
Sept. 9
