To the editor:

May I take a stab at answering Ms. Hachmeister’s question, “Can a person be pro-life and pro-war?” (Public Forum, Saturday) The simple answer is yes.

I am a Roman Catholic, and as such there is a “Just War Doctrine” that my church teaches. Without trying to repeat the entire doctrine as it is too lengthy, basically it says that if the danger is imminent, grave and long-lasting, then war can be a just cause of action. However, under no circumstances can abortion ever be acceptable. It is genocide. It is the willful act of killing a human being who is totally defenseless — a human being who has had no opportunity to make choices, grow, live a life or any of the other things the pro-abortion advocates think we ought to be able to do as free members of a society. The mere fact this fetus has not had the opportunity to gasp one breath of air excludes it from the opportunity of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. For some reason, the courts of our land do not feel that this human is protected under the same constitution as the rest of us. There was a time in our country when blacks were not considered people, either. Think about it.

Scott Burkhart,

Lawrence