Letter to the Editor: How to be both pro-life and pro-choice
Published 10:30 am Tuesday, March 17, 2026
One of my favorite Bible verses reads, “Come now, and let us reason together…”That verse came to mind when reading the letter, “Friendships over politics? Maybe in normal times,” published Feb. 25.
The letter stated, “I don’t know of any person who is pro woman’s right to chose (I’m sure the writer meant “choose”) who is also pro abortion but I am old enough to remember the times before Roe vs Wade when abortion was illegal”.
The point the letter made was that women will get abortions whether they are illegal or not. So, let’s reason together.
Is it reasonable to suggest that a law that is going to be broken should not exist? I would disagree. Actually, I consider myself quite conservative and when campaigns promise less regulation and big government I vote that direction. But there need to be some laws to protect us from rape, theft, assault, vandalism and, yes, the taking of innocent human life. I know of no life more innocent than that of a baby, be it newborn or still developing in his or her mother’s womb.
Like any other law, no doubt laws against abortion have been broken. At this time in Washington State laws protecting unborn children are virtually nonexistent. In fact some go so far as to promote infanticide if the baby has some sort of physical defect that the parents don’t want to deal with.
I believe, from a moral perspective, there is really no difference between taking the life of an innocent child before it has been allowed to take its first breath, or after that same child is born.
I’ll refer back to the first quote (above) from the Feb. 25 letter that I’m responding to.
I think it is a bit disingenuous to claim that the writer didn’t know of any person who is pro woman’s right to choose who was also pro-abortion, when in today’s vernacular a woman’s right to choose and the right to choose to abort her child are virtually synonymous. Of course we can play word games. I can say that I’m pro-choice for women and pro-life at the same time. And indeed that would be true. I’m obviously pro-life or I wouldn’t be sharing my views here.
Likewise I believe a woman has the right to choose when it comes to whether or not to work, drive or wear her favorite outfit. Yet I also believe there should be limitations on her choices. For example, she shouldn’t be allowed to drive 90 miles an hour through a school zone.
In practical terms, those who want all abortions to be legal in our state are the winners. I see no significant changes restricting abortion in this state anytime soon. So for those of us who do value human life I recommend we just keep educating people, reminding them that we were all developing in our mother’s in the earliest stages of our lives.
Mark Akers
Enumclaw
