Letter to the Editor

We can all agree once a human egg is fertilized, it cannot become anything but a human being. Just as with anything that grows, it is alive. Cells divide thus life. My only way to see this is a human life at fertilization. And for humans, it is not controversial that we do not take a human life. So, if I could make the rules, there would only be life. Abortion would not even be a word associated with human life.
I’m a practical realist. In large democratic societies, getting what one wants, I mean one specific individual, is often not possible. One has to decide among many or at least several alternatives. One has to determine what guides one’s beliefs and how one may accommodate others with differing opinions. That may be defined using terms such as an understanding, deal, bargain, trade-off, middle ground, settlement, or compromise. It leads to agreement on how society will address a particular issue. Of course, if one side or the other (or one of many sides) feels their accommodation is more than they can “stomach,” the issue is not settled and will become an issue that will have to be addressed again and likely again and again.