Dear Editor:

Sister Joan Chittister, O.S.B. recently challenged the hypocrisy in the "pro-life" movement. The post begins with, "I do not believe that just because you're opposed to abortion, that that makes you pro-life. In fact, I think in many cases, your morality is deeply lacking if all you want is a child born but not a child fed, not a child educated, not a child housed.”

Pope Francis attributes climate change to human activity. Specifically the encyclical begins with “ ... numerous scientific studies indicate that the majority of the global warming in recent decades is due to the large concentration of greenhouse gases ... emitted above all due to human activity.”

There were a number of candidates who complained that the pontif should stay out of politics when it comes to matters like climate change. The first one to make such a statement — even though a Catholic — clearly he was unaware that the Pope has a scientific background and understands the oldest section of the Bible that we were “not earth’s owners and dominators, nor are we authorized to loot her.”

Yesterday, another political figure, Gov. Paul LePage, put forth his political theory that Maine’s welfare system has fueled the drug trade, purportedly because one drug dealer had obtained 47 EBT cards.

While the Nun and Pope are attempting to wake us up to see our own culpabilities, we seem to be busy blaming others — even Pope Francis — rather than looking at all of the evidence in order to solve the problem.

Lack of morality, climate change, and loss of life due to drugs are all problems that can be solved when we understand we are both contributors to and solvers of the problems. Until we do whatever we can to research for facts, to understand its core enabling information, the problems remain, and lives are lost.

The question is — can we stop blaming others and focus on saving lives?

Jarryl Larson

Edgecomb