Editor,
I have been keeping up on the many letters to the Daily Lobo regarding the subject of abortion, and it has become clear that the topic is very sensitive, one on which everyone has his or her own aggressive and personal opinion. All the recent commotion revolving around the subject got me thinking not only about abortion, but of the current state of our American society.
We have stooped to a drastic level of selfishness and egocentrism. America has become centered on the pleasures and satisfaction of the individual. Our society deems behaviors of excessive indulgence, laziness and irresponsibility as perfectly normal and acceptable.
Abortion is a stellar example of this. Too lazy and too inconvenient to face the consequences of your actions? No problem - we can just kill your child and be done with it.
I understand that many factors come into play when faced with the decision of having an abortion, and I understand it is more complicated than that. It is not my point to herald my superior and distinguished moral and righteous opinions on abortion. My quarrel deals more with the essence and the overall state of mind that abortion and so many other selfish ideas, concepts and actions bring into our culture.
I admit it: I'm guilty of falling into the trap of irresponsibility and selfishness. We all are. It is when society marks its stamp of approval on the murderous killing of an innocent human life as a result of individual selfishness that America begins to cross the line and fall into the dark pit of corruption and heinousness.
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It is not a matter of opinion or a matter of spirituality; it is a fundamental matter of right versus wrong - a fundamental belief that every human spirit and every human consciousness should hold close, a fundamental value which came into play during the injustices of slavery and countless other historical instances.
Lucky for us modern Americans, that fundamental principle has been drowned out by things like abortion, super-sized value meals, gargantuan sport utility vehicles and obesity. Boundless convenience and insolence lie at the foot of our culture.
Is this an admirable representation of the red, white and blue? Is this the example we want to set for the world? America, it is time to step back and look at the big picture. Escape from the confines of the ego, and enter into the realm of the mindful and responsible community of many people.
Alex Pettit
UNM student
