World Can’t Wait received the following letter or of clarification from Helen Prejean after the pubication of its ad in the New York Times on August 3rd:
Recently my name appeared on a New York Times ad urging
citizens to call for the removal of George W. Bush from office. The reasons cited are many:
-
his reckless pursuit of war in Iraq, which has
helped to destabilize the entire middle East.
-
his approval
of torture
-
his
zealous promotion of imprisonment and executions
-
his
fiscal policies which make the wealthy people more wealthy and poor people
poorer. (During the past six years
poverty in the U.S.
has risen 17%)
There is, however, one issue addressed in the ad that I
cannot endorse, which if I had seen the final version of the ad would have led
me to withhold my signature. The life
issues involved in the beginning of life are far too complex to encompass in
such a black and white, one-sided statement.
My stance on abortion is a matter
of public record. I stand morally
opposed to killing: war, executions, killing of the old and demented the
killing of children, unborn and born. As
I have stated publicly man times, I stand squarely within the framework of “the
seamless garment” ethic of life. I
believe that all of life is sacred and must be protected, especially in the
vulnerable stages at the beginning of life and its end.
I signed the ad because as a follower of the way of Jesus
and a U.S.
citizen, I cannot stand by passively and silently as I witness my government
wage such grievous oppression and violence.
It has been the same spirit of engaged citizenship that has for the past
twenty years led me to speak out against the death penalty while encouraging my
fellow citizens and my church to deeper reflection on the issue by the books
and articles I have written and numerous public lectures.
For me, personally, it would be sinful not to raise my voice
publicly in opposition to the life-destructive policies and practices of the
Bush administration. That is what led me
to sign the ad calling for his removal.
When I signed my endorsement of the ad, the conversation
focused on the abuses of the Bush administration. I understood that the draft form of the ad
which I singed was an intent of my willingness to sign the ad; however, I
expected to be given a final version to critique before affixing my
signature. Since that opportunity was
not granted, I feel the need to issue this clarification.
Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ