Letter: Bush’s policies conflict with Catholic values

Tuesday, June 22, 2004 | 9:26 a.m.

The videos clips showed a pale Bush when the pontiff scolded him for ignoring his written urgings not to attack the Iraqi people. Let's look at some of the other not-so "pro-life" issues of Bush. In fact, these might be called "pro-death" issues.

While governor of Texas, Bush presided over the executions of 145 death-row inmates, in spite of the pope's urging against them. Pope John Paul II has condemned the death penalty.

Bush is strongly supporting the National Rifle Association's push to rescind the ban on assualt weapons signed by President Clinton. Will anyone really care if those guns will be used by a terrorist on our streets?

In Bush's Iraq war, there were an estimated 19,000 innocent Iraqi women and children killed during "shock and awe." They are now referred to as "collateral damage."

Some Catholic bishops would deny communion to any Catholic who votes for a so-called "pro-choice" candidate positing that that voter condones abortion. That being their position, then any Catholic who votes for Bush condones his "pro-death" issues above and condones the slaughter of 19,000 innocent Iraqis and now 834 GIs in Bush's war.

JAMES J. POUPARD