Life needs respect

by J. Patrick Reilly

As we reflect on the recent loss of life in incidents in Minnesota involving the border patrol and ICE we need to start moving back to respecting life, not needlessly ending it.

Our letters to the editor column is filled with comment about the deaths so much so that we had to leave a couple for next week.

It is time to consider....

There was a time—not so long ago—when respect for life was a shared value that crossed political lines, social differences, and personal beliefs. It didn’t mean we always agreed. It meant we recognized one another’s basic dignity. Somewhere along the way, that understanding has begun to fray.

Today, life can feel cheapened by the way we talk about one another and the ease with which we dismiss suffering that isn’t our own. Public discourse has grown harsher. Social media rewards outrage over empathy. News cycles move so quickly that tragedy becomes just another headline before we’ve had time to reflect on the human beings behind it.

Respecting life begins with how we speak. Words matter. When we reduce people to labels, stereotypes, or enemies, it becomes easier to justify cruelty and indifference. Civility is not weakness. Listening is not surrender. Treating others as human beings—even when we disagree—is the foundation of a healthy society.

Respect for life also means caring about the vulnerable: children, the elderly, the sick, the struggling, and those who feel unseen. It means recognizing that every person has a story, often marked by challenges we know nothing about. Compassion does not require perfection; it requires effort.

Communities thrive when life is valued not just in principle, but in practice. That shows up in how we support families, fund schools, care for neighbors, and look out for one another in moments of need. It shows up in small acts—checking in, lending a hand, showing patience—as much as in big policies and debates.

Getting back to respecting life will not happen overnight. It will require a conscious decision to slow down, to choose empathy over anger, and to remember that behind every opinion is a person. We may not be able to fix everything, but we can start where we are.

Respect for life is not a slogan. It is a daily commitment. And it is one worth renewing—for our communities, for our future, and for one another.