An essay by David James, of Fairbanks, Alaska, that is dead on.

Morality is not simple. It’s easy to hold absolute positions in the abstract, but when human realities intrude, what seems straightforward becomes complex. For instance, the Ten Commandments state, “Thou shalt not kill.” No exceptions. Yet the Bible is littered with exceptions, because it isn’t that simple. Our modern laws reflect this. Killing others is forbidden, but we make allowances for self-defense, warfare, and public safety. Self-defense is key, because to prosecute a person for defending themself against another is to victimize the victim. There is neither justice nor morality in this.

Days after the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade, we are seeing this concept play out against an impregnated ten-year-old rape victim in Ohio. She was denied an abortion because the state had a trigger law take effect banning the procedure regardless…

Imagine running one of the great American marathons. Or, if you are in the kind of shape I am in, imagine jogging, then walking, and in the end possibly crawling to the finish line of an American marathon. Whatever your condition, by the time you reach the finish line you’d be in dire need of fluids, food and rest. Stillwater Marsh – for waterfowl and shorebirds enduring the marathon we call migration – is one such finish line. But now imagine that, after giving your all for twenty-six miles, you’re greeted at the finish by a sign that read:

SORRY. WE’RE FRESH OUT OF FLUIDS, FOOD AND REST AREAS HERE. YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO RUN ANOTHER TWENTY-SIX MILES TO ANOTHER FINISH LINE. MAYBE THEY CAN HELP YOU THERE.

David James Duncan, My Life As Told by Water, “Patching the Pacific Flyway,” p. 125.

David James Duncan is one of…