Staten Island, NY – The use of a racial slur by a Greenwood, Mississippi, city councilman not only reveals racism, but also brings to mind an attitude held by many today that some individuals are lesser beings said Dr. Alveda King, Pastoral Associate of Priests for Life and niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“We’re shocked when a person in a position of responsibility, like a city councilman, uses the ‘n’ word, but we should also be offended when anyone’s basic humanity is disrespected,” said Dr. King. “Abortion, like racism, is born of the false view that not every member of the human race is worthy of the same respect. Abortion, like racism, treats some people as less than human.”

A Mississippi city councilman sent an e-mail last week using a derogatory term for one of his African American colleagues. When the e-mail was made public by one of the recipients, controversy erupted that has not quieted.

“Some wonder if we will ever end racism,” added Dr. King. “I don’t believe racism will end until abortion ends. The cure for both is the same – love for others, no matter their color, no matter their age, no matter their condition of dependency. If you acknowledge that there is just one race and that all human beings are entitled to basic respect, you don’t call them names, you don’t treat them wrongly, and you surely don’t take their lives.”

Priests for Life is the nation's largest Catholic pro-life organization dedicated to ending abortion and euthanasia. For more information, visit www.priestsforlife.org.