Where virtue lies.Fr. William Byron's article on finding a middle ground in the abortion debate ("Prolife & Prochoice," February 11) was one of the most thoughtful pieces I have ever read. It exemplifies perfectly a dictum dictum n. Latin for "remark", a comment by a judge in a decision or ruling which is not required to reach the decision, but may state a related legal principle as the judge understands it. While it may be cited in legal argument, it does not have the full force of a precedent (previous court decisions or interpretations) since the comment was not part of the legal basis for judgment. The standard counter argument is: "it is only dictum (or dicta)." (See: dicta) frequently articulated by my old Latin professor, in medio virtus stat: virtue stands in the middle. Unfortunately, the balanced and civil discourse of clerics like Byron will have a difficult time trumping the bombast of bishops and politicians who believe virtue stands on the far right. ROBERT STEWART Chantilly, Va. |
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