Obama Calls for Understanding in Notre Dame Speech

[Hissyspit]

Source: Associated Press

Obama calls for understanding in Notre Dame speech

By JULIE PACE, Associated Press Writer – 2 mins ago

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – President Barack Obama strode head-on Sunday into the stormy abortion debate and told graduates at America's leading Roman Catholic university that both sides must stop demonizing one another. Obama acknowledged that "no matter how much we want to fudge it ... the fact is that at some level, the views of the two camps are irreconcilable." But he still implored the University of Notre Dame's graduating class and all in the U.S. to stop "reducing those with differing views to caricature. Open hearts. Open minds. Fair-minded words. It's a way of life that always has been the Notre Dame tradition."

One of the noisiest controversies of his young presidency flared after Obama, who supports abortion rights but says the procedure should be rare, was invited to speak at the school and receive an honorary degree. "I do not suggest that the debate surrounding abortion can or should go away," the president said. The Rev. John Jenkins, Notre Dame's president, introduced Obama and praised the president for not being "someone who stops talking to those who disagree with him." Jenkins said too little attention has been paid to Obama's decision to speak at an institution that opposes his abortion policy.

- snip -

Obama entered the arena to thunderous applause and a standing ovation from many in the crowd of 12,000. But as the president began his commencement address, at least three protesters interrupted it. One yelled, "Stop killing our children." The graduates responded by chanting "Yes we can", the slogan that became synonymous with Obama's presidential campaign. Obama seem unfazed, saying Americans must be able to deal with things that make them "uncomfortable."

The president, in prepared remarks released by the White House, ceded no ground. But he said those on each side of the debate "can still agree that this is a heart-wrenching decision for any woman to make, with both moral and spiritual dimensions. "So let's work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions by reducing unintended pregnancies, and making adoption more available, and providing care and support for women who do carry their child to term." He said he favored "a sensible conscience clause" that would give anti-abortion health care providers the right to refuse to perform the procedure.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090517/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_notre_dame

[snowdays]

1. A person says Stop killing our children and they say YES WE CAN. WHOW..

THAT WAS NOT A RESPONSE I WOULD WANT TO HEAR.

[tekisui]

2. 'Stop killing our children' is a stupid thing to yell.

No one is killing anyone's children. No one is forcing anyone to kill their children or even forcing anyone to abort their fetuses. They deserved to be shouted down and made to squirm.

[ejpoeta]

36. i guess they mean by bringing the troops home from iraq and afghanistan, then huh.

[Mojambo]

6. I must be evil, because I started laughing when I read that. n/t

[dd20045]

28. leading us catholic university

i think not. definetely georgetown in my opinion. nd is more legacy then anything. i also thing university san diego and catholic university in washington dc are rite with nd

[pkdu]

3. On a lighter note... I found myself getting really annoyed with the

pasty-faced white dude sitting right behind Obama on the Deis... he never clapped once , just sat straight-faced thru the applause and his speech...what a prick!

...just realised , he is Secret Service wearing a gown as disguise... :blush:

[JerseygirlCT]

4. Ok, am I just out of my mind?

And no disrespect intended to ND, but when did it become "America's leading Roman Catholic university"?

I'm thinking right about the time that the media and the right wanted to make a big fuss over this.

[JerseygirlCT]

5. Adding

I'm guessing it's the US News and World Reports ranking - though Georgetown, for instance, is more selective, accepting fewer students...

But for a quick and snappy title, I'm guessing that's where the journalists went.

[tj2001]

7. There are others

Boston College, Santa Clara U, Creighton, etc. are quite selective - and pricey - schools. Catholic colleges are generally very high quality.

[47of74]

9. You forgot Loras and Clarke

And oh yes, when a Democrat shows up to deliver a speech or make an appearance at our local Catholic colleges the local reich wing gets quite pissy.

[JerseygirlCT]

11. Yeah, I know that

And I remember from my search a zillion years ago that places like G'town - and then BC, were definitely harder to get into than ND.

It just puzzled me, is all.

[aquart]

10. Fordham.

[JerseygirlCT]

13. US News ranking

seems to say ND, G'town, BC then Fordham.

But that doesn't necessarily match up to the usual indicators - like selectivity. (Which of course also is played - the more you get to apply and the fewer you accept, the better you look).

[Bill McBlueState]

8. i suspect it has that reputation

because it used to have a good football team. Not that that should mean anything, but it's all many people pay attention to.

[JerseygirlCT]

14. I suspect you're right about that

All those old movies and such.

[snowdays]

12. its their flagship University.

[JerseygirlCT]

15. Whose flagship university?

Catholics? I grew up Catholic and can assure you that most certainly wasn't our impression. (And at our HS it was assumed you were going to college, and likely one of the best.)

G'town is older. As is Fordham.

I think the poster above was on to part of it: football fame.

[snowdays]

17. It is the flagship of the Catholic Universities.

[JerseygirlCT]

18. Where did you learn this?

Seriously - something I've never, ever heard.

[JerseygirlCT]

19. I see it called that by the Archbishop of Chicago

But, lol, I also see Catholic University in WDC given the same title.

Neither are as selective as some other Catholic schools.

[snowdays]

38. growing up Catholic, it was always referred to as the flagship C. Univ. but

i could be wrong after all these years.

[JerseygirlCT]

39. I'm thinking, based on

the AB of Chicago calling ND flagship, but others calling others the same... that it might very well depend on where you're from!

Being from the northeast, there's a Catholic college or university practically everywhere.

[tj2001]

26. There is such thing as a flagship Catholic university

unlike a multi-campus state university system. Each Catholic university is independent and reports to the local bishop (acting as official agent of the Pope - all bishops are answerable only to the Pope). This reporting structure is required in order for the school to be called "Catholic" (i.e. of the Catholic faith). In practice, the local bishop and the university president don't pay much attention to each other.

[babythunder]

37. Whether we agree with some members of the schools recent

actions ND is still among the best schools in the country and no not just because of Football.

[No Elephants]

23. It may be the most famous. I think more people recognize the name "Notre Dame" than Boston

College or even Georgetown. And it is certainly a name immediately associated with Catholics.

[SemperEadem]

25. yeah.. I thought that The Catholic University in DC would be

American's leading Catholic university, not nd.

[JerseygirlCT]

16. One of the things I really like about this guy

He could have chosen to stick to nice, safe, uplifting things in this speech.

He didn't. He waded right into the controversy and spoke to it - and to everyone listening.

[EFerrari]

20. Yes, he's very good at that. There's actually a communications tool

you can use when trying to talk to someone who is having cognitive problems, i.e., paranoid, angry, etc.

SET: Sympathy, Empathy, Truth. He seems to use it or one of its variants. Works pretty well. :)

[rgbecker]

21. Community Organizer....

Sort of like being president of the US, only no power and no pay and no lipstick. But you better have sympathy, empathy and know what's true.

[EFerrari]

22. Or be able to speak your truth.

That's right! :)

[Bette Noir]

29. Sympathy, empathy, truth?

Kryptonite to the Right Wing!

[EFerrari]

34. LOL! We can't nuke 'em, Bette Noir. Might as well disarm them

with good communication. :)

[lucky leftie]

24. Obama's speech was excellent.

He struck just the right tone.

I wonder if the graduates feel that their commencement has been hijacked by the likes of Randall Terry? That's how it seems to me.

[No Elephants]

27. The larger issue is whether things you believe the Bible requires must be the law of the land. No

one would object if Norma McCorvey regretted her role in Roe v. Wade so much that she found Jesus, or regretted her role because she found Jesus. No one would object if she regretted her role so much she vowed never to have an abortion. The only problem is only her insistence that her beliefs must be the law of the land.

If you don't believe in abortion, don't have one. You can even try to discourage others from having one. But stop trying to make your religious beliefs the law of the land and to punish others, as though you were God.

Same thing with same gender marriage. If you don't believe in it, stay single or enjoy your "opposite marriage" (as long as you are honest with your spouse in advance about your orientationn, whatever it may be). But don't try to play God with the lives of everyone else in America.

Freedom of religion AND separation of church and state go hand in hand. If you want me to leave your religious beliefs alone, stop trying to impose them on everyone in America by trying to make them the law of the land.

Until we have THAT conversation publicly, neotheos will browbeat Democrats, Greens and everyaone who espouses freedom again and again. And freedom will be eroded again and again.

[Enrique]

30. "Obama seemed unfazed"

has anyone seen him fazed?

[pattmarty]

31. Jesus Christ (no pun intended). I just read thru half the posts here.....................

............and was I the only one (out of the posts I read) that saw & heard the speech??????

I want to preface this by saying I am not pleased with ALL of Obama's policies so far. I am going to start watching ALL his speeches from now on. This guy may be the most important president since FDR. I mean after the last ass hole we had my cat would look presidential, but he has great presence, and every time he speaks he gets better, he's become a GREAT politician. I sound like I got a high school crush or something, but I saw that speech today and this guy is the real deal. AND, fuck all the talk about which is the greatest or only or what the fuckever catholic college in the US, really who really gives a shit?

[Spazito]

32. It is fascinating how Obama consistently addresses controversial issues....

by changing them from being 'hot button' subjects, in the media's eyes, into genuine 'teachable moments'. He does this time and time again. Very impressive.

[EFerrari]

35. Yes. One of his greatest gifts.

:thumbsup:

[DU GrovelBot]

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[Zhade]

40. As long as those opposed understand it's a woman's choice. Period.

NT!

[kegler14]

41. Of course had this been turned around, conservatives

would be denouncing the protesters for interrupting what should have been a non-political event. Personally, I wish Obama had ignored the whole abortion issue in his commencement address.