B.O.'s Notre Dame speech was pretty boring. The best parts were quotes from far better orators/writers.
I thought there was one particularly hilarious paragraph:
"Understand - I do not suggest that the debate surrounding abortion can or should go away. No matter how much we may want to fudge it - indeed, while we know that the views of most Americans on the subject are complex and even contradictory - the fact is that at some level, the views of the two camps are irreconcilable. Each side will continue to make its case to the public with passion and conviction. But surely we can do so without reducing those with differing views to caricature. Open hearts. Open minds. Fair-minded words."
OK. . .this from a guy whose Department of Homeland Security issues a report labeling pro-life activists "domestic terrorists"! Here's a suggestion: show us how serious you are, B.O.: fire Napolitano. She should be fired for incompetence anyway, but now that you've decided that caricaturing pro-life supporters is something we should never do--fire her for violating policy. Let's watch to see if he tells the abortion-pushers to stop demonizing the pro-life movement in the future.
And, of course, the leftist appeal to be "open-minded" is really just a case of special pleading to agree with them. Since, by their own definition, they are paragons of open-mindedness, it's the rest of us rubes who must be closed-minded.
And I will never again open my heart or my mind to the idea that killing a child is a Good Thing.
P.S. Someone asked me recently if there is anything B.O. could say that I wouldn't find offensive. I said, "Sure! He could say, 'It is with great sadness that I resign the Office of the Presidency of the United States, effective immediately.'"
I thought there was one particularly hilarious paragraph:
"Understand - I do not suggest that the debate surrounding abortion can or should go away. No matter how much we may want to fudge it - indeed, while we know that the views of most Americans on the subject are complex and even contradictory - the fact is that at some level, the views of the two camps are irreconcilable. Each side will continue to make its case to the public with passion and conviction. But surely we can do so without reducing those with differing views to caricature. Open hearts. Open minds. Fair-minded words."
OK. . .this from a guy whose Department of Homeland Security issues a report labeling pro-life activists "domestic terrorists"! Here's a suggestion: show us how serious you are, B.O.: fire Napolitano. She should be fired for incompetence anyway, but now that you've decided that caricaturing pro-life supporters is something we should never do--fire her for violating policy. Let's watch to see if he tells the abortion-pushers to stop demonizing the pro-life movement in the future.
And, of course, the leftist appeal to be "open-minded" is really just a case of special pleading to agree with them. Since, by their own definition, they are paragons of open-mindedness, it's the rest of us rubes who must be closed-minded.
And I will never again open my heart or my mind to the idea that killing a child is a Good Thing.
P.S. Someone asked me recently if there is anything B.O. could say that I wouldn't find offensive. I said, "Sure! He could say, 'It is with great sadness that I resign the Office of the Presidency of the United States, effective immediately.'"
I feel that yesterday at Notre Dame, Obama arrived and departed exactly as he planned: as the King of America. Thanks to Fr. Jenkins and Nore Dame, it was almost like a coronoation for Obama because he arrived with the mission to split American Catholics into two camps and did so sussccessfully.
ReplyDeleteND provided him a platform to explain how trite we are in our defense of human life, as plainly as if he had said the words, "Your silly little defense of this unsolveable problem is upsetting so very many of us and getting in the way of real progress; look, even Father Jenkins and Father Ted really agree with me, so come on, be modern, be intelligent, be wholesome and mature in your thinking, and forget about this annoying little neuralgic issue. No one has anything to gain by your stubbornness."
It took me years to get my minimally-cactechized-but-church-going relatives to understyansd the Church's positon on this matter. Now, they tell me that Notre Dame, Father Hesburgh, Father Jenkins, Archbishop Quinn (they cdan't name all these people, of course, but they know about them ) have confirmed what they're suspected all along: there is no Catholic point of view on this topic.
Thank you very very much, Father Jenkins, just thanks a heck of a lot. Earlier in this drama I thought you were on Heaven's team but just stupid, now I realize you knew what you were doing all along, you're just working for the "other team."
I was grading final essays for my students during the speech, so I didn't get to hear very much of it. However, I'd watched quite a bit of the pre-speech coverage and was really encouraged by the students who spoke out for their faith and by their desire to maintain a prayerful presence during the graduation ceremony. What maturity and conviction they showed!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I've been reading you blog for a while and thoroughly enjoy it!
God-Made Rights of God-Made Man
ReplyDeletehttp://commentarius-ioannis.blogspot.com/2009/05/god-made-rights-of-god-made-man.html
Dr. Obama of Notre Dame
http://commentarius-ioannis.blogspot.com/2009/05/dr-obama-of-notre-dame.html
The Man of Sinhttp://commentarius-ioannis.blogspot.com/2009/05/man-of-sin.html
Christianity and Republicanism
http://commentarius-ioannis.blogspot.com/2009/05/christianity-and-republicanism.html
Obama Notre Dame Speech
http://commentarius-ioannis.blogspot.com/2009/05/obama-notre-dame-speech-full-text.html
I wonder if a few decades ago he would have come out and asked for open minds with respect to segregation.
ReplyDeleteI was at the South Quad Mass and rally. It was prayerful and enriching. The speakers (Dr. Solomon, Father Miscamble, etc.)were awesome. I have been to the marches in DC, but this was something else entirely.
ReplyDeleteI have many thoughts about it, but need to put them in some semblance of order.
Father, with all due respect, if BO did resign, then you'd be stuck -- I mean, punished (literally) -- with Joe Biden. Do you really want to put your beloved country in the hands of someone who so publicly reveals his foot-in-mouth disease? Please thank about that that prayerfully! At least BO knows where Canada is, but Biden?? I very much doubt if he knows his tush from his elbow (pardon me). Obama is bad enough, but Biden??? I shudder to think about it (both for the US and for your Canadian neighbours.)
ReplyDeleteRespectfully,
Patricia Gonzalez
excellent points!
ReplyDeletethank you for your intercessions last week before the Blessed Sacrament...it will be my pleasure to return the favor for you later today. God bless!
"the fact is that at some level, the views of the two camps are irreconcilable."
ReplyDeleteAt some level ?!
the views of the two camps are irreconcilable at every level.
Father,
ReplyDeleteI found these two photos over at the Voices Carry blog best illustrated the Notre Dame Shame.
http://www.voicescarryblog.com/515/
Sincerely,
Daiane Bade
Obama is right that the two camps hold incompatible views ON SOME POINTS but they also have common ground: both seek to reduce abortion and to create conditions for women that relieve them from the pressure to this tragic option. If Christians and Jews can dialogue though on some level their views are incompatible, I see no problem with the two camps on abortion dialoging. And Obama is right to note that most are conflicted about the issue, even ardent prolifers have been known to pressure their daughters to terminate pregnancy.
ReplyDeleteto anonymous - how does making abortions more available reduce abortions?
ReplyDeletealso, you provide no evidence that "ardent prolifers have been known to pressure their daughters to terminate pregnancy".
"Reducing abortions" is a baloney marketing strategy. If there is nothing wrong with abortion, then there is no need to reduce them.
ReplyDelete