President Obama rocks Notre Dame
By John Amato Monday May 18, 2009 12:15pm
President Obama gave a great speech yesterdat that was well received by the Notre Dame campus. The movement against a woman's right to live her life was the focal point for the pro-birthers, but Obama handled it with his charm and wit. I do not like the way the pro-choice movement has been portrayed, nor do I like the way the Democratic Party treats the pro-life movement, but Obama handled the speech at the Notre Dame commencement well. I suppoose it's the best we could hope for.
I do not agree with a lot of what's been coming out of the Beltway on this issue and many others, but the whining over this speech was ridiculous. The leader of the nation suddenly is not supposed to give a speech at Notre Dame because ... ?
Maybe we won’t agree on abortion, but we 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. Let’s honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion, and draft a sensible conscience clause, and make sure that all of our health care policies are grounded in clear ethics and sound science, as well as respect for the equality of women.” 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.
