Should President Obama Speak at Notre Dame University?
By anniepa
@anniepa (27955)
United States
April 9, 2009 5:17pm CST
Apparently there's a controversy brewing over President Obama's invitation to speak at Notre Dame.
http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/2009/04/07/inviting-obama-to-speak-at-notre-dame-exposes-new-catholic-church-rift.html
Several American bishops oppose it due to the Catholic Church's anti-abortion stance. They were just having a very heated discussion about this subject on MSNBC's Hardball. I'm not Catholic and I'm neither a student nor an alumnus of Notre Dame so I know it's not for me to say but, for the record, the majority of Notre Dame students are in favor of the President speaking at their school.
The debate on Hardball between Pat Buchanan and Lawrence O'Donnell raised some interesting points and I have to say they both made some sense. This discussion isn't about my views on abortion, the death penalty or war, it's about a sitting President of the United States being invited to speak at one of the nation's preeminent Catholic universities. Former President Bush also spoke at Notre Dame as have several other Presidents. Pat Buchanan is, not surprisingly, of the opinion that Obama shouldn't speak at a Catholic university because of his pro-choice views; Lawrence O'Donnell pointed out that George W. Bush had also been invited to speak there despite the church's disagreement with him over the death penalty and the Iraq War, which the Pope had told Bush of his feelings on the latter. O'Donnell seemed to have no problem with either President's invitation while Buchanan doesn't think someone's stance on the war and the death penalty should be a disqualifying factor while being pro-choice should.
What do you think?
Annie
5 people like this
9 responses
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
10 Apr 09
So I guess I have to get this straight, it's ok to have a speaker that broke the law in more ways than one, and that said speaker also went against the teachings of the church but, they currently don't want a president that believes that a woman should have the right to make an informed decision about her body? I think I got it all. It's cool because the unmentioned speaker was Catholic and this president is not. Got it. I guess that Obama needs to convert if he really wants to speak there LOL I know what I personally would tell them by mylot won't let me tell you that lol
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
10 Apr 09
Actually the unmentioned speaker isn't even Catholic, he's just against a woman's right to choose and embryonic stem cell research. He's find with invitro-fertilization in general, though, which must mean it's OK to simply destroy or discard unused embryos, it's just not OK to use them to possibly save lives.
Annie
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
11 Apr 09
I'm confused, sorry I had a long day. I was speaking of Joe Kennedy Sr. He was one of the leaders in the stock market crash that caused the Great Depression, he boot legged and did a number of other illegal actives and yet he was the commenment speaker in 1916 and in 1941.
1 person likes this
@opalina143 (1240)
• Morristown, New Jersey
9 Apr 09
I think that it really isn't Pat Buchanan's business who a university he doesnt' belong and didn't graduate from has speak. Not only that, but Buchanan isn't even a Catholic. I think he has a right to his opinion, eveyone does, but he has no right to expect the school to listen to him. It just isn't any of his business. Politicians shouldnt be making a huge deal of this- it's a school matter, and if one doesn't go to the school and isn't an alumni of the school (or contribute any money to the school) their opinion shouldn't matter.
Personally, I'm not thrilled about such a strong pro-choice believer speaking at a Catholic university myself (I am Catholic) but I feel its not my choice to make, even thought I share the same religion (I'm not all that religious but was at least raised Catholic.)
You said the majority of students want him to speak. So he should speak. It should be up to the students and the administration and no one else, not me either.
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
9 Apr 09
I thought Buchanan was a Catholic. Anyway, thanks for a thoughtful and fair response. I tend to agree that this is a school matter and not for politicians to decide and I also think that if most of the students are fine with it that's the most important thing; after all, it's THEIR commencement, right? Plus, I happen to know for a fact all of the students at Notre Dame aren't Catholic because I've known people who went there who are not.
Annie
@BlueGoblin (1829)
• United States
10 Apr 09
His Wikipedia page says he is Catholic. Wikipedia has been wrong before though.
1 person likes this
@opalina143 (1240)
• Morristown, New Jersey
10 Apr 09
I am probably wrong about the Catholic thing then. I just had him associated with the radical fundamentalist born again fringe for some reason- I'm sure someone told me he wasn't Catholic but I can't remember who or when- so I'm probably wrong. He may be Catholic.
Still that doesn't change things- it should be for the college students, faculty and alumni to decide.
1 person likes this
@irisheyes (4370)
• United States
13 Apr 09
I'm a Catholic and I hope Notre Dame doesn't back down on this. The area of Pennsylvania where I live has a number of Catholic colleges, universities and prep schools and this is an issue that keeps cropping up. At one prep school and invitation to Representative Sestack was recinded because of his Pro Choice stand but at a Catholic women's college an award to Cokie Roberts was still given in spite of the brouhaha her pro choice views caused. Both Rep. Sestack and Ms Roberts are Catholics and Obama is not. I don't know if that should make a difference but I think it is not a wise move for any learning institution to totally judge a prominent person's worth on one issue. The pope has not only stood against abortion but he has also spoken out against capital punishment and war. How about if Catholic colleges started not inviting any prominent American who was pro War in Iraq or pro capital punishment? It would be pretty hard to find a commencement speaker if they have to qualify for sainthood.
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
14 Apr 09
I'm so glad to hear from someone who actually is a Catholic. Some of the other posters here have implied that Catholics aren't really all that concerned about war or capital punishment like they are about abortion but Catholics I've spoken to personally have said otherwise.
There was also a big controversy at a Catholic college near me a few years ago when Chris Matthews was the commencement speaker and he is also Catholic.
Annie
@jerzgirl (9291)
• United States
11 Apr 09
If he were still on the campaign trail, then I might agree that they can prevent his speaking if they so desire. But, like it or not, the man is the President of the United States and to turn him away is to snub his authority. It doesn't matter what positions differ with theirs. He is the leader of this country. As much as I disliked Bush, I'd have had the same argument defending him. Once they hold the highest position in the country, to reject them is to disrespect the position they hold. You can always invite people who hold opposing views to speak in conjunction or at another time to balance it out, but to shun him just isn't right.
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
11 Apr 09
What gets me is they invited him, it's not like he called them up and said, "Hey, I'm the President and I want to speak at your commencement whether you like it or not!" I agree the same thing applies to Bush or any other President whether I agree with him or not.
Annie
@jonesy123 (3948)
• United States
10 Apr 09
Part of the opposing view is that Obama's healthcare reform and pro-choice regulation strenghtening is taking rights away from catholic run hospitals such as to refuse to allow abortions in their hospitals. In many ways it looks like there is some sort of witch hunt going on to force that catholic church to make some concessions in pro-choice and other areas thereby undermining their religious freedom. Therefore, I can fully understand the notion that a catholic run university should not want to have a president, who apparently has no respect for their faith, speak on their premises.
That said, the invitation was extended, he is popular with the students, not only there but pretty much everywhere. (Lol, they all want change anyway, change away from what their parents want and the way they lived their lives. Just the way it is;) Anyhow, there is no harm in letting him speak, but if there are protests, and there probably will be, they should let those take place, too, in a peaceful manner of course.
Personally, I just hope it won't be televised. I had my fair share of primetime televised Obama speeches for a while;)
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
10 Apr 09
That's a false notion that anyone will be forced to perform abortions if they don't want to. Most hospitals, Catholic or not, don't do them to begin with and nothing I've heard of President Obama proposing will change that. What he is doing or has done is reverse the expansion of the "Conscience Clause" that Bush put into effect on his last day in office. This expansion affects many health care procedures and products besides abortions such as vaccines, blood transfusions, medical tests, birth control and other things. Some may say Bush also has no respect for their faith although on different matters. I'm not sure where the other Presidents who have spoken there stood on Catholic issues but I'd guess they weren't in complete agreement. I agree they should allow any peaceful protests to go on.
Annie
@opalina143 (1240)
• Morristown, New Jersey
10 Apr 09
I always believe in freedom of speech, so I think that protests should be allowed as long as they are peaceful and not disorderly. (like they don't scream so loud that the man can't be heard)
When I went to my sister's graduation, Guiliani spoke and some of the students protested, waving signs and standing with their backs towards him. It didn't disrupt the graduation though, and I feel they had a right to be there. Some students also passed out literature to the attendees saying how Guiliani was bad. Maybe pro-lifers at the school can see this as an opportunity to pass out leaflets or something. They could get their message across that way, peacefully.
1 person likes this
@garyc09 (132)
•
10 Apr 09
personally i think theres bigger things going on than that discussion for obama, he would only be wasting his time there.
@KrauseHome (36448)
• United States
10 Apr 09
Personally I would think that is should be up to the School who they allow to come and speak at their School more than anyone else. Yeah, no matter who you are, there will be things you may not always agree with someone else with. Then there are people that you may find hard to accept as well. But who are we really to judge? It needs to be left for Notre Dame to decide what is Best for their school and students, and not for others to help force them to decide on as well.
1 person likes this
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
10 Apr 09
Obama was invite to speak therefore unless the invitation is rescinded then IMO he should speak. However if anyone feels strongly enough against Obama's views on abortion then they should just boycott the event. If he, or anyone else, who was invited to s specific speaking event at any college but then refused to speak would appear to me as an insult to the institution.
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@anniepa (27955)
• United States
10 Apr 09
Very well said, whiteheather. I'm pretty sure he's not going to devote his speech to advocating a woman's right to choose. If he were to do that, that would be disrespectful. However, I can understand that some anti-choice students may choose to boycott the event and even that there may be some who wish to stage a peaceful protest.
Annie
@smitadash1234 (13)
• India
10 Apr 09
yes,firstly as president its rt pleasure for him to adress before thousnads of students,its the paltform where he can express his views & expericence ffrom his very poor life,he should be a moral hero of others.
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