Abortion clouds Obama event at Notre Dame

A student and an activist express views near the campus of Notre Dame University on May 16, 2009 in South Bend, Indiana. Pro-life activists from around the country have been gathering in South Bend to protest the university's decision to invite US President Barack Obama, who supports abortion rights, to deliver the commencement address tomorrow and to award him an honorary degree.

17 May 2009

Washington-President Barack Obama speaks at America's foremost Roman Catholic University on Sunday, where deep divisions over abortion and stem-cell research have rammed to the forefront in a country fighting two wars and battling a withering economic recession.

A storm broke out immediately after Notre Dame invited Obama to address commencement exercises and he accepted. It still rages, with anti-abortion activists promising to disrupt the new president's appearance at the ceremony, where he also is to receive an honorary degree.

Obama, a liberal Democrat who supports abortion rights but who says the procedure should be rare, finds himself caught in the so-called "right to life" whirlwind that has riven U.S. society for decades, especially since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the 1973 Roe v. Wade case that states may not ban abortion. Recriminations against Obama's appearance in South Bend, Indiana, are zinging across the Internet, on cable television and the editorial space of newspapers. A debate that is electric and fundamental to American political and moral tenets. The Catholic church and many other Christian denominations hold that abortion or the use of embryos for stem cell research amounts to the destruction of human life, is morally wrong and should be banned by law.

The contrary argument holds that women have the right to terminate any pregnancy and that unused embryos created outside the womb for couples who cannot otherwise conceive should be available for stem cell research, which holds the promise of finding treatments for some of mankind's most debilitating ailments. Within weeks of taking office, Obama eased a Bush administration executive order that limited such research to a small number of stem-cell strains that existed when the former president issued the directive.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama in his commencement speech "obviously would make mention of the debate that's been had" over abortion, while emphasizing that "this is exactly the kind of give and take that is had on college campus all over the country."

Obama's appearance at Notre Dame would appear to be complicated significantly by new polls that show Americans' attitudes on the explosive issue have shifted dramatically toward the anti-abortion position.

A Gallup survey released on Friday found that 51 percent of Americans call themselves "pro-life" on the issue of abortion and 42 percent "pro-choice." This is the first time a majority of U.S. adults have identified themselves as "pro-life" since Gallup began asking this question in 1995.

It's a dramatic shift from just a year ago when Gallup found that 50 percent of those polled termed themselves "pro-choice" while 44 percent described their beliefs as "pro-life."

A Pew Research Center survey found a similar, if less dramatic, shift, with public opinion about abortion more closely divided than it has been in several years.

Pew said its latest polling found that 46 percent of Americans say abortion should be legal in most (28 percent) or all cases (18 percent). Forty-four percent of those surveyed were opposed to abortion in most (28 percent) or all cases (16 percent). Gallup said shifting opinions on the divisive issue lay almost entirely with Republicans or independents who lean Republican, with opposition among those groups rising over the past year from 60 percent to 70 percent. "There has been essentially no change in the views of Democrats and Democratic leaners," the Gallup organization said.

The abortion issue, meanwhile, also is front and center as Obama vets potential nominees to fill the vacancy left by the retirement this summer of Justice David Souter. Abortion opponents are determined to see Roe v. Wade overturned, but only four court justices out of nine have backed that position. Souter has opposed arguments for overturning the key ruling.

The Rev. John Jenkins, Notre Dame's president, has not joined the fiery debate that erupted after Obama's invitation, but it has produced extraordinary blow back among some students, faculty, alumni and at least 70 Catholic bishops. A leading Catholic scholar, citing the Obama invitation and honorary degree, declined the school's most prestigious award, making this year's commencement the first time that the Laetare Medal hasn't been awarded since 1883. "It is clear that Notre Dame didn't understand what it means to be Catholic when they issued this invitation," Cardinal Francis George of Chicago said shortly after the university announced Obama's appearance.

Friends and colleagues say Jenkins has listened to the criticism but is confident in his decision. "He respects people who differ, but he's resolute in his decision because he did it based on conscience and what he really believes in," said Richard Notebaert, chairman of Notre Dame's board of trustees.

Notebaert said Jenkins, who is in the fourth year of a five-year term, has the "full support" of the trustees. That hasn't soothed critics, who question whether Notre Dame has lost touch with its Catholic roots. Calls for Jenkins' ouster have grown louder amid protests by abortion opponents, who have flown pictures of aborted fetuses over campus and paraded dolls smeared in fake blood outside a recent trustees' meeting. Dozens of anti-abortion activists have been arrested, and more arrests are likely as protesters converge on the campus for commencement weekend.

A Notre Dame graduate walks past protestors near the campus of Notre Dame University on 16 May 2009; in South Bend, Indiana.

Update:

Obama: "Stop Killing Our Children"

An anti-abortion protestor shouts slogans, interrupting US President Barack Obama as he speaks during the commencement ceremony in the Joyce Center of Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana; on 17 May 2008.

Ahead of Obama's address, at least 27 people were arrested on trespassing charges. They included Norma McCorvey, the plaintiff identified as "Roe" in the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. She now opposes abortion and joined more than 300 anti-abortion demonstrators at the school's front gate.

More than half held signs, some declaring "Shame on Notre Dame" and "Stop Abortion Now" to express their anger over Notre Dame's invitation to Obama.

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."

More Americans say they have no religion

Feeling there way through faith's darkness, a country in Decline.

A wide-ranging study on American religious life found that the Roman Catholic population has been shifting out o of the Northeast to the Southwest, the percentage of Christians in the nation has declined and more people say they have no religion at all.

Fifteen percent of respondents said they had no religion, an increase from 14.2 percent in 2001 and 8.2 percent in 1990, according to the American Religious Identification Survey. (Continued)

Commentary:

There are times, with what happens to a country; has nothing to do with a particular religion, but what is occurring within the countries society structure.

While this particular poll apparently was bias, what is not taken into account is the climbing morality decline in the US and the further collapsing infrastructure of this particular country.

As to some of the major problems in this moral decline are promiscuity, Alcoholism, illicit drug use and various high crime‘s, with complacency; which all accept the latter of crime, has brought about certain disease’s that while some are highly contagious and have no foreseeable medical cure for these disease’s (which does include embryonic stem cell research); except through prevention by moral decency. Which some of these disease’s are not just in the carrier’s themselves, but some can be transmitted to the unborn during pregnancy, to children and in many cases; to others by contact with an infected carrier.

As this pragmatic situation goes beyond mere ideological thought as one may be in question, but to have been ascertained previously; by the scientific and medical community.

Nevertheless, the US continued issue of cloning especially with the precept of future human cloning, baby abortion and child abuse for example‘s; these situation’s or problems would not be an issue within a moral society for they wouldn't occur.

As to the US alleged scientific issue on Global ‘Warming or former US Vice President Al Gore got an expensive light bulb idea, which is nothing but what is called a 'Band-Aid solution'; where the Band-Aid has blown out the car window at 70 MPH, to finally be caught and pasted to an advertisement billboard on the side of the highway.

Which the original solution for this problem, stems from ancient writing’s, not as suggested by US President Barack Obama’s atheist view point; which by the original solution has always been previously, the most sound one of stabilizing the earth.

Iron Eyes Cody AKA the "Crying Indian" was in a “Keep America Beautiful public service announcement” in the early 1970’s, concerning the severe problem of US litter and pollution; which is still occuring today. While at the time this service announcement was being advertised on television and billboard’s, the scope of Global warming and numerous other Environmental problem’s was already being put in the forefront for people not just to be conscientiously aware; but that their was already a major problem.

Finally, the US is not just having an economic collapse, they are having a full collapse in ever facet of the structure of the country itself or what is called 'full implosion' and as far as any type of integrity, it has galloped off as a cowboy; into the perplexed sunset.

Abortion is Murder

This is not a broken doll. This little boy was one of several third trimester babies found in medical waste bags outside a legal abortion center in Houston, Texas, in the latter part 1986. He was 14 inches long, weighed 2 pounds 2 ounces, and he was 7 Months old, when he was murdered.

By HRM Deborah

I have been asked to write about my views on abortion, which while it is a horrible topic, it is actually very easy for me to say in what regards to my stand on this issue; I am very pro-life, for in all cases abortion is murder and anyone whether it is the mother or anyone else that destroys a baby for or by whatever means, they should be charged and accept the punishment of this type of crime.

Now for these people that say they are pro-life and bomb abortion clinic’s, these people should be arrested for this crime also; for it is an act of terrorism and is not acceptable.

Needless to say all abortion clinic’s or back alley death houses should be closed and never opened again.

As to these people that say, that they got pregnant outside of marriage and they did not wish the baby; they should have thought of the immoral consequences and kept there pants zipped or skirt down so to speak, beforehand.

As to when a baby is considered a baby, the moment they are conceived.

When I first learned about this form of murder was about 1975 and a fellow classmate who was pro-life handed me a pamphlet with the most horrible pictures I had ever seen, of dismembered babies and while I had never believed in this type of crime in the first place and doing further reading of the high rate of this crime especially in the U.S.; I became more adamant on this issue.

A Happy, Healthy Baby

Allah creates children as a blessing to be loved and cherished, not for a type of infant genocide mill.