Right-Wing Group Calls on Notre Dame to Cancel President Obama Commencement Address
Christian Church
March 22, 2009
Is the "Catholic" Pro-Life Action League an anti-American organization that, like GOP leader Rush Limbaugh, wants President Barack Obama "to fail?"
An obscure Right-Wing Chicago-based radical group calling itself the "Pro-Life Action League" and its national director, Joe Scheidler, are calling on respected Notre Dame University President, Rev. John Jenkins, to withdraw his invitation to President Barack Obama to deliver a commencement address there on May 17. President Obama, a Democrat, is the first African American elected President of the United States. Obama won election in an enormous landslide victory over his war-mongering conservative opponents John McCain and Sarah Palin. He took the Oath of Office just two months ago as record numbers of Americans and well-wishers around the world watched in hopeful anticipation.
Our nation is fighting the war on terrorism at home and abroad plus two horrific wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. American soldiers are sacrificing their lives for their country, and thousands have already died for our freedom. Americans are suffering the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression with record unemployment and record bankruptcies. Our educational and healthcare systems are breaking at the seams with thousands of kids dropping out of school, while many more of the poor and destitute lack the health care coverage they need to fight disease.
So instead of helping to solve these problems, conservative leaders such as GOP spokesperson (and prescription drug abuser) Rush Limbaugh and some weirdo irrelevant self-appointed "Catholic spokesperson" Joe Scheidler, are publicly and repeatedly hoping that our Black President, Barack Obama, "fails" during his Presidency.
This, in my opinion, is treason.
We all know that President Obama inherited the economic, health care, and education problems we are all suffering now from conservative Republican George W. Bush and a conservative Republican Congress that held control for most of Bushīs eight years in office.
Where was the "pro-life" movement during the Bush Administration when we needed a Constitutional amendment to ban abortions? Where was the "pro-life" movement during the Bush Administration when we needed a Constitutional amendment to ban the death penalty? Where was the "pro-life" movement during the Bush Administration when we needed a stimulus for universal health care to help our poor? Where was the "pro-life" movement in the U.S. when Pope Benedict called on Catholics to oppose the war in Iraq?
Answer: nowhere.
Why would any Catholic oppose President Obama, the first African American elected as Commander-in-Chief?
For Catholics, on the issue of abortion, letīs face the facts: For eight of the last ten years, Republicans controlled the White House, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, the majority of the courts, the majority of state legislatures, and the majority of Governorships. During their many years of complete GOP control, Republicans SAID they were opposed to abortion, but did absolutely NOTHING to stop or reduce the number of abortions in the United States.
Republicans had their chance on the issue of abortion and did NOTHING.
When Democrats took control of Congress in the early 1960s, they held control for over 40 years. Democrats now hold a comfortable majority in both the U.S. House and Senate. The majority of seats up for re-election just two years from now are mostly Republican. The Republican Party brand is at its worst reputation since President Hoover (also a Republican) led the nation to the Great Depression.
Thatīs why many in the GOP think the Republican Party should change its name to re-brand itself.
So, as a consequence of complete Republican Control in Congress and the White House, there was no Constitutional amendment to eliminate abortions, little to no proposed legislation to curtail abortion, and only LIP SERVICE to the many conservative Catholics who used to be a part of the Republican base but who have now left the party to become Independents.
We al know that most mainstream Republicans hate Catholics (and Mormons) anyway. We all know that the Republican Party base will never nominate a Catholic to be President because the Republican Party base (which is almost entirely Southern Baptist and Evangelical) believes that the Pope is the "anti-Christ." They hope the Pope "fails," too. Thatīs why the majority of elected officials who happen to be Catholic are members of the Democratic Party. Like President John F. Kennedy, the first Catholic elected to that office, they are Democrats. Why? Because Democrats care not just about keeping abortions rare and safe, Democrats care about education, health care, the environment, and the economy. Republicans, on the other hand, care little about these issues and care most about helping the rich at the expense of the middle class and poor.
For modern-day Catholics, abortion has become a "lost cause." The issue for Catholics should now be substituted with wrothwhile causes that have to do with helping the poor, health care, education, and the environment all of which are Democratic Party causes not Republican causes.
Among the many pro-abortion actions President George W. Bush and the Republican Congress took while in office include:
Ignoring the Mexican drug cartels and immigration policy; President Bush and the GOP did little to stop illegal immigration to the United States because illegal workers can be paid less than minimum wage and they do not fight for employee-paid health care. Illegal immigrant workers increase the profits of corporations and rich people, who contribute mostly to the GOP.
The Bush Administration did little to enable conscience protections for healthcare workers, including those who might be forced to cooperate in abortion or risk losing their jobs. Most of the pro-life, pro-Christian lobbyists who worked with the White House during the Bush years, believe that the Bush Administration gave them lip-service and cared little about pro-life and Christian ideals. Reflecting upon the Bush years in the White House, the pro-life, pro-Christian leaders often say that the Bush Administration approached them with distain, indifference, and ridicule.
The Bush Administration and the GOP are happy to have pro-life members vote for them during elections, knowing that after they take office and do nothing to help the pro-life movement, those voters have no place else to go.
The Bush Administration ignored the need to dedicate federal funds to harvest embryonic stem cells for research. Embryonic stem cell research show promise for helping people who are paraplegics, suffer from cancer, and genetic diseases. Republicans oppose this research to help the crippled. Democrats support this scientific research.
"Pro-Life" League National Director Joe Scheidler, himself a graduate of Notre Dame University, is calling on Catholics, especially Notre Dame alumni, to contact Jenkins and urge him to withdraw the invitation to President Obama, Americaīs first African American President. We donīt know much about Scheidler because he is an obscure individual, who wants our Black President "to fail."
For Godīs sake, letīs hope Scheidlerīs prejudiced call will fall on deaf ears because President Obama is our nationīs only hope for peace, equality, sound economic policies, and universal healthcare for the poor. President Obama is our only hope for an end to global warming and improvements in education nationwide.
Scheidler hopes that if Notre Dame does not disinvite President Obama, the Notre Dame campus will hold a pro-life protest on graduation day. Why isnīt Scheidler supporting our President in the War on Terror or during our horrible economic crisis? Is it because Scheidler hopes that President Obama fails? Does Scheidler want the terrorists to win? And does Scheidler want Notre Dame to return all of the federal stimulus funds directed toward higher education?
In my opinion, Joe Scheidler is an idiot who is making a mockery of Notre Dame's Catholic identity,
If the Pro-Life Action League wants to help children, they will marginalize Joe Scheidler and, through prayer, help our first African American President Barack Obama become successful, rather than hoping that he "fails."
An obscure Right-Wing Chicago-based radical group calling itself the "Pro-Life Action League" and its national director, Joe Scheidler, are calling on respected Notre Dame University President, Rev. John Jenkins, to withdraw his invitation to President Barack Obama to deliver a commencement address there on May 17. President Obama, a Democrat, is the first African American elected President of the United States. Obama won election in an enormous landslide victory over his war-mongering conservative opponents John McCain and Sarah Palin. He took the Oath of Office just two months ago as record numbers of Americans and well-wishers around the world watched in hopeful anticipation.
Our nation is fighting the war on terrorism at home and abroad plus two horrific wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. American soldiers are sacrificing their lives for their country, and thousands have already died for our freedom. Americans are suffering the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression with record unemployment and record bankruptcies. Our educational and healthcare systems are breaking at the seams with thousands of kids dropping out of school, while many more of the poor and destitute lack the health care coverage they need to fight disease.
So instead of helping to solve these problems, conservative leaders such as GOP spokesperson (and prescription drug abuser) Rush Limbaugh and some weirdo irrelevant self-appointed "Catholic spokesperson" Joe Scheidler, are publicly and repeatedly hoping that our Black President, Barack Obama, "fails" during his Presidency.
This, in my opinion, is treason.
We all know that President Obama inherited the economic, health care, and education problems we are all suffering now from conservative Republican George W. Bush and a conservative Republican Congress that held control for most of Bushīs eight years in office.
Where was the "pro-life" movement during the Bush Administration when we needed a Constitutional amendment to ban abortions? Where was the "pro-life" movement during the Bush Administration when we needed a Constitutional amendment to ban the death penalty? Where was the "pro-life" movement during the Bush Administration when we needed a stimulus for universal health care to help our poor? Where was the "pro-life" movement in the U.S. when Pope Benedict called on Catholics to oppose the war in Iraq?
Answer: nowhere.
Why would any Catholic oppose President Obama, the first African American elected as Commander-in-Chief?
For Catholics, on the issue of abortion, letīs face the facts: For eight of the last ten years, Republicans controlled the White House, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, the majority of the courts, the majority of state legislatures, and the majority of Governorships. During their many years of complete GOP control, Republicans SAID they were opposed to abortion, but did absolutely NOTHING to stop or reduce the number of abortions in the United States.
Republicans had their chance on the issue of abortion and did NOTHING.
When Democrats took control of Congress in the early 1960s, they held control for over 40 years. Democrats now hold a comfortable majority in both the U.S. House and Senate. The majority of seats up for re-election just two years from now are mostly Republican. The Republican Party brand is at its worst reputation since President Hoover (also a Republican) led the nation to the Great Depression.
Thatīs why many in the GOP think the Republican Party should change its name to re-brand itself.
So, as a consequence of complete Republican Control in Congress and the White House, there was no Constitutional amendment to eliminate abortions, little to no proposed legislation to curtail abortion, and only LIP SERVICE to the many conservative Catholics who used to be a part of the Republican base but who have now left the party to become Independents.
We al know that most mainstream Republicans hate Catholics (and Mormons) anyway. We all know that the Republican Party base will never nominate a Catholic to be President because the Republican Party base (which is almost entirely Southern Baptist and Evangelical) believes that the Pope is the "anti-Christ." They hope the Pope "fails," too. Thatīs why the majority of elected officials who happen to be Catholic are members of the Democratic Party. Like President John F. Kennedy, the first Catholic elected to that office, they are Democrats. Why? Because Democrats care not just about keeping abortions rare and safe, Democrats care about education, health care, the environment, and the economy. Republicans, on the other hand, care little about these issues and care most about helping the rich at the expense of the middle class and poor.
For modern-day Catholics, abortion has become a "lost cause." The issue for Catholics should now be substituted with wrothwhile causes that have to do with helping the poor, health care, education, and the environment all of which are Democratic Party causes not Republican causes.
Among the many pro-abortion actions President George W. Bush and the Republican Congress took while in office include:
Ignoring the Mexican drug cartels and immigration policy; President Bush and the GOP did little to stop illegal immigration to the United States because illegal workers can be paid less than minimum wage and they do not fight for employee-paid health care. Illegal immigrant workers increase the profits of corporations and rich people, who contribute mostly to the GOP.
The Bush Administration did little to enable conscience protections for healthcare workers, including those who might be forced to cooperate in abortion or risk losing their jobs. Most of the pro-life, pro-Christian lobbyists who worked with the White House during the Bush years, believe that the Bush Administration gave them lip-service and cared little about pro-life and Christian ideals. Reflecting upon the Bush years in the White House, the pro-life, pro-Christian leaders often say that the Bush Administration approached them with distain, indifference, and ridicule.
The Bush Administration and the GOP are happy to have pro-life members vote for them during elections, knowing that after they take office and do nothing to help the pro-life movement, those voters have no place else to go.
The Bush Administration ignored the need to dedicate federal funds to harvest embryonic stem cells for research. Embryonic stem cell research show promise for helping people who are paraplegics, suffer from cancer, and genetic diseases. Republicans oppose this research to help the crippled. Democrats support this scientific research.
"Pro-Life" League National Director Joe Scheidler, himself a graduate of Notre Dame University, is calling on Catholics, especially Notre Dame alumni, to contact Jenkins and urge him to withdraw the invitation to President Obama, Americaīs first African American President. We donīt know much about Scheidler because he is an obscure individual, who wants our Black President "to fail."
For Godīs sake, letīs hope Scheidlerīs prejudiced call will fall on deaf ears because President Obama is our nationīs only hope for peace, equality, sound economic policies, and universal healthcare for the poor. President Obama is our only hope for an end to global warming and improvements in education nationwide.
Scheidler hopes that if Notre Dame does not disinvite President Obama, the Notre Dame campus will hold a pro-life protest on graduation day. Why isnīt Scheidler supporting our President in the War on Terror or during our horrible economic crisis? Is it because Scheidler hopes that President Obama fails? Does Scheidler want the terrorists to win? And does Scheidler want Notre Dame to return all of the federal stimulus funds directed toward higher education?
In my opinion, Joe Scheidler is an idiot who is making a mockery of Notre Dame's Catholic identity,
If the Pro-Life Action League wants to help children, they will marginalize Joe Scheidler and, through prayer, help our first African American President Barack Obama become successful, rather than hoping that he "fails."
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