Obama Notre Dame Speech Sparks Protests Led By Randall Terry

by Jon Azpiri | May 17, 2009 at 11:16 am

621 views | 63 Recommendations | 12 comments

US President Barack Obama Notre Dame speech has not been without controversy. The decision by Father Ted Hesburgh and others at Notre Dame to invite the president was controversial to many at the catholic university due to Obama's stance on abortion and stem cell research.

Crowds of anti-abortion activists descended upon the campus to protest the speech. Many of the protests were led by anti-abortion activist Randall Terry. Prominent Republican Alan Keyes was also arrested during protests.

Also among the protestors was Norma McCorvey, the plaintiff known as "Roe" in the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. McCorvey is now an anti-abortion activist.

McCorvey wasn't alone as large groups of activists joined together to oppose the presence of Obama on the Notre Dame campus. All told, 19 were arrested.

Obama was met with jeers during his Notre Dame commencement speech, as members of the crowd shouted at Obama in protest. Many in the crowd responded by shouting down those who were protesting.

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Yuliya Talmazan

at 13:17 on May 17th, 2009

Pretty amazing that he decided to speak out like that.

Roy C

at 13:41 on May 17th, 2009

I am not against an abortion well within the first trimester, but third trimester abortions, where you stick the needle into the brain of the baby, a baby who could survive outside the womb, and you then suck the brains out, are real infanticide.

The only time that I would back a third-trimester abortion is if one of a number of fetuses was going to die and then cause the death of the other fetuses.

Obama supports third trimester abortions and, worse, he was against attempting to save the life of the baby born when the abortion failed to kill the baby, which happens often enough that a law is needed. He voted against that bill to save the life of the child born of such a circumstance, citing that it would be an "undue" hardship on the doctor.

Sorry, but this aspect of Obama totally, and I mean TOTALLY, disgusts me.

Phil Sevilla (not verified)

at 13:45 on May 18th, 2009

Roy,

Why do you find killing unborn babies in the first trimester not disgusting like third trimester abortions? Around the 18th day of life the unborn heartbeat is detected;
early in the second month around the 40th day, brainwaves are detected. All the genetic make up of the baby is intact. If it's wrong to kill the child in the last trimester, it's morally wrong to kill it at any time. The unborn should be protected by the same constitutional rights any citizens have. The first right is life!

A.C. (not verified)

at 15:12 on May 17th, 2009

Absolutely right.

Yet today once again he stands up trying to BS everybody there about how middle ground he is, and how we all need to come together, blah blah blah....knowing all along how he feels about abortion, especially late term.

Just another stop on his Hate America Apology Tour.

Maybe Netanyahu will knock some sense into his head. Israel sure won't be asking his permission to bomb the crap out of Iran.

albertacowpoke

at 15:14 on May 17th, 2009

Taking abortion aside, since it is such a divisive issue, I think it is totally appropriate for different points of view to be introduced into universities and colleges. Graduating students, at this point of their life, can make up their own mind on what they believe to be right or wrong.

I watched part of his speech and I thought he handled himself very well considering the circumstances. The comment he made about disagreeing with each other but being respectful in the debate was also valid. Too often bashing is the rule to get each sides point across. Overall I would give him a B+ on his speech and I'm not and Obamian.

Roy C

at 15:32 on May 17th, 2009

In the university, I totally agree. In the graduation ceremony, I don't agree.

Luke Slomka

at 17:50 on May 17th, 2009

all this stuff like laws that have been mentioned above i did not even know about. i bet a lot of people are not aware of the realities described above.

Pythiian1

at 18:14 on May 17th, 2009

According to numerous ND students, the protest did not affect Father Jenkins' and President Obama's speeches and their graduation.

Kristina Sinutko said she was proud to be a Notre Dame graduate when the "We are ND" chant rang out from the senior class in response to protesters interrupting President Barack Obama's Commencement address in the Joyce Center Sunday.

"You can't come to our graduation and yell and get away with it," she said.

Sinutko, a graduate of the College of Arts & Letters, said she thought both University President Fr. John Jenkins and the class of 2009 handled the interruptions in the ceremony "very appropriately."

Although she said she was surprised Jenkins and Obama directly addressed the controversy surrounding the president's visit to campus, Sinutko said it "would have been awkward" if the issue was not engaged.

The students were relieved that the Notre Dame President, Father Jenkins, and the US President Obama addressed the controversy without demonizing opposing views.

Arts & Letters graduate Damian Kearney also said he was relieved when Obama addressed the "elephant in the room."

"With all the conflicting emotions, it felt tense in there for awhile," Kearney said. "I was a little surprised but very grateful both [Jenkins and Obama] talked about the issues."

Kearney said the comments of Jenkins and Obama during Commencement succeeded in creating dialogue about many "moral and ethical" dilemmas between the Catholic Church and the political sphere.

Edmund Jenks

at 18:24 on May 17th, 2009

Randall Terry did not mar the speech, Barack Obama did by accepting the Honorary Degree ... then joked about it as being an honor that is hard to come by (as if he is actively shopping for them), in that he is now One for Two.

NOT FUNNY.

The joke is on ALL of the members of the Catholic Church that voted this person into office knowing full well he does not take the life of the unborn, and unbreathing seriously.

If these souls are not the most fragile among us ... than what class of human being is? Certainly not the people HE says HE represents.

DLDog

at 19:28 on May 17th, 2009

All Notre Dame wanted was the first Black president to perform the commencement speech. Where were the officials who were responsible for this when Obama was running for President? Did they not know he is pro-choice and pro-stem cell research?!?!? There is no other logical reason for ND to invite him besides wanting a piece of that historical pie.

tlreed

at 19:38 on May 17th, 2009

Hmnn, a Democrat President that is pro-Choice, now there is a shocker. There are a million more important issues out there. The pro-Choice, pro-Life debate will never end, but fortunately the people have lost interest in perusing it, as have the graduating class of Notre Dame. This event will not have any significant effect Obama's popularity, nor should it have any. Both sides have made their point, there will never be agreement, most of us have moved on, it is time for you to do the same.

Obama represents the Democratic Party, therefore he is Pro-Choice, he himself has no-Choice.

VGru (not verified)

at 19:38 on May 18th, 2009

I attended the ceremony on Sunday to see my brother graduate, an accomplishment he has worked hard to earn.

I was upset that the protesters on campus made me feel like I was a bad Catholic because I was going to see my own brother's graduation. In addition, the gory pictures of aborted fetuses disturbed me. I am 15 years old and wasn't aware of the exact process of abortion -- it was great fun to have my mom explain it to me.

The hecklers during President Obama's speech were extremely inconsiderate to the innocent families like mine who were simply trying to enjoy this stepping stone in our sons'/daughters'/siblings' lives.

Overall, my enjoyment of what was supposed to be a celebration for a new chapter in my brother's life was marred by these protesters. I am not upset with Notre Dame; President Obama gave a fair and inspiring commencement speech.

Rather, I am aggravated that these people felt so strongly about an issue that honestly didn't really concern them unless they were affiliated with Notre Dame in some way had to butt in on what could have been such a beautiful weekend.

The Bible tells us that we are to practice religion not to look important but as an expression of faith (Mt 23: 8-15). Is having a mass on one of the main quads in the middle of the preparations for the commencement ceremony merely an expression of faith or is it using religion to make a statement?

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and we do live in the land of the free, so they can say and do what they want. But I agree with President Obama that some kind of common courtesy has to be established.

"Let he among you without sin be the first to condemn."

So let's be reasonable.

This was a graduation ceremony, not an opportunity for Obama, the Catholic Church, and everyone in between to make sure the whole world knew what they thought about abortion. Straighten out the political issues in the conference rooms and the religious issues in the church. We separated church and state a long time ago; this isn't a revolutionary idea.

So congratulations to the Class of 2009, in case we've forgotten why the ceremony was held. I'm sure we'll be seeing great things from them very soon.