Posted on 05/17/2009 6:38:40 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
SOUTH BEND, Indiana (Reuters) - President Barack Obama urged both sides in the abortion debate on Sunday to pursue a "fair-minded" discussion as he sought to quell a firestorm over his invitation to speak at Notre Dame, a premier U.S. Catholic university.
Notre Dame's decision to confer an honorary degree on Obama and invite him to be the keynote speaker for the commencement sparked petitions and several days of protests. Some students vowed to boycott the commencement.
But the speech itself drew mostly cheers, applause, standing ovations.
Critics who said Obama's support for abortion rights violated Catholic Church doctrine had sought to have invitation rescinded but university refused.
Interrupted at times by hecklers, Obama said he recognized the strong emotions stirred up by the abortion debate but he urged the two sides to try to find common ground, such as preventing unintended pregnancies.
"I do not suggest that the debate surrounding abortion can or should go away," Obama said. "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."
"Let us work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions. Let's reduce unintended pregnancies. Let's make adoption more available. Let's provide care and support for women who do carry their child to term," Obama told the crowd of 12,000 at a huge athletic facility.
His appearance was mostly warmly welcomed by the crowd, which gave him several standing ovations.
But at a few points during the speech, he was interrupted by hecklers, including one who shouted, "Abortion is murder." That heckler was booed by the audience.
Some graduates displayed a print of a cross symbol and two baby feet on their caps while others wore caps that said "Viva Obama."
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
There’s nothing fair about a dead child. Period.
...and by “fair minded” 0bama means that anyone who disagrees with the leftists will be silenced...
Howsaout we have an open mind about killing people OLDER than babies at random? Everyone’s name, including all politicians and their families, goes into the hat and we pull 2 million a year.
That seems “fair minded” to me.
Lying scumbag. He means not a single word of it.
How does one conduct a fair minded debate with the dead child?
How much of the $3.6T budget for next year is intended to reduce the number of abortions? How much for adoption? How much for prenatal care or other services to reduce the incentive to have an abortion? Zero? Not that I think those are federal issues in any case, but Obama is pretending they are without actually doing anything except talk. It looks to me like the only thing Obama offers to those who think babies are good rather than a punishment is empty words. As usual.
“Fair”
As in “Fairness” censorship doctrine?
He wants a discussion. Or so he said. Later he said the two positions are irreconcilable.
TOTUS with its tassle is schizophrenic.
Which Notre Dame did.
Fair minded from the man who will sign FOCA, who voted against stopping partial birth abortion, who voted against outlwawing live birth abortions in Illinois, who resumed federal funding for abortions.
There is NO middle ground on the wanton killing of innocent children in the womb.


"I'll tell you what's fair, and what's not."
I watched his address to ND. I thought it was incredibly patronizing and condescending......as if he was ‘slapping the hands’ of his critics. But, what else was I to expect.
Can’t add to that.
A “fair-minded” discussion about abortion?! I can’t have a “fair minded” discussion with people who have the blood of innocents on their hands and on their souls.
HOLOCAUST = A NAZI’S RIGHT TO CHOOSE
But since abortionists disproportionately target minorities, especially blacks, to be "fair minded" we should tilt that lottery disproportionately so more minorities are killed too, right?
Yes, he had that nose up in the air the entire time. I HATED it when he put his finger to his lips during the ND president’s speech. This ‘man’ doesn’t have a humble bone in his body. I despised his fake, self-deprecating bad jokes. It’s ALWAYS about.....................HIM.
Hitler urges "fair minded" genocide debate.

>>We should tilt that lottery disproportionately so more minorities are killed too, right?<<
3:1 Blacks to whites
2:1 Latinos to whites
I mean, we do want to be “fair minded” and all...
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