Posted on 04/22/2010 4:33:30 PM PDT by wagglebee
SOUTH BEND, Indiana, April 22, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - While numerous pro-life protesters who were arrested for trespassing at the University of Notre Dame last year continue to face up to a year in prison and a $5,000 fine, anti-military and pro-gay demonstrators who were previously arrested on campus had their charges dropped, according to a shocking new investigation by the Sycamore Trust. Furthermore, the president of the University, Fr. John Jenkins, has reportedly refused to discuss the disparate treatment.
William Dempsey, Notre Dame alumnus and president of the Sycamore Trust, notes in the organization's latest bulletin that Jenkins has responded to inquiries about the pro-lifers (who were arrested last May while peacefully protesting Obama’s commencement speech and honorary degree) by saying that, "The University cannot have one set of rules for causes we oppose, and another more lenient set of rules for causes we support. We have one consistent set of rules for demonstrations on campus – no matter the cause."
While Notre Dame does not have power to drop the charges, the University's recommendation to dismiss would likely carry great weight with the St. Joseph County prosecutor.
Dempsey says that "we doubted that any organization would saddle itself with such an inflexible policy." Hence, his organization set about investigating how past trespassers have been treated.
It turns out that members of the pro-gay group Soulforce, and Catholic Worker anti-ROTC demonstrators, who were arrested for trespassing on campus in March 2007, were let off scot free. Dempsey says that he interviewed participants in each case, who "all state that, after they were taken into custody and processed on the campus, they were released and heard nothing more." It is unclear whether the decision not to pursue the cases further was made by the university or the district prosecutors, although the Trust suggests that it originated with the university.
Having related the information to Notre Dame, says Dempsey, a spokesman replied that "this exchange is no longer serving any purpose from our perspective, and, as a result, we have decided to discontinue communications with you on this topic."
After writing Fr. Jenkins, the Trust reported that "his brief response was not encouraging."
"He seconded the spokesman’s termination of the discussion and he characterized as 'not warranted' unidentified 'inferences' and 'assumptions' in Bill Dempsey’s wide-ranging exchanges with the University spokesman, but he did not dispute the facts respecting the Soulforce and Catholic Workers arrests."
"The stark facts, then," the Trust alleges, "are that the University has treated pro-gay and anti-military demonstrators far more generously than pro-life demonstrators and that it declines to explain why.
"The mystery of the University’s attitude toward the pro-life demonstrators deepens."
The bulletin further points out how the prosecution of the pro-life "Notre Dame 88" can and already has wreaked havoc on the defendants' lives, even prior to sentencing: the Trust reports that one defendant and her husband have already been declined as foster parents thanks to the trespassing charges.
"The University’s position is bewildering, for there are many compelling reasons for the University to recommend to the prosecutor that he drop these cases," notes the group. "The University’s stance obviously impairs Father Jenkins’s post-Obama efforts to shore up Notre Dame’s pro-life credentials. The demonstrators are intensely dedicated and include many notably sympathetic individuals."
"The question, then, is why the University persists in endorsing these prosecutions."
To sign a petition to free the ND 88, click here.
For University of Notre Dame contact information, click here.
See recent LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Notre Dame Releases New Pro-Life Statement after Obama Dust Up
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/apr/10041310.html
Document Reveals Inconsistencies in ND's Jenkins Claims on ND88
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/feb/10020811.html
Scheidler: Jenkins Remains Utterly Immovable on ND 88
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/jan/10012505.html
I can understand why the school still calls itself catholic.
What I cannot understand is why the Catholic heirarchy allow them to do it.
The catholic Church should stop any and all support of this school and force it to change it’s name.
A school that supports abortion and uses the name of “Our Blessed Mother” is a direct insult to Mary, the mother of Christ.
A little scripture for you:
Philippians 4: 4-9
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
Please FreepMail me if you want on or off my Pro-Life Ping List.
C’mon alums . . .de-fund these idiots
Thank you very, very much.
I’ll be here when you come back and we’ll miss you but enjoy the time off and we’ll fight the good fight when you get back.
sad
my point exactly
Your defense of Notre Dame strikes me as a bit ‘second-hand’ and somewhat dated. Let me put it into bible-story terms.
There once was a man who was humble and hid rather than be king [he was tall and commanding]; this man later became a war-hero that the people said “killed his thousands” & he was involved in many victories over the enemies of the Israelite people.
Pretty praiseworthy, no?
Well, later on this same man becomes prideful and tries to fill the role of Priest in addition to that of King... and so stepped out of his [literally] God-given authority and into the state of rebellion. For this reason God determined that his line would lose the kingship. The king then turns away from God and enters a tormented downward-spiral until he goes visiting a witch... that man was King Saul.
His beginning-state did not match his ending-state.
My point is that time & decisions change both people and organizations.
You are a snotty little shit and didn't accomplish anything to deserve to be one. Give the Christian jive a rest too as it quite unapparent by your attitude. While you are at it you might shove the soap too.
This article and picture are proof ND has gone to dark side. Is your Dad really proud of this toilet?
Very well put!
They may not have “basket weaving” but they did have a course called “Fun With Numbers” that a graduate of ND I knew took along with a number of the football players.
The fans may not paint profanities on their cars but ask any IU or Purdue fan about the nastiness of their fans during the games.
I know your father is a wonderful man and served this country well and he raised a fine son but are you really pleased with direction this once noble instituion is taking?
BTW, please do not make any assumptions of graditude and love for the military.....I have 2 USMC sons and they are inspired by men like your father.....
Notre-Who?
What Dame, Where?
Oh! ..... You mean the South Bend School for the Hopelessly Rich, Morally Indigent and Tragically Hip.
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.Never heard of it.
If you were to assume that I haven’t, you would be wrong. But thank you for at least recognizing the difference between an administrations’ actions and the ND community at large.
It is a huge, world-wide community. You condemn it because of the actions of a few misguiided men.
Very shallow and short-sighted, actually.
You condemn an entire institution based on the actions of a few men.
Gee! Maybe they’re alumni are wealthy because it is a good school whose graduates are successful in life. Last time I looked, that was called capitalism. who’s the snob here? The successful ND grad, or the envious critic?
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