Great speech

Fair-minded words...
Some select excerpts from President Obama's Notre Dame speech:

The question, then - the question then is how do we work through these conflicts? Is it possible for us to join hands in common effort? As citizens of a vibrant and varied democracy, how do we engage in vigorous debate? How does each of us remain firm in our principles, and fight for what we consider right, without, as Father John said, demonizing those with just as strongly held convictions on the other side?

And of course, nowhere do these questions come up more powerfully than on the issue of abortion.
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That's when we begin to say, "Maybe we won't agree on abortion, but we can still agree that this heart-wrenching decision for any woman is not made casually, it has both moral and spiritual dimensions."

So 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 children to term. Let's honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion, and draft a sensible conscience clause, and make sure that all of our health care policies are grounded not only in sound science, but also in clear ethics, as well as respect for the equality of women." Those are things we can do.
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My thoughts:

- President Obama is a very eloquent speaker.

- ND honoring Obama still beats me why and what for. 68 U.S. Bishops also wonder.

- Can we work in common effort? Yes, as far as it allows us to be in consonance with the moral ethics of cooperation.

- How does each of us remain firm in our principles? We will be firm in actions as guided by our principle of objective morality (CCC 1755) which holds that a morally good act requires the goodness of the object, of the end, and of the circumstances together.

- So let us work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions, let's reduce unintended pregnancies. Agreed, we will do that by advocating chastity, NFP, respect for the sanctity of life and marriage. As far as we pursue common effort towards a common goal, we will also keep in mind the non-negotiables in the public sphere among which is the protection of life in all its stages; recognition and promotion of the natural structure of the family; and the protection of the right of parents to educate their children.

- Let's make adoption more available. Sure.

- Let's provide care and support for women who do carry their children to term. Of course.

- Let's honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion, and draft a sensible conscience clause, You bet. (Uh, but why did your administration move to rescind the health care conscience rule?)

- make sure that all of our health care policies are grounded not only in sound science, but also in clear ethics, as well as respect for the equality of women. Count on it. Although as I see it, you already overturned the Mexico City Policy, removed restrictions on ESCR, and moved to rescind the abortion conscience clause. What the ??

- as well as respect for the equality of women. No problem.

- Those are things we can do. Great, then let's do it.

- President Obama is a very eloquent speaker.

- and probably a good basketball player to boot. He says: "So next year, if you need a 6-2 forward with a decent jumper, you know where I live". Father Jenkins will only be too glad to make the behind-the-back assist pass.
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