On Sunday, President Obama was wondering if we couldn’t all just agree to disagree on the subject of abortion.
“Maybe we won’t agree on abortion,” he said to thousands of breathless Notre Dame students and faculty, “but we can still agree that this is a heart-wrenching decision for any woman to make, with both moral and spiritual dimensions.”
“So let’s work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions by reducing unintended pregnancies, and making adoption more available, and providing care and support for women who do carry their child to term,” he continued. “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 in clear ethics and sound science, as well as respect for the equality of women.” (Watch the video here)
It would do the Notre Dame students well to remember that, in his first 100 days, Obama rescinded regulations that prohibited American tax dollars from funding overseas abortion, re-funded the UNFPA (an organization steeped in forced-abortion controversy), and has actively worked to overturn bi-partisan conscience clauses. Obama’s rhetoric may shine, but his record leaves much to be desired.
So far, Obama’s call for cooperation on the issue of abortion essentially amounts to a request that we “shut up and get over it.” Perhaps, instead of collectively swooning over the president’s offer to play Bookstore Basketball with them, the students of Notre Dame should examine his record a little more critically.
The problem of abortion will not be solved by glowing talk, but concrete pro-natal policy. Students of all stripes would do well to remember this.
