Irish Yam?

Notre Dame, our Mother

Tender, strong and true

Proudly in the heavens,

Gleams thy gold and blue.

Glory’s mantle cloaks thee

Golden is thy fame,

And our hearts forever,

Praise thee, Notre Dame.

And our hearts forever,

Love thee, Notre Dame.

~~ Notre Dame Alma Mater

The University of Notre Dame has a tradition of asking sitting Presidents to speak at their commencement ceremony every spring. They don’t always accept but most of them do.

The president of the university, Father John Jenkins, is struggling with whether or not to invite Trump. Apparently, he feels that Trump has exhibited a lack of Christian charity in his words and deeds. In fact, Father Jenkins has reassured all undocumented students who are there under DACA that they will be safe there and continue their studies; he has also considered designating Notre Dame a “sanctuary campus.”

Father Jenkins isn’t unfamiliar with controversy. He got a lot of flak for inviting President Obama to give the commencement speech in 2009. The Democrats’ pro-choice stance is antithetical to the teachings of the Catholic church, and there were many protesters in the city that weekend. He defended his decision by saying that as a University, they are committed to open discourse and discussion of all points of view. He got in some trouble with the Archdiocese, but he stuck to his guns.

I’m not a Catholic and I’m not even religious, but I’ve always admired Father Jenkins for his open-mindedness in the pursuit of truth, knowledge, and justice. I feel that Notre Dame does good things in our community and in our world and that they are committed to racial and social justice. Father Hesburgh was a vocal and active supporter of the Civil Rights movement. So while I don’t subscribe to the tenets of the Catholic church (or any church, for that matter), I give credit to anyone who seeks to help others and alleviate pain and suffering in their fellow human beings.

Heck, you don’t have to be religious to feel that way.

The student Democrats at Notre Dame have written a letter that will be sent to Father Jenkins urging him to not invite Trump to speak at commencement in 2017. It is worth a read because it says quite eloquently my feelings on the matter. Although I am not an alumna, I signed the letter as part of our community. I grew up here and have had a lifelong connection in that way, so I felt justified in signing.

While I share Father Jenkins’ commitment to open discourse, the reason I am opposed to Trump speaking at commencement is that what he says and does is not just antithetical to Catholic teachings; it is antithetical to basic human decency. The moment that I came to the conclusion that he is a contemptible person is when he mocked the disabled reporter. That is vile behavior and it shows a complete lack of empathy, charity, and kindness. His subsequent actions only added to my feelings, including his attitude towards women.

I am proud to be from South Bend, and a big part of that is Notre Dame. We love taking out-of-town visitors to see the campus, which is absolutely beautiful. I feel a certain pride of place about Notre Dame and I feel that Trump’s message would sully the good name—and the mission—of the University.

If Father Jenkins does invite him to speak, and he accepts, I plan on voicing my opposition by protesting and I have many friends who feel the same way.

See you on the protest line!

Cardiac Kids continue

That's what a lot of people have been calling the Notre Dame football team, because the last few games have come down to the last seconds, with Notre Dame winning. Saturday's game against Southern Cal came down to literally (and I use that word correctly) the last second, with Notre Dame having a chance to tie it up and send it into overtime. Alas, this time it was not meant to be, and the Irish lost.

However, even when things looked bleakest, the team never gave up. They fought back to bring the game down to the last second. They showed heart and guts, and for a #25 team taking on a #6 team, I think they did pretty damn good. I would have loved to have seen a different outcome, but I can't fault them for not trying or for giving up. You hung in there, guys, and I am proud of you! It was not a blowout as in previous years, and quarterback Jimmy Clausen had a decent enough game that he is still in the running for the Heisman trophy. As Coach Weis said after the game, "Well, anyone who doesn't realize the fight that's in the Fighting Irish is missing the boat."

By the way, my apologies to any of my readers who happen to be Ohio State fans. I may have gloated a little bit over their loss to Purdue yesterday, but it’s nothing personal. As Big Ten fans (Ken went to Illinois) and with two Indiana teams (Indiana U and Purdue) in the Big Ten, Ohio State is a big rival. They’ve also spanked Notre Dame in the past, so I can’t help but feel a little glee when they lose to an Indiana team. I’m sorry if I made anyone feel sad. :(

I have another reason to be proud of Notre Dame. The board of trustees voted to have Father John Jenkins continue as President of the University. I wrote in the spring about Father Jenkins' and Notre Dame's invitation to President Obama to be the commencement speaker. President Obama accepted, which set off a shitstorm of controversy, with hardcore Catholics protesting because of his pro-choice beliefs and policies, and others saying that it was an honor to have the President speak at Notre Dame, and still others, like the bat shit crazy Randall Terry, setting up camp here and resolving to create as much trouble as possible. The speech went off without a hitch, and Father Jenkins also gave a wonderful speech; the senior class elected him Senior Class Fellow in support of him and his decision. At the time, many called for, if not his head, his resignation or firing. Jenkins prevailed, and the board of trustees gave him a great vote of confidence in electing him to another five-year term.

At heart, the issue was about whether Notre Dame would adhere to strict Catholic policies and rhetoric and keep those policies as its sole identity, or include part of its identity as a premier University for education and research. Father Jenkins has been much more liberal than the hierarchy would like, understanding that while Notre Dame can retain its Catholic identity, it also needs to embrace cutting edge technology, education, and inclusiveness. Father Jenkins is still pro-life; but instead of banning the current President because of his beliefs, he welcomed him as a beginning to discussion and dialogue. I supported Father Jenkins then, and I support him now. I'm not a Catholic, and my feelings about the religion are moot. I applaud Father Jenkins for standing up to church hierarchy, saying that it is a good thing to discuss rather than ignore, and I applaud the board of trustees for continuing his tenure as President.

~~~~~

Change of subject. I'm sure you all know how easy it is to misspeak, to really put your foot in your mouth. One of my most memorable was when our friends Kim and Steve were visiting us in 2007. Steve and I were sitting at the table, and I was talking about what I was going to make for dinner that night. I had recently made couscous, and I was just curious whether or not they liked it, so I asked Steve, "Do you guys like couscous?" He said, "Yeah, it's okay." I said, "Well, I'm not making that tonight."

????

Steve cracked up, and I was left wondering why such a stupid remark came out of my mouth. We had a good laugh about it, and a few months later, I sent Kim and Steve a nicely packaged box with a packet of couscous in it...they said they got another big laugh out of it, so it was all good, and we still chuckle about it. I think it was just a matter of my brain working faster than my mouth. My thought process was perfectly clear to me, but I left out a couple of things that would have provided context for Steve.

Okay, it's easy enough to misspeak...but what about when you're typing? I had another memorable moment recently when chatting online with a friend. We were talking about movies, and I mentioned a couple that it's kind of embarrassing to admit that I like, but I can't help it. (Regular readers will know that they are "Road House" and "Dirty Dancing.") I called them my "dirty pleasure" movies.

I think I even wrote it a couple of times. I was writing and I wrote it more than once. Then I wrote, wait...that doesn't sound right. What is that phrase? He informed me that I meant "guilty pleasure" movies.

And I thought it was embarrassing to admit to liking those movies.

So I can add that to my list of things I'll never live down.

Breathing a sigh of relief

After months of buzz, discussion, and unfortunately, controversy, my fellow South Bend residents and I can finally relax.

Or maybe not. I'm hearing on the local news now that some of the out-of-town protesters plan on sticking around for a while. Well, isn't that special?

But at least for the remainder of the day, we can rest easy knowing that everything went off without any major hitches, and that our President received a very warm welcome from our city and from the Notre Dame community. There were more arrests yesterday and today. Alan Keyes got out on bond yesterday, because a judge was available to hear his case. The first arrest today was Norma McCorvey, the woman also known as Jane Roe, the plaintiff in Roe v. Wade. Protesters were not arrested unless they entered campus, and a few hundred lined the streets approaching campus. Apparently the President's motorcade took the back way, depriving all those protesters of their chance to yell at the limousine. Early reports indicate (and I'll try to confirm this) that of everyone arrested, only one was from our community. The rest came in from out of town. I think that speaks volumes.

The valedictorian was a remarkable young woman who is going on to Harvard to attend medical school. She has been to Cambodia and Haiti and I believe embodies President Obama's call to service. I wrote to my friend Dan that I envisioned the President sitting there listening to her speech, thinking, "Now THAT'S what I'm talkin' about!"

Father Jenkins gave a great opening speech and a great introduction for the President, speaking of his efforts and philosophies concerning community organization and service, all things that are part of the Catholic faith and part of Notre Dame. I think he made a great case for why he invited the President, and I think his decision will prove to have been a good one. Of course, "dialogue" wouldn't happen during the speeches given today, but this has certainly brought to the forefront the need for civil discussion about issues, rather than mindless and inflammatory protesting.

The President started his speech with humor, talking about how it's not all that easy to come by honorary degrees, and that as President, he's one for two. Great line! He addressed the controversy head on, and spoke of the need to find common ground and create the opportunity for mutually respectful discussion. He also honored Father Theodore Hesburgh, someone who is legendary in Notre Dame history, by speaking of his efforts in the civil rights movement of the sixties. I'm sure it was gratifying for Father Hesburgh to see Obama's election, and to see him speak at his beloved Notre Dame, despite all the calls for the invitation to be rescinded, or for Obama to decline. (Father Hesburgh supported Obama's invitation, by the way.)

I think the true star of today's commencement was the class of 2009, who handled themselves with class and dignity, whether they supported the President's visit or not. Those who protested did so respectfully and they conducted themselves with honor. When protesters (not from our area and not students) began to shout during the beginning of the President's speech, the graduates shouted them down with chants of "We are ND!" And ultimately, this was about their achievement in graduating from one of the premier universities in the country. Shame on those who would try to take that away from these graduates in order to further their own agenda. I say congratulations to these graduates (and all graduates...good job!), congratulations to President Obama on a great speech, and congratulations to Father John Jenkins for having the guts to stick by his invitation and for taking all the heat that he has.

We could hear Air Force One when it took off from our airport, but didn't get a glimpse. We thought it might fly close enough by that we could see it. I told Ken, "They must have the Cloaking Device on." Haha!

One more thing, and then I think--I hope--that this will be done with. I got a comment from a guy named Steve, and Steve, I salute you for providing your name and not being Anonymous! Not everyone has the balls to do that, so good for you. I do need to address a couple of things, though. I see from your profile and your blog that you voted for Alan Keyes in the 2008 presidential election, and it looks as though you were his VP candidate at some point, if I understand you correctly.

You know, I really don't think I need to say anything else about that.

You also write:

Notre Dame didn't have to call in the civil authorities. Alan Keyes is a Catholic and he came to witness in accordance with his faith. Norma McCorvey is a Catholic, and she too could not take the kind of "I don't care" attitude you explicitly adopt regarding disingenious [sic] judicial reasoning.

Well, Steve, I think that's where a lot of people and protesters such as we saw the past few weeks get into trouble. You see, as private property, the University of Notre Dame has every right to deny people access to their campus. If protesters stayed outside campus, they were not bothered by either the university or the city police. However, they were told clearly that they were not to trespass on university property, and when they did so, they were arrested. It's the same concept of our private property here at Nutwood. I don't care if you're Catholic, Calvinist, Hindu, Zoroastrian, or a Satanist, if you come marching onto our property with a sign, I have the right to tell you to get out. If you do not do so, or if you come back, I have the right to call the police and have them remove you by any means necessary from our property. Your religion doesn't matter. Get it? You could be the Grand High Poobah of Bumfuck, Egypt, and I could still have your ass hauled away for trespassing on our private property. A person's religion does not confer a right to trespass. There is no ambiguity whatsoever there.

Setting the record straight

I haven't written a whole lot lately about the controversy concerning President Obama's commencement speech tomorrow at Notre Dame. I'm sure you're all getting an earful, because that seems to be the main story on CNN today, and the media circus seems to have reached the point of fullblown frenzy this weekend. Ken is off tomorrow, and I think we'll be watching the proceedings peacefully in our own home!

I'm disturbed by much of the coverage I'm seeing, because I don't believe it's giving a true picture of what is happening, or of our community. South Bend has its problems, just like every other town, but it's still a pretty good place to live, and it's my home, dammit. The impression being given is that we're a bunch of intolerant, hateful people who don't want the President here. That couldn't be further from the truth, and our county actually went to the President in last fall's election. Of course, there are people who didn't vote for him and don't like him, and probably are pissed off that we're spending money on security. But the majority of people here support his visit, and are excited that he's speaking at Notre Dame. (No, I didn't attend Notre Dame, but since I was born and raised here, I'm a fan of the university in many ways--sports, academics, research, and what they contribute to our city.)

The protesters who are being arrested are people coming in from out of town. They're shipping in busloads of people from Chicago, St. Louis, and Detroit, and I think Randall Terry and Alan Keyes aren't just from out of town...I think they live on another planet. The Notre Dame students who disagree with the invitation are protesting peacefully and respectfully, with alternative speakers and a prayer vigil at the Grotto. Terry and Keyes and their minions are the ones fueling the fires of the controversy, by flying banners over campus and hiring trucks to drive around town showing offensive pictures that are seen by children. Their most recent efforts included a truck with a large photograph of a black man in chains, and the truck drove through several black neighborhoods. They were supposedly equating abortion with slavery, but I think they were just using outrageous tactics designed to generate anger and dissent. Not cool, people, not cool at all.

In the meantime, the graduating seniors have honored Father Jenkins (the President of Notre Dame and the one who issued the invitation) by choosing him as their Senior Class Fellow. One senior said that at the ceremony, Father Jenkins received a standing ovation. Although he turned down requests for an interview from the AP, Father Theodore Hesburgh, one of the most beloved and well-respected figures associated with Notre Dame, talked to one of our local TV stations and said that he approves of our new President's visit. He spoke of the various Presidents that have spoken at Notre Dame over the years.

None of them have agreed with us on all issues, but I think just coming here and seeing another point of view...that will have an effect on them. We're not a place that hides out in the corner and says we believe this and that's that and we're not going to talk to anybody that doesn't agree with us. We say, 'Hey, we know we disagree on things. Let's get together and talk.'

He also spoke about universities in general:

It's like a common place where people who disagree can get together, instead of throwing bricks at one another, they can discuss the problem and they can see different solutions to difficult problems and those solutions are going to come out of people from universities. They aren't going to come from people running around with signs.

Yay, Father Ted!

In the meantime, South Bend passed a new emergency ordinance that took effect on Thursday that anyone being arrested a second time on a misdemeanor cannot post bond and get out of jail; they must stay in jail until a judge can hear their case. This was announced on Friday. Alan Keyes was arrested for the second time on Friday, for trespassing on campus (private property, and they can enforce no trespassing if they choose to), and will spend the weekend in jail until a judge can hear his case on Monday, and decided if the bond needs to be raised. The Chief Judge said this has nothing to do with Notre Dame, and it's something they've been thinking about for a long time. I think the Judge is being a tiny bit disingenuous! But I don't care, because Keyes is not a representative of our community, cares nothing about it, and only wants to disrupt a peaceful commencement tomorrow. He has been duly charged, and I'm sure he's well-represented. His rights have not been violated.

It's very irritating--in fact, it's irritating as hell--to think that there are those around the country who think that these nutjobs are representative of our community. I may not have a huge audience here, but at least I can make sure a few people know that they don't speak for me. I hope if you watch any of this coverage tomorrow (apparently all the major networks will be here), you'll keep that in mind and not think too badly of South Bend...or its inhabitants!