Did pro-life protesters settle with Notre Dame too soon?
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I just watched the latest video by Michael Voris of RealCatholicTV, and wow, it’s great. Voris is my kind of pro-lifer.
In this episode Voris takes on Notre Dame for hypocrisy and inequitable treatment of 88 pro-lifers who were arrested for protesting against the university after it invited pro-abortion/pro-infanticide Barack Obama to speak at its 2008 commencement (and receive an honorary doctorate).
Notre Dame dropped charges earlier this month, Voris says because it saw the hand-writing on the wall. It realized it would lose in court. I’ll let Voris explain…
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEOMijcnHBM[/youtube]
Read the settlement here. I’m now wondering if the ND88 should have gone forth with their lawsuit.
I know the Apostle Paul spoke against Christians suing one another. But is Notre Dame really Christian? Its leadership committed the ultimate betrayal, IMO – of innocent little babies.
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
Michael Voris holds nothing, I mean nothing back.
He produced an hour long expose on the radical Alinsky connections with the Notre Dame hierarchy last year.
He flew to the Phillipines to cover the Planned Parenthood International showdown with the government and the bishops. And he had some tough things to say about our bishops here as a result.
He revealed the progressive agenda infiltrating the USCCB.
And on and on…
There are some issues that EWTN wouldn’t dare touch, but Voris goes there.
Pretty eye-opening. Jaw-dropping, actually.
Did pro-life protesters settle with Notre Dame too soon?
In my opinion? Yes!
As for the issue of “Christians not suing Christians”: Notre Dame (and other dissident “Catholic” colleges) have gone to great pains to make clear that they, as institutions, are not subject to the Catholic Church’s authority; they’re “on the honor system” to live up to their ostensible Catholic mission statements. Truth be told, the only thing the Bishop can do is forbid them to use the word “Catholic” in descriptions of their school (that, and remove all diocesan priests and/or religious brothers/sisters, remove the Blessed Sacrament [Eucharist], and forbid that the sacraments be celebrated there); he can’t shut the place down, as such. Given their “freedom” from Church authority, and given their insistence on a “civil identity” (i.e. “just another college”), I don’t see any prohibition against lawsuits against them as a college.
Palidin, I appreciate your insights as a devout Catholic, thx.
The protesters were told by Randall Terry when the trespassed on the campus that it would be no big deal. Then, they are arrested and left without an attorney. And they’re told (by the prosecutor) they have to come back for every court appearance, even if they’re from several states away. And this goes on for two years. That’s not what these people signed up for.
The Thomas More Society and Tom Dixon (a local attorney) really stepped up and helped these people out. But TMS has tons of cases that need their attention. These people just wanted the charges dropped, so that’s what TMS did for them.
If Michael Voras is right about all of this, he’ll be proven right when Randall Terry and the other couple of people who didn’t sign the agreement destroy ND in court. I don’t see that happening, but I could be wrong.
But for all of those people who just wanted to quickly protest and didn’t expect their lives to be interrupted for two years, this settlement is a good thing.
Corrina, thanks for your explanation from the inside of the story!
” That’s not what these people signed up for.”
Oh? What did they sign up for when they trespassed on private property and refused to leave when asked? The leaders of the impromptu three-ring circus that staged the protest had every intention of being frog-marched away in handcuffs because they thrive on negative publicity, and being able to cry “oppression!” is good optics for any counter-cultural movement.
Joan:
I totally agree–“the LEADERS of the impromptu three-ring circus” definitely wanted the publicity. Most of the 88 simply were told “you’ll be arrested, but it won’t be a big deal.” They found out they were lied to. (OK, so it was silly for them to believe that, but that’s another matter.)
Like I said, Randall Terry (the ringmaster) has not settled yet. He’s still in it for his 15 minutes of fame.
from a friend involved
“The attorneys felt that there has been improvement in the ND position and that going forward with a lawsuit would have been counter -productive. And the attorneys were all very prolife with resumes to prove it.
So I think Voris is mistaken.”
I’m not sure what the basis of this potential lawsuit against ND would have been. Sounds like more of a face-saver for ND to me.
I think this is a big win — “touchdown” in Michael Voris’ lingo — for the ND 88. There was every chance that they would ultimately have been hit with fines if their cases had gone to trial.
It’s also a big win for TMS and Tom Dixon, who poured countless hours — and dollars — into this case, with many more to have followed had it gone on. Not only did they get the charges dropped — the best case scenario if they’d have gone to trial — but they got recognition from ND that they acted on the basis of their deeply-held pro-life convictions.
I have to say, also, that it’s something of a slap in the face to TMS attorneys Tom Brejcha and Peter Breen, as well as South Bend attorney Tom Dixon, who did most of the grunt work over the past two years, to dismiss the settlement they worked out so painstakingly as a “touchdown” for ND.
Yes, ND got something from the agreement (not, in reality, freedom from being sued, but rather then end to all the bad PR coming from this controversy, and some good PR for ending it). That’s what settlement agreements are all about; both sides get something out of it.
TMS should be applauded for working out this settlement. Both the university and the ND 88 should be applauded for agreeing to it. This is a pro-life win, my friends.
Eric Scheidler
Executive Director
Pro-Life Action League
I’m not Catholic, and please forgive me if I offend anyone here, but just from my personal experience/observations, many Catholic colleges and their students are about as Catholic as my cat.
Just sayin’ . . .
As a catholic, phillymiss, I couldn’t agree more!
Phillymiss,
My only objection to that is a possible worry about defaming your cat. :) Our two cats don’t support Obama, so far as I know…
Phillymiss, I am Catholic, and I unfortunately agree. There are some very fine institutions that are working hard to live the faith, but they seem to be the exception.
I almost went…it was going to be my Mother’s Day gift. Glad I didn’t just because I couldn’t have afforded to go back and forth to Indiana from TN, my home.
One of the ND-88 has passed away during this travesty of justice. Please keep her in your prayers.
I agree with Eric regarding all the hard work the Thomas More Society put into this case. It is a victory for the ND-88. Michael Vorris is tough on his alma mater, but they deserve every ounce of it. ND is Catholic in name only.
From the outside, [several hundred miles away] looking in.
Who appointed Randall Terry, sheriff of the kingdom?
Did Terry swear himself in as grand poobah?
I am neither indicting nor acquitting Randall Terry. Just asking the question.
I have never met Randall Terrey, but I never participated in a ‘passive non-violent direct action’ where I was advised, or advised anyone else, they would not be arrested and if they were they would not be charged and if they were charged, charges would be dropped or dismissed before the case ever went to trial.
In my experience, anyone who was ‘risking arrest’ was fully informed what the charges might be and what the penalty might be.
One other thought about ‘suing’ and ‘settling with you opponent while on the way’.
We are understanding the word ‘sue’ from a 20th and 21st century understanding. I do not purport to have a 1st century understanding, but I would speculate they are not the same thing.
Perhaps there is someone who is informed about these matters and they will enlighten us.
One last thought: Our modern day american legal system, places the emphasis on obtaining the ‘thing’ over saving the relationship.
I believe the ‘book’ is clear on this point. Saving the relationship should always be the first priority in any conflict resoltution, particularly if the estranged parties are members of the body of Christ.
But there are times when as a matter of principle and for sake of conscience one must stand their ground and fight the fight, even if vindication does not seem likely.
Like a polluted well and trampled spring is the righteous one when he gives way before the wicked.
ps: b o has done so well with the Nobel Peace Prize. I can’t wait to see what kind of results b o can produce with a Nobel prize in Economics.
What happened at ND was not a simple matter of criminal trespass by protesters. This was a vicious assault by left-wing Catholic clergy and academics against Rome by way of proxy. It would have sufficed to have had the protesters hauled off campus in cuffs and then have the charges dropped after Obama’s apparition at commencement. After all, it wouldn’t do to to stink up the campus by allowing Catholic pro-lifers demonstrate against the university named for the Blessed Mother.
No, this little proxy war was waged for two long years, in an effort to show the pro-life movement that dissenting opinion has no place at the premier Roman Catholic University in America. Fr. Jenkins was as vicious and tyrannical as the man he chose to laud with an honorary doctorate. He was sending a message to Rome, and to the Roman Catholic Community in America, by simultaneously honoring Obama and crushing the ND 88 under his heel.
Jenkins will long be remembered as a vicious little fool who squandered precious capital on the most pro-abortion President in history, and for squandering even more on crushing those who stood in the breach.
If parents are looking for authentically Catholic Colleges, aside from Jenkins fiefdom, they could try:
Franciscan University, Ohio
Belmont Abbey College
Christendom College
Ave Maria University
Free speech is alive and well at these schools. Belmont Abbey College has just donated land for the construction of a maternity home for pregnant students. The home is called Room at the Inn, and ground is being broken this month.
As one of the Notre Dame 88, I find it offensive that anyone would think that I ‘caved’.
I am consecrated to Jesus through Mary, and my heart belongs to Our Lord through Our Lady. I am her property and possession. So it was only natural to give my body to Her in reparation for the sacrilege committed against Her at Notre Dame. I respect Mr. Voris in general, but I didn’t see him there on campus that day on May 17, 2009, getting his own set of cuffs. He didn’t live through two years with a penal axe over his head wondering if he was going to jail. He didn’t worry about leaving his two kids behind without a mother if that should happen. He didn’t suffer a heart attack during that two years and the subsequent trial of open heart surgery. I was not with Randall Terry, btw. I only expected a fine and a ticket for arrest, because that was what Notre Dame did to previous protestors. I underestimated the viciousness of my fellow Catholics and the vehemence with which pro-abortion Catholics despise their pro-life brethren. I went to Notre Dame to make reparation to and for Our Lady, because She was so sorrowed by this event. After all, she is the mother of the Americas and the mother of the unborn. I also went to witness for those unborn who have no voice and to teach those students on campus the Catholic Fundamental principals that they seemingly have not been exposed. We completed what we came to do. It would be nice to get more out of Notre Dame. But now, the world knows what and who they are. That was enough. Our Lady will do the rest. Michael Voris can have his say, but it seems a bit like armchair sacrificing to me.