By Wajid Ali Syed – Washington Correspondent for Asian Tribune
Washington, 19 May, (Asiantribune.com): President Barack Obama delivered the commencement address to graduates of one of America's leading Roman Catholic universities, the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. His visit and acceptance of an honorary degree angered religious protesters, who strongly disagree with his support of abortion rights and stem cell research.
With several hundred anti-abortion protesters gathered outside Notre Dame's front gates, President Obama was greeted inside the Joyce Center on campus with long and thunderous applause. But his speech was interrupted a number of times by anti-abortion hecklers, with most graduates drowing out the hecklers in support of Obama.
President took on the issue that sparked protests at Notre Dame and has sharply divided and polarized Americans for decades - abortion. He called for people on both sides on the debate to keep an open mind and to stop demonizing each other. "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."
He focused on action that both sides can agree on. "So let's work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions, let's reduce unintended pregnancies," he said.
The abortion issue is likely to remain in the spotlight as President Obama seeks to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court left by the retirement this summer of Justice David Souter. In its 1973 "Roe versus Wade" decision, the US Supreme Court ruled that individual states may not ban abortion, but it did not end the political battle over the issue.
- Asian Tribune -
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