Notre Dame 88 Still in the Middle of It

Remember when our abortion extremist president spoke at Notre Dame's (ND) graduation while cops arrested pro-lifers outside? When was that? ...Let's see...May 2009...have you forgotten already? Well, the 88 pro-lifers arrested haven't. They are still in the midst of the persecution (oops...) prosecution. They recently claimed a victory, though, when St. Joseph County, Indiana Circuit Court Judge Michael Scopelitis ruled that their lawyers from the Thomas More Society may depose former Notre Dame Student Affairs Administrator William Kirk.

Professor Kirk is interesting. He was the only Notre Dame official who protested the Obama debacle and attended the alternate graduation service at the grotto. He was "abruptly sacked" recently according to Life Site News (LSN). LSN reported the reaction of Notre Dame philosophy professor, David Solomon, who criticized the university's  callous act:

Solomon suggested that Kirk's insistence on maintaining school-wide disciplinary standards for Notre Dame football athletes helped precipitate the move. However, the professor also said the news appears to confirm fears that Kirk's stand against the highly controversial honor to Obama would prove fatal.

"At the time Bill took part in the NDResponse rally, many people commented on the courage it took for him to stand with his wife and other witnesses to this protest of Notre Dame’s decision to award President Obama an honorary degree. I personally discounted these worries, believing that the Notre Dame administration would admire him for his principled stand on a matter so close to the Catholic heart of Notre Dame, even if they disagreed with his particular action," wrote Solomon.

Since the administration welcomed Obama's own "sharp dissent from and attack on central Catholic teaching on life," he continued, "It seemed only reasonable that they would equally welcome dissent from university policy by such a loyal Catholic and member of the Notre Dame family as Bill Kirk — especially when his dissent was made in the name of the Catholic principles at Notre Dame’s heart and in the company of his bishop.

"Perhaps, alas, there was reason for Bill Kirk to be worried about his participation in NDResponse after all."

The professor said Kirk's treatment would undoubtedly have "a chilling effect" on un-tenured administrators in public policy and moral debates on campus. He noted that "a number of other administrators have told me that in light of Bill Kirk’s treatment, they will in the future keep their heads down rather than dissent from the policies of the central administration." "It will be tragic if these pressures toward uniformity become a permanent feature of Notre Dame life," he wrote.

Solomon said that what he termed the "callousness and brutal insensitivity" of Kirk's termination has had "the greatest impact" on the close-knit Notre Dame community: Kirk and his wife Elizabeth, who have already adopted two young children, were in the process of adopting a third at the time of the firing.

Well, is anyone surprised that ND President Fr. John Jenkins, a pathetic excuse for a Catholic priest, is taking revenge on a principled member of the school community? After all, Professor Kirk made everybody else look bad and we simply cannot have that. Just like we can't let those pesky orthodox laity, who actually believe what the Church teaches about human life, protest on the ND campus. Abort them and their free speech nonsense!

Only one problem...it's against the first amendment to engage in "viewpoint discrimination" and Professor Kirk can testify to the fact that ND has allowed others without permits to engage in demonstrations without consequences. As recently as January, homosexual activists protested on campus and were not rebuked or arrested.

All of this is detailed in an LSN article, but one sentence caught my eye and made me laugh because I know it refers to my friend Karen:

The judge also is requiring that the prosecution explain the case of a woman who was arrested for holding a pro-life sign at Notre Dame but who was not prosecuted.

Karen was not with the group, in fact she was on her way home, when she and her husband noticed a crowd gathering. They parked in the Credit Union lot (along with others) and took out a pro-life sign. Karen and her husband were the only ones with signs approached and forced to move away from the street where the Obama motorcade would pass. Karen was arrested for daring to challenge the officers, but later they obviously realized the vulnerability of their case and dropped the charges against her. And now that chicken is coming home to roost.

Fr. Jenkins has pretended that everything happening has been at the discretion of the police, trying to distance himself and the university from their draconian action against the ND 88. And draconian it's been.  The prosecution would not even allow charges to be dropped against a terminally ill member of the group, Linda Schmidt, before she died a few weeks ago. They are making things as difficult as possible for the protestors. It's not unusual, for example, for defendants to be represented at hearings prior to trial without having to physically appear. Not only have prosecutors in this case tried to require defendants in court for every hearing, they want to require them to be in the area a week before trial. One defendant, a post aborted mother of three small children, lives in Denver. It's clear that the agenda is to hammer these protestors so they will never, ever bother ND again. These faithful Catholics are in the company of St. Joan of Arc, who was martyred with the active collusion of another political cleric, Cardinal Pierre Cauchon. Fr. Jenkins is from the same school.

Perhaps it's time to consider a little counter lawsuit against Notre Dame for false arrest and malicious prosecution. Now wouldn't that be interesting? Catholic parents might also consider a class action lawsuit for the fraudulent pretense that the university offers a Catholic education and campus life in line with the teachings of the Church.