THE ISSUE:President Obama’s Notre Dame address.
OUR VIEW:We don’t have to agree on all issues, but we can find common ground.
President Barack Obama illustrated in his speech at the University of Notre Dame Sunday that even those with irreconcilable differences can communicate in a civil manner.
The president recalled an e-mail he had received during his campaign for the U.S. Senate. The writer was a physician who was strongly pro-life, Obama said, and he was concerned about an entry on Obama’s campaign Web site pledging that the candidate would fight “right-wing ideologues who want to take away a woman’s right to choose.”
The doctor objected not to Obama’s stance on abortion, but to his failure to address the issue in fair-minded words. Obama responded by directing his staff to change the language on his Web site.
“And I said a prayer that night that I might extend the same presumption of good faith to others that the doctor had extended to me,” Obama said. “Because when we do that — when we open our hearts and our minds to those who may not think like we do or believe what we do — that’s when we discover at least the possibility of common ground.”
We might not agree on the issue of abortion, he said, but we can still agree that it’s a heartrending decision for any woman to make. And we can work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions by reducing unintended pregnancies and making adoption more available.
Obama also recalled how Father Theodore Hesburgh, the long-time president of Notre Dame, had been part of a six-member commission that drafted the framework for the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The six members came from diverse backgrounds, he said, but they finally found common ground after discovering that they were all fishermen.
“Remember that each of us, endowed with the dignity possessed by all children of God, has the grace to recognize ourselves in one another; to understand that we all seek the same love of family and the same fulfillment of a life well-lived,” Obama said. “Remember that in the end, we are all fishermen.”
It was an eloquent speech with a message we would all do well to heed. We don’t have to agree on all of the issues, but if we look hard enough, we surely can find common ground.
– Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, and Kokomo Tribune
Opinion
Message we should heed
- Opinion
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White shouldn’t return to office
The issue: The conviction of Indiana’s secretary of state.
Our view: Charlie White’s ouster from office should be permanent.
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Editorial - Feb. 8, 2012: Grand success for Indianapolis
The issue: The Super Bowl.
Our view: Indianapolis left a great impression on thousands of visitors.
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Letters to the Editor: Feb. 8, 2012
As Hoosiers celebrate the conclusion of a truly remarkable Super Bowl experience, there is even more good news that should fill us with pride. More Indiana students are graduating from high school than ever before.
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Which religions will we include?
The Indiana Senate last week approved a bill that would allow public schools to teach creationism, as long as they include theories from multiple religions.
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If you say so
In an opinion piece we published Thursday, state Rep. Mike Karickhoff announced why he voted against “right-to-work” legislation. His reason: The community told him to.
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Cheers and jeers - Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012
Karickhoff acted ‘cowardly’
The Rev. Robin Wentworth Mayer and Horst G. Mayer of Kokomo send the Jeer for state Rep. Mike Karickhoff’s silence during the “right-to-work” debate:
“Mr. Karickhoff, for someone who’s new to office, you’ve certainly learned the art of talking out of both sides of your mouth.
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Let’s drug test our lawmakers
Perhaps it’s appropriate that a measure passed by the Indiana House this week would ask not only welfare recipients but Indiana lawmakers to consent to a drug test.
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Editorial - Feb. 2, 2012: Peru delivers a message
The issue: Peru’s collection of $20,000 last year from property owners who failed to keep their yards mowed.
Our view: Aggressive enforcement can help a city’s finances, but the benefits go beyond dollars and cents.
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Karickhoff: Reason behind my ‘right-to-work’ vote
There is no doubt the “right-to-work” debate has brought mixed emotions, not only to our state but District 30 as well. There were only a handful of House Republicans who did not vote in support of this legislation. Let me explain why I felt it was necessary for me to vote in opposition to right to work.
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Heinig: ‘Right-to-work’ law to arouse continued resistance
I wouldn’t call Gov. Mitch Daniels a charismatic leader, but he does possess some leadership skills. If he didn’t, he couldn’t have brought us this far along the happy trail to his economic Valhalla.
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