Protest Greets Clinton At La Salle University

PHILADELPHIAINQUIRER, Oct. 30—La Salle University, a Catholic school, was the site of a recent political event. At the event, President Clinton and Sen. Ted Kennedy endorsed John Street, a fellow Democrat, for mayor of Philadelphia, reported the Inquirer.

Fifty pro-life students and alumni protested the event. They chanted “Hey La Salle parents! Guard your daughter and hide your car keys. Bill and Ted are coming to town,” according to the report.

John Oberholzer, 58, an alumnus of La Salle, carried a sign that read “La Salle No Longer Catholic.” He faxed La Salle's president to protest Clinton and Kennedy because of their vehement support of abortion. Oberholzer called on Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua to revoke La Salle's charter as a Catholic school, said the article.

Street initially wanted to have the political rally at Temple University, but the school turned down his request. Temple does not allow political endorsements on campus because of a possible conflict-of-interest, since it receives government assistance.

Notre Dame's Observer Is ‘Not a Catholic Newspaper’

THE OBSERVER, Nov. 12—The University of Notre Dame student newspaper reported on the school's recent ban on advertising homosexual advocacy groups in the newspaper. Wrote reporter Finn Pressly:

“A tense, 130-minute meeting of the Student Senate yielded a resolution and an open letter responding to the ongoing debate regarding the University of Notre Dame's relationship with The Observer. Michelle Krupa, editor in chief of The Observer, addressed the senate in order to provide background on the issue.

“‘We are a newspaper serving a Catholic community. We are not a Catholic newspaper,’ she said. ‘We do not have an agenda to promote Catholic teaching. If we do promote Catholic teaching through stories we cover or ads we run, it is coincidental to our primary obligation to report and provide information responsibly.’

“According to Krupa, the Universtity functions as The Observer's accountant, rather than publisher. The Observer, which is an independent student-run organization, entered into the University's accounting system following financial trouble in the early ‘80s due to misappropriation of funds, she said. The University loaned the newspaper enough funds to relieve the situation in exchange for The Observer's agreement to let the University handle accounting procedures.”

He reported that “the University has set forth a policy dictating to The Observer that it may not accept advertisements from GALA ND/SMC (Gay and Lesbian Alumni of Notre Dame/Saint Mary's College).”

Protesting ‘Art’ at Boston College

CATHOLIC ACTION LEAGUE, Nov. 8—A modern Irish art exhibit hosted at Boston College, which includes a photograph of a naked man promoting condoms, is “an insult to Catholics, an affront to Christian morality, and a debasement of Irish culture,” said the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts.

The photograph, called “Billy,” is a self-portrait of artist Billy Quinn. The accompanying text reads, “Quinn's work comes from a passion for truth and revelation, perhaps in the hope that such brutal honesty will eventually lead to acceptance.”

But “Billy” is not the only problem.

The exhibit also includes Dorothy Cross’ phallic symbol containing fossilized shark teeth and Alice Maher's works, which are “reminiscent of pre-Christian pantheism and witchcraft,” the group said in a statement.

“Irish Art Now not only assaults Catholic standards of decency, modesty and purity, but celebrates the repudiation of Catholic moral teaching about chastity, the impermissibility of contraceptive use, and the intrinsic immorality of homosexual behavior,” said C.J. Doyle, executive director of the League.

“Boston College ought to be ashamed of itself for this latest betrayal of the Catholic religion and the Irish heritage of its founders. Alumni who persist in contributing to this institution ought to examine their consciences and consider their own culpability in sustaining B.C.'s scandalous apostasy.”

Gov. Jeb Bush Calls For End To Affirmative Action in Florida

TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT, Nov. 10—Gov. Jeb Bush called for a end to two decades of race-based admissions to universities and racial set-asides in state contracts Nov. 9, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.

Bush made the recommendations promising to lead the charge toward diversity and opportunity but without the laws mandating it. His university proposal will need approval from the Board of Regents of the state university system, but the decision on state contracts was made by executive order, the newspaper reported.

In place of race-based admissions, the governor is recommending a program whereby high school seniors who finish in the top one-fifth of the class would receive admission to state university, which would reduce the importance of SAT scores that critics say are culturally biased

The governor's proposal is similar to the one his brother, Gov. George W. Bush, passed in Texas. Dubbed “One Florida Initiative,” it is widely considered an attempt to stave off momentum for a ballot initiative by California businessman Ward Connerly, whose Florida Civil Rights Initiative Bush has called “divisive”

“This is a statement of inclusion, not of division,” Bush said. “This is a statement that is progressive and thoughtful and forward-thinking and that's where we want to stay,” reported the Tallahassee Democrat.