Notre Dame law professor Richard Garnett, writing at National Review, while not supportive of President Obama speaking at the University takes issue with her cyber-critics.
As I made clear in my initial contribution to this NRO symposium, I believe that the University of Notre Dame should not, at this time, honor President Obama with a ceremonial degree and the commencement-speaker role.
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All that said, this is not the time for the tiresome anti-Notre Dame screeds that too often clutter the Catholic and conservative corners of the Internet. Some who are outraged, gathering signatures, demanding changes, and pointing fingers have long since given up — mistakenly — on Notre Dame. For them, Notre Dame’s purpose is simply to serve as a convenient target. For many of Notre Dame’s cyber-critics, her many achievements and successes are invisible; her mission is unappreciated or not-understood; her failures are cause for celebration, not constructive criticism.These critics are wrong. This should not be an occasion for fundraising, grandstanding, or attention-grabbing by self-interested activists. Again, Notre Dame matters, and it is precisely because it still is meaningfully Catholic that its mistakes are disappointing. It’s easy for [insert name here] Completely Pure Catholic College (or blogger) to avoid dilemmas (and mistakes) like Notre Dame’s, because no one cares about that College (or blogger). Notre Dame’s challenge is more difficult. We should want, and be willing to help, her to succeed.
As one of those cyber-critics and as one who has followed this story closely, respectfully I think Professor Garnett is wrong. While their may be some anti-ND Catholics out there, I think the vast majority of Notre Dame’s critics are so loud and dissappointed precisely because we haven’t given up on the University.
We here at CMR love Notre Dame. While other Catholic Universities have completely forfeited their Catholic identity, some of it still remains at Notre Dame. Some of it. But that does not mean Notre Dame is incapable of losing it. Moves such as this invitation to the President diminishes the Catholic identity of the University both on and off campus.
As a Catholic parent, I must keep this in mind when helping my children select an institution of higher learning. Is the Notre Dame campus a place where their own Catholic identity will grow or will it be undermined? As many have pointed out there are still many orthodox Catholics there, both on the faculty and in the student body. But it is also true that polls of the students last year showed widespread support of a virulently pro-abortion candidate, Barack Obama.
The point is, Catholic identity at a University is not something intrinsic. It does not remain no matter what action the administration may take. We have seen this process come to its completion at other Universities with those institutions eventually dropping the pretense of Catholicism.
This is why we criticize. We do not want the same thing to happen at the most prestigious of Catholic Universities. We do not want to read a story a few years from now about how the faculty protested when it was decided to put crucifixes back in the classroom. We fight now to make sure that Jesus stays in the classroom. We love Notre Dame and that is why we fight. That is why we sign letters. That is why we urge alumni to withhold contributions. We love Notre Dame so much and we have not given up hope. We want the golden dome to always shine.
March 24, 2009 at 6:11 pm
I dunno, I think the stinky rotting fruit is already on the tree. Catholic in name only is how I see it, with lots of Catholics still going there because they dont know any better to stay away from apostacy, since it is so ripe in our church these days.
March 24, 2009 at 6:20 pm
Is there a link to Garnett’s piece. Basically, this strikes me as the Same Old Crap Progressive abstract projection of motives in lieu of a substantial point. WHO thinks “Notre Dame’s purpose is simply to serve as a convenient target”? Anyone worth taking seriously? What evidence demonstrates this? Etc, etc.
March 24, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Patrick,
I appreciate the clarification you provide in your post. I admit it was hard to tell whether CMR did in fact have genuine concern, given such posts as the “Jeer, Jeer” one below – which many consider hurtful and counterproductive. But I really do appreciate the post.
I do have one concern – your pointing out of a student poll showing support for Obama, as a litmus test for the state of the University as a whole. I consider that something of a major oversimplification. Beyond that, I am curious who conducted this poll. If this is an Observer poll, the results should be completely disregarded – they would not be an authentic representation, as no online poll really is.
March 24, 2009 at 6:51 pm
Having prayed morning prayer with Rick Garnett many times over several years, I can honestly say God bless Rick Garnett and God bless Notre Dame.
For those who haven’t attended, you should know that there’s a wonderfully orthodox subculture at ND (and specifically the Law School), with Rick part of making it move beyond “subculture” status. As a result, I would categorically dismiss any charges that the tree is rotten. There’s plenny good fruit, to be sure. Not all professors are Cathleen Kaveny — we have our O. Carter Sneeds, Paolo Carozzas, Fr. Coughlins and Rick Garnetts as well.
While the “Jeer Jeer” piece hurt my feelings, and thus I agree with Professor Garnett to a significant extent, I’m afraid he may be painting with too broad a brush. Some responses are reactionary, true, and those should be discouraged — others…not so much. Largely, CMR has stayed on the right side of the fence.
Just $0.02 from the peanut gallery.
God Bless,
Ryan
March 24, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Oh, and I’m wildly disappointed in the decision to give BHO an honorary law degree from NDLS. It cheapens the one I had to earn.
God Bless,
Ryan
March 24, 2009 at 8:47 pm
Brian,
The poll is not a litmus test, but it is relevant to identity I think. To be fair, that particular problem is not limited to the campus. With that said, at an orthodox institution one would hope for better numbers.
March 24, 2009 at 10:19 pm
I’m not certain if Professor Garnett is correct. “Easy to avoid dilemmas” is not the point. We’re not blaming Notre Dame for the dilemma, but choosing wrongly when faced with the dilemma.
It’s easier for me at home to have a couple of beers and not drive than it is for someone at a bar, for example – nobody blames either of us for the beer, but we surely DO blame the barhopper for trying to drive home anyway. What ND is doing here is the equivalent of MADD endorsing the Jack Daniels Driving School.
March 24, 2009 at 11:28 pm
As an ND alum and Holy Cross priest, I am deeply hurt, angered and embarrassed by Fr. Jenkin’s decision to honor Pres. Obama. I have and will continue to critique this decision, and decisions like it (read: VM). But, I appreciated reading this post because there are some people out there (including commenters here it seems) who don’t think there’s anything worth saving at ND – and there is SO MUCH worth fighting to save. So then, let’s make sure our critiques aren’t easily dismissed. Let’s make sure we make them with as much charity and civility as possible. I think Bishop D’Arcy has given us an example to follow in that regard, and I anticipate that Prof. Glendon will do the same.
April 24, 2009 at 3:06 am
Dear Patrick (and all),
I did not mean to suggest, and I regret it if I did, that *all* of Notre Dame’s cyber-critics are wrong. That is not my view. But, there *are*, it seems to me, those who are simply dead-set on disparaging Notre Dame and, in my view, the criticisms from *these* folks are unhelpful. You are completely right that Notre Dame’s mission is (and always has been) a vulnerable one; its success cannot be taken for granted. I thought I was careful to limit my criticism to “some” of ND’s critics. If I was not careful enough, then — again — I apologize. RG
April 24, 2009 at 3:08 am
Just to be clear — the previous comment is not from “Jane”, but from me (Richard Garnett).