‘Roe’ says Obama sets poor example for Notre Dame graduates

South Bend, Ind., May 4, 2009 / 18:20 pm

Norma McCorvey, the woman who was the “Jane Roe” in the U.S. legal decision “Roe v. Wade,” has said Notre Dame's choice of President Barack Obama to be the commencement speaker gives its graduates a poor example. She also expressed surprise more parents have not pulled out of commencement.

Speaking to Damien Thompson, the Britain-based editor of the Catholic Herald and writer for the Daily Telegraph, McCorvey said “Obama is not the ideal person to speak to a young bunch of kids that are going out into the world for the first time.”

“These people will have to remember that it was him who spoke at their graduation for the rest of their natural lives. We have many in the pro-life movement that are better qualified to do this,” she continued.

"I am really surprised more parents haven't pulled their kids out. I have heard that many of them will not show up this reason."

In the 1980s, McCorvey revealed herself as the “Jane Roe” of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that imposed permissive abortion laws across the United States. She converted to Christianity in the 1990s and became a Catholic in 1998.

According to Thompson, she now campaign for civil rights “for everybody, including the unborn.”

In other commencement-related news, ND Response, a coalition of Notre Dame student groups opposed to Obama being the commencement speaker, has announced it will hold a “prayerful and constructive demonstration” on the South Quad of the University of Notre Dame between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. on the day of the commencement.

The students invited others to join them to “respectfully give witness to Notre Dame’s Catholic identity and pro-life principles.”