Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
The Observer
Saturday, April 4, 2026
Support The Observer
Observer Store Subscribe
The Observer

Opinion

The Observer

Coming up short

By The Observer · Monday, April 22, 2013

While working on an uninspiring paper for my philosophy class recently, I overheard an extremely upsetting conversation. I wasn't really listening at first, but as the number of blatantly racist comments increased in frequency and severity, I just couldn't focus on my work anymore. At one point, someone said, "I hate Mexicans. I didn't have a problem before I came to Saint Mary's College, but then you go to the mall and there are (expletive) hundreds of them, and it's like '(expletive) you.'"

The Observer

The spirit of a marathon

By The Observer · Monday, April 22, 2013

On Monday at 1:34 p.m., I crossed the finish line of my ninth marathon. Over the past three days, I've been struggling to make sense of what happened that day. Though the motivation behind these events is still unknown, I do know my family and I were part of the target, and for whatever reason, we were spared. But others weren't, and their losses cannot be replaced.

The Observer

The long road back

By The Observer · Monday, April 22, 2013

In case you're interested, the NBA playoffs started this week. In case you're really interested, it looks like there are going to be some pretty good teams competing this year for the glorious position of being curb-stomped by the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. (And I'm not even a Heat fan. But let's be honest: can YOU think of a team that could conceivably beat LeBron and company four times out of seven games?) Truth be told, I don't really care about any of the players that are playing this postseason. I'm more interested in one player who is not.

The Observer

The luck of 'Bama

By The Observer · Thursday, April 18, 2013

Much is attributed to the "Luck of the Irish" when describing impossible plays or dramatic wins by Notre Dame teams participating in sporting events. Historically, Notre Dame's mystique trumped other football teams to favor the Irish - winning the national championship after tying Michigan State in 1966 looms as probably one of the most egregious instances according to those outside Notre Dame nation. Not until Alabama's thumping of Notre Dame in last January's BCS title game has the Golden Dome been so badly tarnished, losing so much football prestige that Notre Dame will in the near future only be viable to eventually rank as the No. 1 team - even if the Irish are the only remaining undefeated team in Division I - by placing in the upcoming four-game playoff system. Then the Irish can prove their talents and win back some of their lucky charm. The luck of 'Bama last year remains remarkable, especially after losing so late in the season by Week 12, yet only falling to No. 4 in the rankings. That luck continued when the Tide faced only a 33 percent change that two of the top three teams ranked above them would lose before season's end, allowing Alabama to rank second and return to play in another BCS title game. Despite their incredibly talented team, they still stood at the edge of a cliff facing the whims of the sports gods. But Alabama earned their luck. Call it an evening out of the odds. Call it the revenge of the ghost of Alabama's legendary former head coach Paul W. "Bear" Bryant who never beat Notre Dame. Whatever one cares to characterize the Tide's ascent to the title game, the fact remains that they played and convincingly won last year's national title against the Irish, capturing their third title in four years. Yet as pure luck years go, Notre Dame still leads Alabama 2 to 1 in the final rankings race. Alabama fans clutch onto long-held resentments against Notre Dame, ironically, during two seasons when the Crimson Tide and the Fighting Irish never played each other. In 1966, Alabama capped an undefeated season with a lopsided 34-7 Sugar Bowl win over Nebraska, but finished third in the final rankings. The national title was split between Notre Dame and Michigan State, who had played the infamous 10-10 tie in a November No. 1 versus number two matchup game. Unfortunately for the Tide, both sportswriters and coaches alike voted Alabama behind Michigan State and Notre Dame.  In 1977 Alabama fan frustrations were compounded further when Notre Dame leapfrogged Alabama in the final poll to win the national championship in a season where the top five ranked teams all finished with one loss. The Irish sat ranked at number five in the last regular-season AP poll while Alabama was ranked third. Even though the Tide easily defeated number eight Ohio State 35-6 in the Sugar Bowl, Notre Dame vaulted to the top spot in the final rankings after the Irish forced five turnovers in the Cotton Bowl and beat top-ranked Texas with Heisman winner Earl Campbell. The sports gods again preferred green over crimson. Looking forward, the Irish will need to repair current sentiment that they were both weak and lucky. Right or wrong, the Irish drubbing at the hands of Alabama first reinforces the inflated stature many give the SEC. Secondly, the BCS title game just in one short half dramatically diminished the hard-fought and improved stature the Irish built week-by-week last year. Unfortunately, the team will need to string another series of wins together to prove that their success was not a fluke last year. Fortunately, the Irish only need to endure their bad rap for another year until the four-game playoff system begins in 2014. At that point, the fourth place ranking will be as good as rankings three, two and one - the dance card will be set and the title will be determined on the field between a few teams rather than from the anointed two teams. Just half a year ago, it was unthinkable to utter Notre Dame football in the same breath with Boise State, Hawaii or the other historically slighted have-nots of the BCS system. Decades ago, it was undefeated Penn State teams that suffered similar indignities at the whims of voting sportswriters and coaches in the polls until the Nittany Lions broke through the bias. The era of snuggling near the top rather than sitting atop the polls is about to begin. "We're No. 4" will be good enough to begin a drive for the football national championship. It has been a long time coming, but it will favor an ACC-Big Ten leaning Notre Dame football schedule. It may also soon be time to renovate the Grace Tower sign and add numbers two, three and four. They all mark a way to championships without luck for any team.

The Observer

More united than divided

By The Observer · Thursday, April 18, 2013

While Skyping with my older brother on Sunday night, and into the wee hours of Monday morning, I asked him if he had any suggestions for what to write about this week. After doing some quick "This Week in History" research, I discovered that Wednesday marked the 43rd anniversary of Apollo 13 returning safely (and barely) back to earth. It was settled, I would write about the space program and the need for more funding and more exploration and scientific discovery in this country. It is really quite a romantic topic, and it would have made for an excellent column to wrap up my semester writing for The Observer. Come Monday, though, things changed, as they so often do. I had not yet begun to write my column when news reports began trickling in that several explosions occurred near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. So much for my advanced planning. This is what I had to write about now. Plenty have done it already, and many will continue to write about and comment on Monday's events as we learn more, but as long as I still had this platform, these precious column inches, I needed to add my voice. Throughout the course of this semester, I have (for the most part) written about politics in this country from my personal liberal perspective. Events like those that transpired Monday, however, provide a tragic reminder that there is so much more to our world than the polarized politics and trivial matters on which we focus so much of our attention. As President Obama said in a statement Monday: "On days like this there are no Republicans or Democrats - we are Americans, united in concern for our fellow citizens." More than that, though, we are all human beings, and at the end of the day, there is so much more that unites us than divides us. Unfortunately, there is still plenty that divides us, or at least tries to. Though the media placed so much attention, and deservedly so, on Boston for the majority of this week, evil continued to reveal itself throughout the world. On Monday in Iraq, days before the first elections since U.S. troops withdrew in December of 2011, a series of car bombs killed at least 55 civilians, injuring many more. On Tuesday, a terrorist attack in Pakistan killed at least nine and injured dozens more. For the past few years, the people of Syria have been subjected to an oppressive and violent government and over 70,000 have lost their lives in the fight for the type of freedom we enjoy every day. My unfortunate point is tragedy surrounds us. It is always present, and it will likely never go away. But it does not defeat us and it most certainly does not define us. After watching the footage and seeing the pictures from Monday, these words could not be truer. Looking at footage from September 11 and the Oklahoma City bombing yields the same result. In any tragic situation, there are always people whose immediate reaction is not to flee for safety but rather to run into the flames and into danger in order to help. Most of the time these people are firefighters, paramedics and police officers, but Monday's events in Boston again showed us that in extraordinary situations, humans are capable of extraordinary things. Runners with medical training, who had just finished one of the most grueling races in the world ran just a little bit further into the blast zone to provide crucial immediate care, with complete disregard for their own safety. Thousands of Bostonians opened their homes to marathoners who were unable to return to their hotels. In short, the goodness of humanity won the day, even in the face of evil and tragedy. There will always be evil in the world. There will always be senseless violence and unexplainable tragedy. But even more than that, there will always be an unconquerable human spirit that will tirelessly seek to overcome all of the evil, violence and tragedy. So don't just look for the helpers, be a helper. Contribute to the goodness of the world and never stop working to eradicate the evil. Pray for peace and then put that prayer into action. With enough faith, hope and love, we just might attain it. Jack Rooney is a freshman studying political science.  He can be contacted at jrooney1@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

The Observer

Fit for adventure

By The Observer · Thursday, April 18, 2013

I got a lot of great Christmas gifts. The best thing, obviously, was getting to spend a whole month at home with my family, basking in the Yuletide glow and eating copious amounts of sweets. But my favorite Christmas gift, as in box-under-the-Christmas-tree gift, was not the ticket to see "Newsies" on Broadway (a guilty pleasure I do not have the inner strength to deny), the collection of creatively patterned socks, or the stockpile of Orbit gum that could sustain a small army. No, my favorite Christmas gift was a pair of sandals. Inspired by my roommate, who wears Birkenstocks every day in every season, I asked my parents for a pair of Chaco sandals. This summer, I plan to have adventures, and I need a sensible pair of shoes to keep up. Chaco's tagline, after all, is "Fit for Adventure." Now, I don't know if you've ever seen a pair of Chacos, but let me tell you this: They're no Louboutins. Mine are black, vaguely orthopedic-looking and consist mainly of thick straps that crisscross over my foot and around my big toe. Even so, I was sold after perusing Pinterest and seeing the adorable foot-tans known as "Chaco tans" that people get after wearing their Chacos every day for a whole summer. There's just something so old-fashioned - dare I say romantic? - about wearing the same shoes so often their mark is left long after summer is over. Nevermind that I turn an exquisite shade of beet after a day in the sun. These shoes and I, we're going to have adventures, dadgummit! Whenever I put on my Chacos, "We're Going to Be Friends" by the White Stripes inexplicably plays in the background. (Disclaimer: This doesn't actually happen. I think it's just my penchant for pretending my life is a movie with a great soundtrack. At least, I'm pretty sure.) I imagine my Chacos and I riding my bike around the sandy paradise of Sea Isle City, New Jersey, where I've spent every summer since birth. (I know it's hard sometimes to believe paradise exists, and even harder to believe that it's in New Jersey, but you have to visit to know what I mean.) We're going to spend three glorious weeks back at Notre Dame, where I'll be working as a resident counselor in the Summer Scholars program. We'll spend long, sunny afternoons wandering through Rittenhouse Square, South Street and the Philadelphia Art Museum. Hopefully, we'll take some great day trips to New York City and Hersheypark. Will my summer really be this exciting? Excitement is in the eye of the beholder. But my Chacos and I, well, we're fit for adventure, and we're going to be ready for whatever summer does bring.

The Observer

Solidarity is all around us

By The Observer · Thursday, April 18, 2013

In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings, Americans have turned to each other for support. Across the country, citizens stand in solidarity with the City of Boston. In the social media realm, many people have quoted the famous children's television host Mr. Rogers as they have tried to come to terms with the tragedy. He once said, "I would see scary things in the news. My mother would say 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'" And so, over the past few days, individuals have turned away from news stations that seem to endlessly replay footage of the bombing and toward stories of people helping in the aftermath of the incident. Reports profiled individuals who ran toward the site of the explosion - rather than away from it - to try to help those who were injured in the attack. Various publications wrote about the marathoners who continued to run after crossing the finish line to give blood at local hospitals. These people turned out in such force that hospitals later turned away donors because they did not need them. Newspapers told the story of Carlos Arredondo, a father who had lost one son in Iraq and another to depression. On the day of the marathon, Arredondo risked his life to save other parents' sons. Victims have asked their saviors to step forward so that they could thank them - individuals they knew only as "Sgt. Tyler" or the guy who gave the shirt off his back to save them. Across the country, citizens showed Boston their support through prayer, donations, memorial events and even newspaper graphics. After the bombings, Boston has seen our nation come together as a whole in support of a part hurt by grievous violence - a larger community working together to restore faith in humanity. These acts of kindness and solidarity raise an important question: Why does it take a tragedy of this scale to highlight our ability to work together?

The Observer

Old ticket policy works just fine

By The Observer · Thursday, April 18, 2013

This is dumb. This is really dumb. The Leprechaun Legion is only thinking about football tickets from the very surface. Yay. The kids that really care about football the most can be rewarded by the best tickets? Cool? This completely ignores what makes football weekends great. Let's put it this way. Is your football Saturday great because you were standing in the first row instead of the 30th? Of course not. However, nobody wants to be in the back few rows. Because of this, students will try to get to the game hours before kickoff so they are not stuck with the nosebleeds. Thus, time will be cut off from what really matters most - spending time with friends and family. Football Saturdays offer us a unique opportunity to spend time with our families while at school, and this new policy will cut much of that time out. What other time will you be able to see your father, brothers and sisters? This is our only chance to be with our families outside of breaks, and that isn't worth cutting off meaningful minutes. The new policy will also make it much more difficult to get together with our friends before the game, whereas before we were guaranteed to be together. Before each football game, all kids have their relatives and tailgates they need to visit. This means they will have to split up from their friends. Especially with the horrible cell phone coverage, meeting up with friends will be extremely difficult. This means that, at maximum, there will be groups of five or six together, and if you get separated from your friends then you might end up spending the game alone. If the University's idea was to prevent students from becoming very intoxicated before games, the new policy will fail in that regard too. The students that only care about getting really drunk will still get drunk. But the students that want to drink and still have good tickets will have to make adjustments. This new policy will cause a sharp increase in the amount of alcohol being snuck into games. There will be no less in-game drunkenness. Accept it, this isn't going to change. All that will result are more arrests and ResLifes. In the end, this is just a horrendously terrible idea. Please don't let this actually come to pass. The system we have right now may not be perfect, but in the end, it works just fine.

The Observer

Freedom for everyone

By The Observer · Monday, April 15, 2013

The past few weeks have been extremely eventful with respect to the issue of gay marriage. Senator Rob Portman of Ohio came out with a public statement announcing his support for marriage equality, making him the first Republican senator to do so. The Supreme Court heard arguments regarding California's Proposition 8 (which prohibits gay marriage in the state) and the Defense of Marriage Act.

The Observer

Conversations about mental health

By The Observer · Monday, April 15, 2013

Like many of you, we have enjoyed reading about our fellow Domers' misadventures and silly secrets on the anonymous ND Confessions Facebook page. Recently, however, some of the posts have taken a more serious tone: From confessions about mental illness, to eating disorders, grief and anxiety. While most reactions to these confessions have been supportive, some have been downright disrespectful. Recent Viewpoint letters ("A different sort of confession," April 9; "Not for ND Confessions," April 12) have highlighted the need for a conversation about the issues raised on this page. We believe this situation particularly highlights the need for a genuine discussion about the way mental health is addressed on campus and online.

The Observer

On staying Catholic

By The Observer · Monday, April 15, 2013

I almost gave up Catholicism twice while at Notre Dame. For two weeks during freshman year, a class I was taking had convinced me that the existence of God was incompatible with rational belief. During the middle of my college career, a traumatic personal experience left me angry, lonely and wanting to give up any faith. Reflecting on those experiences, I am sometimes surprised I am still here, will be graduating in a few weeks and am still Catholic.

The Observer

Good old 42

By The Observer · Monday, April 15, 2013

42. It's the only number retired by every Major League baseball club. And now it's a movie that depicts the life of the great Jackie Robinson, the man behind good old number 42. By taking a walk through Robinson's playing career, "42" does a good job reminding us why he mattered.

The Observer

Chicago sports

By The Observer · Thursday, April 11, 2013

"Oh no, here we go again."  It's a phrase any Chicago sports fan knows. Throughout the city's illustrious sports history, certain events, some seemingly an act of God, have brought these words to the lips of Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks and Bears fans alike. The fact the city has survived the infamous Steve Bartman, the Billy Goat curse and a lack of a World Series appearance since 1945 (and that's only the Cubs) leads me to claim Chicago as the quintessential American sports city.   Although Boston used to lay claim to the most unlucky sports city, recent successes of the Patriots, Red Sawx, Celtics and Bruins makes me beg to differ. A little reference for non-Chicagoans: In my 20 years, I am able to remember just one championship. The Blackhawks, riding a wave of young talent spearheaded by Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, defeated the Philadelphia Flyers to win the 2010 Stanley Cup. In the past 10 years, Boston sports teams have won a combined seven championships. My detractors will point to the six NBA championships the Bulls won in the 90s, to which I will reply, "It should have been a minimum eight-peat, Bob," in my best Bill Swirsky voice. Yes, Chicagoans were spoiled by the Michael Jordan-led Bulls. The Bulls in recent seasons are finally returning to the same level of competitiveness, but these strides forward have produced no new championships. The beloved Bears, who have won exactly one championship in the Super Bowl era, are topic of constant conversation. Tickets to a game at Soldier Field may be the hottest ticket in town outside of "The Book of Mormon."  How many other cities possess such a rabid football fan base that their team could not win a championship in 50 years and still sell out every game? What other city could still embrace a team that hasn't won anything since William Howard Taft was the president?  Wrigley Field is an essential tourist spot for anyone visiting the city.  Although it's become more of a social event in the bleachers for twenty-somethings looking to let their hair down, there is still a very large contingent of diehard Cubs fans that bleed Cubby blue. Only recently have these fans allowed their distaste with the new ownership and a terrible product on the field reflect on their attendance at games. Chicago embraces the name "The Second City." Our sports teams are rightfully blue collar to reflect their fan base. The sense of camaraderie between Chicago sports fans is unparalleled.  It stems from a century-old feeling of anguish, followed by infinite optimism every April, September and October.  These teams can break the city's collective heart, but we keep on coming back.  We can forget the feeling of "Oh no, here we go again" better than any other city's fans.  Because of this collective "amnesia," Chicago is the American sports city.

The Observer

Let's talk about love

By The Observer · Thursday, April 11, 2013

I've heard arguments that the logical leaps made in Mr. Boyd's column ("Somewhere Over the Rainbow," Apr. 10) render it unworthy of a response. But the underlying attitudes are real and corrosive, and should be addressed. There's a limit on how much you can deride, demean and insult someone and still claim to love them. When you compare someone's sexual attraction to and love for people of the same sex to acts of evil that deliberately harm, destroy, or end life (rape, murder, terrorism), you perpetuate hate. When you deny someone's ability to love fully and deeply because biology prevents them from creating children with the person they love, you deny an intrinsic part of their humanity. When you belittle their love by calling the symbol of their movement proof of their inferiority, you insult them. When you call their desire for truly equal treatment under the law a "fad," you spit on the memory of our gay and lesbian friends and forebears who have been excluded, maimed, and murdered simply for wanting to be with the wrong person. Is that really love? Mr. Boyd, I'd like to offer a challenge. Just talk to a gay or lesbian person about it. I guarantee you know at least one person from your classes, in your dorm, heck, in your pew. Approach him or her with an open heart and an open mind, and just listen. Watch a young man's face light up when he talks about his boyfriend of two years. Hear the longing when a woman talks about her girlfriend who's studying abroad. Talk to an older couple about the dedication it took to get through the tough times and the joy of the good ones. Listen for the pain engendered by years of being told that they're incomplete, wrong and disordered. Of course, I'm not sure how many of our homosexual comrades will really want to talk to you after you've degraded and denied them, so I'm not volunteering anyone. But my hope is someone would be willing to take the time to show you what real love means.

The Observer

Thoughts on the minimum wage

By The Observer · Thursday, April 11, 2013

On Feb. 12th, in his State of the Union address, President Obama discussed a wide variety of issues - arguing for gun control measures, elaborating on corporate profits and mentioning the Affordable Healthcare Act among other things. But, one other specific issue I'd like to consider further is the President's call to raise the minimum wage up to $9 at the federal level. In his address, Obama stated raising the minimum wage "would raise the incomes of millions of working families" and continued to offer other arguments in support of his proposition. While society would agree with the President that no person should be marginalized or left in poverty without help, we should step back from the emotional charge of his speech and consider whether a federally mandated minimum wage would be an effective way to help those who need it the most. Minimum wage is a misnomer. The true "minimum wage" is zero dollars; you don't get paid if you don't have a job. Instead of saying the federal minimum wage is $7.25, we should be saying we aren't allowed to earn a wage between $.01 and $7.24 dollars. As someone who believes in the freedom to spend your time as you see fit (and receive compensation in accordance with a contract), the constitutionality of a minimum wage law appears to be more controversial than one may initially believe. Sadly, if I value my labor at $6 an hour and a business values my time at that same amount, I guess I'm just out of luck. Now, since it doesn't look like the minimum wage is going to be declared unconstitutional any time soon, we can start discussing its effectiveness and whether or not raising it to $9/hour would actually achieve the goal it was designed to accomplish: helping the poor. Numerous studies have been conducted by economists on both sides of the argument, but in one article produced in the Wall Street Journal on Jan. 10, 2013, author Jason Riley provided data which found that less than 20 percent of people being paid minimum wage live below the poverty line - the majority of people affected by the minimum wage are young people who are entering the workforce for the first time. It appears that raising the minimum wage would create the most displacement in employment for individuals between the ages of 16-24 - and make it harder for those who are trying to gain entry-level experience to find and keep a job, instead of accomplishing the intended goal of helping low-income families. It appears many of those in favor of increasing the minimum wage would argue that the positive effects the increase would have on the poor would outweigh the deadweight loss the rest of society faces. It just seems to me there could be programs or charities that could be better organized and more effective at targeting the poor and allocating resources to them, rather than just increasing the federal minimum wage across the spectrum. Consider this: if someone has a heart attack, a physician would not simply focus on unclogging the blocked artery - the doctor would also attempt to remedy the long-term problem at hand (e.g. high blood pressure). To compare this anecdote to the economy, we should also focus on why we have inflation, which leads people to demand higher wages. One might look to "QE Infinity," the devaluation of our fiat currency, and the special treatment top corporations receive from government. Issues with prices will arise too, especially with those companies who do not face "sticky prices" and provide goods with inelastic demand (like medical supplies or other stuff people need to purchase). These companies can simply charge more for their goods in response to the minimum wage hike. Those who may defend the sentiment shared by President Obama and Elizabeth Warren (among others) may point to Costco and Starbucks, whom have already called for an increase in the minimum wage. These two Fortune 500 companies reason that more money in the hands of their workers will induce more spending, allowing families to be better off. But if the data Jason Riley offered is accurate, very few people affected by the wage increase will have families to take care of, based on the argument that young people are most impacted by this type of legislation. Also, nobody bothered to mention that employees of these companies are already paid above minimum wage and the increase would knockout smaller businesses Costco and Starbucks currently compete with in the market. While these sentiments appear noble at first glance, there may also be deeper lying motives that some try to sweep under the rug. With all of these calls for an increase in the federal minimum wage, we as a society need to step back and look at the costs and benefits this motion would forge. Perhaps raising the minimum wage to $9 would make those below the poverty line better off, but maybe there are better options out there to specifically target that socio-economic group and do so even more efficiently than a minimum wage increase. I am a strong believer in charity and voluntary action among individuals, but for now, it looks like we'll just have to wait and see what happens in Washington in the future.

The Observer

An apology for the understanding of traditional marriage

By The Observer · Thursday, April 11, 2013

This is an "apology" in two ways. The first one, is that I sincerely wish to apologize to all members of the Notre Dame family who found the piece "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" to be offensive, especially those of the LGBTQ community. While I believe Mr. Boyd wrote it with the best of intentions, his arguments display a lack of understanding for the complexity of the issue and a lack of compassion for our brother and sisters in Christ who have same-sex attractions. Secondly, I wish to give a more sympathetic and sincere "apology" (a formal justification) for the Catholic Understanding of Marriage in response to Mr. Boyd's article. First of all, as Christians, we must understand that homosexuality is more complex than simply being "sinful." Sexual orientation means more than simply who we want to have sex with, but rather is the lens through which we interact with each other. Therefore, to say to someone "the way you interact with other people is wrong, and although it is something you can't change, you are sinful because of it!" is a terribly uncompassionate thing to say to someone who is really struggling (in one way or another) to understand his or her sexuality. It is not sinful or wrong to have same-sex attractions, but it is considered sinful by the Catholic Church to act upon those attractions. As Mr. Boyd rather bluntly added, the reason why the Church is against homosexual intercourse is because it is not procreative (the same reason it is against birth control and masturbation, but for brevity's sake, let's deal with one issue at a time). As someone who has one of those Cross profile pictures, I believe that in order to be a full expression of love, the sexual act must have the opportunity to be procreative. When God created the world, he did so not because of some rational thesis on why He needed creation or why he needed us, but purely out of love. Through God's love (the same love expressed on the Cross similar to the one on many people's profile pictures) all the world came into being, and in the sexual act we are called to reflect that love to its fullest. Therefore, when two people offer themselves to each other, in love, fully and completely, it must be open to this participation in God's creative act. I realize this does not address the issue of "same-sex marriage" and its legality in the United States. However, since I do not have the legal background to properly defend that, and since Mr. Boyd hardly proposes any legitimate arguments for why it should remain illegal, I will leave this issue for someone more apt than I to solve. While I cannot comprehend the struggles the LGBTQ community has gone through, I recognize it cannot be easy having same-sex attractions, whether it be condemnation from loved ones or being socially marginalized because of how you interact with others. What is probably hardest to hear is when someone says you do not deserve the infinite love of God because of your sexuality. But let me be the first to say that it is not so. You are more than your sexuality. You are a child of God who loves you so much that, through your parents, He called you into existence. Christ loves each of us because we are all His children, just as he loved Peter even after Peter denied Him three times. But Christ also called Peter to repentance and to a deeper, more perfect love than Peter could have ever anticipated. So too, the Church calls all of its people to repentance and to continue to enter more deeply in the love in which we were created and through which we are saved. For those of you who have same-sex attractions, for more reasons than not, you are stronger than I am. For those of you who have decided that, while having same-sex attractions, to live out your sexuality according to God's will in purity and chastity - you are truly the saints of the modern day. I cannot comprehend the weight of the cross you bear and I thank you for your witness to those of us who struggle in keeping our sexuality (homo or hetero) pure and chaste. I am praying with you and for you, and I would consider myself very fortunate if you would do the same for me. God Bless.

The Observer

An apology for the understanding of traditional marriage

By The Observer · Thursday, April 11, 2013

This is an "apology" in two ways. The first one, is that I sincerely wish to apologize to all members of the Notre Dame family who found the piece "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" to be offensive, especially those of the LGBTQ community. While I believe Mr. Boyd wrote it with the best of intentions, his arguments display a lack of understanding for the complexity of the issue and a lack of compassion for our brother and sisters in Christ who have same-sex attractions. Secondly, I wish to give a more sympathetic and sincere "apology" (a formal justification) for the Catholic Understanding of Marriage in response to Mr. Boyd's article. First of all, as Christians, we must understand that homosexuality is more complex than simply being "sinful." Sexual orientation means more than simply who we want to have sex with, but rather is the lens through which we interact with each other. Therefore, to say to someone "the way you interact with other people is wrong, and although it is something you can't change, you are sinful because of it!" is a terribly uncompassionate thing to say to someone who is really struggling (in one way or another) to understand his or her sexuality. It is not sinful or wrong to have same-sex attractions, but it is considered sinful by the Catholic Church to act upon those attractions. As Mr. Boyd rather bluntly added, the reason why the Church is against homosexual intercourse is because it is not procreative (the same reason it is against birth control and masturbation, but for brevity's sake, let's deal with one issue at a time). As someone who has one of those Cross profile pictures, I believe that in order to be a full expression of love, the sexual act must have the opportunity to be procreative. When God created the world, he did so not because of some rational thesis on why He needed creation or why he needed us, but purely out of love. Through God's love (the same love expressed on the Cross similar to the one on many people's profile pictures) all the world came into being, and in the sexual act we are called to reflect that love to its fullest. Therefore, when two people offer themselves to each other, in love, fully and completely, it must be open to this participation in God's creative act. I realize this does not address the issue of "same-sex marriage" and its legality in the United States. However, since I do not have the legal background to properly defend that, and since Mr. Boyd hardly proposes any legitimate arguments for why it should remain illegal, I will leave this issue for someone more apt than I to solve. While I cannot comprehend the struggles the LGBTQ community has gone through, I recognize it cannot be easy having same-sex attractions, whether it be condemnation from loved ones or being socially marginalized because of how you interact with others. What is probably hardest to hear is when someone says you do not deserve the infinite love of God because of your sexuality. But let me be the first to say that it is not so. You are more than your sexuality. You are a child of God who loves you so much that, through your parents, He called you into existence. Christ loves each of us because we are all His children, just as he loved Peter even after Peter denied Him three times. But Christ also called Peter to repentance and to a deeper, more perfect love than Peter could have ever anticipated. So too, the Church calls all of its people to repentance and to continue to enter more deeply in the love in which we were created and through which we are saved. For those of you who have same-sex attractions, for more reasons than not, you are stronger than I am. For those of you who have decided that, while having same-sex attractions, to live out your sexuality according to God's will in purity and chastity - you are truly the saints of the modern day. I cannot comprehend the weight of the cross you bear and I thank you for your witness to those of us who struggle in keeping our sexuality (homo or hetero) pure and chaste. I am praying with you and for you, and I would consider myself very fortunate if you would do the same for me. God Bless.

The Observer

Not for ND Confessions

By The Observer · Thursday, April 11, 2013

"Secrets, secrets are no fun, secrets, secrets hurt someone."  For those of you who recognize this quote, congratulations. For those who don't, it is spoken by a stripper in the Benjamin Franklin episode of The Office, back when Jim and Pam were Jim and Pam. As Michael Scott reflects on the happenings of the day, he notes the irony which comes from the female dancer teaching the most profound life lesson of the day. It is only human to want to hear others' secrets, but continuing to keep secrets is good for no one. No doubt within the past month you or someone you know has looked at or possibly even liked the Facebook page ND Confessions. When I first found out about the page, I spent at least a half an hour reading secrets shared by my fellow Notre Dame students. Some of the so-called "confessions" are quite humorous, such one marveling at their recent weight loss despite a propensity towards drinking and laziness.  Besides posts which attempt sensationalism and are almost certainly untrue, many people around campus have felt compelled to share something deep and meaningful.    Old news doesn't get better with age.  This idiom lies at the heart of a student's motivation to make a true and most of the time alarming confession on this Facebook page. When something goes wrong, it is at first human nature to cover it up.  It is almost easier to ignore a bad experience and move on like it never happened. Keeping something bottled up, however, only leads to feeling worse about the previous negative experience. Eventually, you feel the need to let out the secret for the world to know. None of this is exactly groundbreaking news to anyone, but what disturbs me is what these confessions imply about our student body.   For one, how many people are there on campus who do not feel comfortable enough to talk to a single person about their deepest concerns? Discounting the mildly humorous or completely untrue confessions, there seems to be an unhealthy amount of people who have concluded there is nowhere else to turn besides the Internet. While initially it seems someone sharing a hardship in their life would help ease that person's load, I believe a confession on ND Confessions provides little to no benefits. Although people may be comforting you or showing compassion, the fact that it is anonymous and over the Internet takes out the human part of consoling someone - namely, seeing the look on someone's face, the body language of that person, the inflections in their voice and physically being there to comfort  someone.

The Observer

Contribute to the discussion

By The Observer · Thursday, April 11, 2013

As this week's controversy over Carter Boyd's column ("Somewhere Over the Rainbow," April 9) and Mark Gianfalla's guest column ("True Matrimonial Equality," April 9) demonstrated, Notre Dame students have strong opinions about the issues the authors raised about the gay marriage debate. Comments on social media and in Letters to the Editor sprung up quickly to address Boyd's and Gianfalla's comments. The two outlets combined to create yesterday's letter ("Spread the Love. Spread the Equality," April 11), which Notre Dame students were asked by its creators to sign through a Facebook event. "We cannot all write Viewpoints about why we support marriage equality," the letter stated. "We should not have to defend and fight for equality of love." Hundreds of you signed this letter. But sometimes, strength in numbers isn't enough to refute an argument. Sometimes, our signatures on a list aren't enough to persuade someone we deserve to be heard. In such cases, writing to defend something we believe in is the only way to truly affect change. At its core, The Observer's Viewpoint section tries to provide Notre Dame with an open platform for that change. Viewpoint strives to lend a voice to the community and to foster constructive discussion of events both on campus and in the wider world. The fundamental goal of the section is to allow students to articulate their diverse and sometimes conflicting views by providing a venue for their expression. First and foremost, the Viewpoint section is a mouthpiece of the student body. The columns and letters you see in the Viewpoint pages are the work of your colleagues, classmates and friends. Members of The Observer do not contribute to Letters to the Editor and columns, or allow personal opinion to dictate which submissions make it to publication. Viewpoint has and will continue to be a forum for controversial or unpopular opinions, provided a certain level of respect is maintained. While this means some groups may disagree with certain columns, these conflicts still have a silver lining. Drawing potentially upsetting opinions into the open allows others to address them in a constructive forum and promotes debate that potentially can help us all either to reconsider our views or strengthen our current convictions.  But, it's up to you to keep that forum constructive. Nowadays, when many students read columns they find foolish or misinformed, perhaps while enjoying a gourmet dining hall meal, they only scoff. Labels are tossed around in the column's wake: stupid, bigot, ignorant or self-righteous, to name a few. But what is accomplished by leaving the offending paper in a puddle of spilled chocolate milk and stale dining hall pasta? It takes far more courage to voice an opinion and publicly defend it than to mutter criticisms under our breath. If we don't agree with an opinion, then we should take a leap and put ourselves out there as well. Write a response. We shouldn't internalize feelings. We need to let the Notre Dame community know if we agree or disagree with an issue. We must foster a constructive dialogue by respecting that many issues are not black and white, that they are really defined in shades of gray. We should realize that all arguments have two sides, and that our Constitution protects the right for your ideological opposite to voice his thoughts just as much as it allows you to speak your mind. It may be easier to remain detached from controversial issues. It may be easier to simply voice thoughts and concerns while protected by anonymous forums like ND Confessions or in The Observer website's online comments. However, Viewpoint needs you. The Notre Dame community needs you. Get off your futon, fire up your laptop and start writing. If you take a risk and put yourself out there, Viewpoint, and the Notre Dame community, will embrace your contribution, not sweep it under the rug. That's what this section is for: putting your voice in the hands of the Notre Dame community. So, if you want to contribute, if you want to direct the argument in a constructive and effective way, here's what you do: Go to ndsmcobserver.com and click on "Write a Letter to the Editor." Or, better yet, send a full column to obsviewpoint@gmail.com To paraphrase a quote often misattributed to Voltaire, The Observer's Viewpoint section may not wholeheartedly agree with what you have to say, but it will always defend your right to say it.

Trending