The Pope, President Obama and protecting the helpless
'The O'Reilly Factor': Bill O'Reilly's Talking Points 9/23
A personal note, this memo may be one of the most important that I have ever written in 19 years.
Today Pope Francis spoke at the White House showing a dignity and purpose that should be admired by all. As you may know some Americans believe the Pope is too liberal in his world view. Last night "Talking Points" addressed that. The memo is posted on Bill O'Reilly.com.
Tonight let's address what the Pope and the President said. Because the Pope speaks in heavily-accented English I will quote him. "Mr. President, together with their fellow citizens, American Catholics are committed to building a society which is truly tolerant and inclusive to safeguarding the rights of individuals and communities, to rejecting every form of unjust discrimination with countless other people of goodwill. They are likewise concerned that efforts to build a just and wisely ordered society respect their deepest concerns and their right to religious liberty."
Now, that's a shot at President Obama and his belief that Americans should be forced to fund abortions and to perform services against their religious beliefs. The gay marriage controversy comes to mind. The Pope did this very gently, but that point was directed at Mr. Obama himself.
Pope Francis continued. "I would like all men and women of goodwill in this country to support the efforts of the international community to protect the vulnerable in our world and to stimulate integral and inclusive models of development so that our brothers and sisters everywhere may know the blessings of and prosperity which God wills for all his children."
Now that's a challenge to all Americans to help the downtrodden. But how to help them is the issue. Most Americans are very generous folks. But we must all be careful not to make problems worse in the name of compassion.
Let's take Obamacare for example. It certainly helps poor people who cannot afford health insurance. There's no doubt the intention of that entitlement program is noble. But, by forcing subsidized health insurance payments on businesses, President Obama has made it more difficult to create full-time jobs in America. Thus, while some of the poor benefit, other Americans are punished because the job market is smaller and salaries are lower.
It's well documented that many American businesses have cut back the hours of their employees citing the cost of Obamacare. So the truth is there is a better way to deliver health services to the poor than a massive government intrusive program. Insurance competition and direct subsidies to the destitute on a case by case basis is the answer.
Now, on to President Obama's remarks today. First, he addressed the Pope directly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: You remind us that in the eyes of God, our measure as individuals and our measure as a society is not determined by wealth or power or station or celebrity but by how well we heed the scriptures call to lift up the poor and the marginalized.
To stand up for justice and against inequality and to ensure that every human being is able to live in dignity because we are all made in the image of God.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'REILLY: The key words there are "every human being is able to live in dignity because we are all made in the image of God". So, Mr. President, are aborted fetuses able to live in dignity? They are not able to live at all, are they?
The Pope may not know this, but last Friday 177 Democrats voted against a house bill that would require American doctors to keep babies born alive during an abortion process from dying. 177 American elected officials, all Democrats, voted for infanticide. We have posted their names on Bill O'Reilly.com. That is barbaric. And President Obama said nothing about it. Nothing.
But Vice President Biden did make an interesting comment about life.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm prepared to accept that the moment of conception is human life. Abortion is always wrong. But there has been -- there is debate. I'm not prepared to impose doctrine that I am prepared to accept on the -- I actually had that discussion with Pope Benedict.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'REILLY: How about leading, Mr. Vice President? How about using your personal power to persuade? If you truly believe life begins at conception why don't you make that widely known. Why don't you condemn partial birth abortion and Planned Parenthood selling baby body parts? I await your answer, sir.
President Obama continued at the White House saying this to the Pope.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: We thank you for your passionate voice against the deadly conflicts that ravage the lives of so many men, women, and children. And your call for nations to resist the sirens of war and resolve disputes through diplomacy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'REILLY: Now, diplomacy is good. And we should always try to use it. But when diplomatic efforts fail concrete actions must be taken to protect the helpless. Yesterday former CIA chief David Petraeus scorched President Obama while testifying in front of a senate committee.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS, FORMER CIA DIRECTOR: America is ineffective or absent in the face of the most egregious violations of the most basic principles of the international order that we have championed, our commitment to that order is inevitably questioned and further challenges to it are invited.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'REILLY: As David Petraeus well knows, Mr. Obama's abdication from Iraq and his failure to confront the killer tyrant Assad in Syria has led to catastrophe -- hundreds of thousands of poor people murdered or driven from their home, hundreds of thousands.
As Pope Francis surely knows it's not enough to give peace a chance when innocent civilians are being murdered and entire lives uprooted. When that happens, action must be taken.
But President Obama has failed to take action. And now we have a colossal migrant crisis and hundreds of thousands of dead bodies.
Finally, the President said this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: Holy Father, you remind us we have a sacred obligation to protect our planet, God's magnificent gift to us.
We support your call to all world leaders to support the communities' most vulnerable to changing climates and to come together to preserve our precious world for future generations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'REILLY: Now, I have no problem with that statement, none at all. I believe all nations on this earth should promote the cleanest environment possible. We, in the U.S.A. have made great strides in doing that. But I do not believe that poor people should be harmed in the process.
Again, like the healthcare situation, we can find a solution to pollution by using common sense. The technology is there. But we cannot impose programs that would harm working people and the poor by allowing skyrocketing energy costs and higher taxes on them.
Summing up, both Pope Francis and President Obama are not confrontational men but there were many messages sent today in both speeches.
Tomorrow the Pope addresses Congress. I will again analyze what he says and we'll hash it out.
That's “The Memo”.
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