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Obama calls for civil tone in abortion debate
Agencies
Last Updated IST

As anti-abortion demonstrators protested outside and a few hecklers shouted inside, Obama used a commencement address at the University of Notre Dame to call for more “open hearts, open minds, fair-minded words” in a debate that has polarised the country for decades. The audience at the Roman Catholic institution cheered his message and drowned out protesters, some of whom called him a baby killer. “Maybe we won’t agree on abortion,” Obama told students, “but we can still agree that this heart-wrenching decision for any woman is not made casually. It has both moral and spiritual dimension. So let us work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions. Let’s reduce unintended pregnancies. Let’s make adoption more available.”
The New York Times

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(Published 18 May 2009, 23:02 IST)