Dear Friend of RenewLMU,
Early in May, we asked LMU’s President Burcham to withdraw the invitation extended to Sue Dunlap, President of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, to speak at a TEDxLoyolaMarymountU conference on May 17, 2014. After receiving numerous calls and letters from concerned donors and alumni, how did President Burcham respond?
The administration treated the issue as a mere public relations problem. Dr. Shane Martin, Dean of the School of Education which sponsored the event, sent a letter to concerned donors and alumni saying he had no control over the program and did not invite the speaker. In fact, the stories that ran about this scandal in Lifenews, the Cardinal Newman Society, LiveAction News, and Lifesite News did not claim that Shane Martin invited the President of Planned Parenthood. Neither did RenewLMU make this claim.
In a transparent effort to dampen negative publicity, the administration scrambled to change the program (over which they claimed to have no control) and added a pro-life speaker just 72 hours before the event. Just as the inclusion of someone from the NAACP would not justify or “balance” sponsoring the president of an organization engaged in racist activities, so too, the inclusion of a pro-life speaker does not justify sponsoring the president of an organization engaged in the unjust killing of prenatal human beings.
As you can see in this video, Ms. Dunlap praised the work done by Planned Parenthood. She also acknowledged the scandal created by her presentation and thanked LMU for being so gracious in welcoming Planned Parenthood.
Shockingly, she cited the words of Mahatma Ghandi (who opposed both contraception and abortion), “A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.” Somehow, the CEO forgot that her organization does more than any other to destroy our nation’s weakest members. The TEDx monologue format compounded the scandal because this format does not allow raising questions or the academic exchange of ideas. TED talks simply exclude all debate and discussion. President Burcham (and Dean Martin) simply allowed the President of Planned Parenthood an unchallenged platform to transmit talking points to perhaps millions of people under the “TEDxLoyolaMarymountU” label.
LMU’s parents, students, alumni and donors deserve better than to have our university used as a pulpit by the abortion industry. The university needs to establish a clear policy to prevent this kind of scandal in the future. We invite you to post your feedback on this latest scandal on our website so that we can share your perspective with the LMU administration and others. We also invite you to increase awareness of the secularization of LMU by sharing this post with others.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support.
RenewLMU 
I find myself in agreement with Sue Dunlap of Planned Parenthood: “A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats it’s weakest members” (Ghandi). Dripping with irony, I wonder how long before this quote is dropped from Planned Parenthood presentations.
It is sad that so many on the Pro-Life side of this argument have become so proficient at apologizing for their actions (or lack thereof.). A quote of Henry Ford comes to mind, “Whether you think you can do it or you think you can’t do it, you’re right.”
It is a constant temptation to give in to fatigue, peer pressure, or the distraction of progress on other necessities. But protecting innocent human life must not be marginalized nor neutralized.
When a successful course is not obvious, we must think smarter, we must work harder, we must pray more humbly, we must listen more attentively!
The recent argument presented by Pro-Abortionists (& their enablers) has been based upon a need for discussion, a dialogue, a path for negotiation. But following their words leads to what action? More abortions.
Unfortunately, the Pro-Abortionists want ( & will only accept) one thing from those who defend innocent human life . . . . Cooperation!
If you value innocent human life, this you cannot give.
THERE IS NOTHING BETTER THAN A CATHOLIC COLLEGE TRYING TO DODGE THE
ETHICAL AND MORAL TEACHINGS OF MOTHER CHURCH BY TRYING TO BLAME THE
“NO CONTROL ” ISSUE ON SOMEONE ELSE !!!! GOD FORGIVE YOU AND DON’T WAIT
FOR THE ALUMNI CONTRABUTIONS AS THEY WILL BE SENT TO HILLSDALE COLLEGE.