Why Is Catholic Business Network Of Montgomery County MD Planning To Honor Pro-Abort Ike Leggett? Must We Picket?

Let me briefly rehash some of 14-year-old county history.  Around that time, NARAL implemented a strategy whereby they would force pro-life pregnancy centers to denounce themselves as inferior to abortion providers.  This happened throughout the country.

It happened in Montgomery County MD as well.  Given the heavily pro-abortion Democratic makeup of the county council, it sailed right through, although not without considerable pro-life opposition.  However, it was passed and Ike Leggett, then County Executive, gleefully signed it into law.  Fortunately, local pro-life pregnancy centers filed suit and the measure went down in flames.  It should be noted that Leggett, along with many other council members, were touted by NARAL as "partners of choice".

So why, oh why, does the Catholic Business Network see fit to give this man an award at their December 1st gala?  The purpose of this gala is to fund scholarships for needy students.  How many would-be students were aborted, thanks to Leggett and his cronies, throughout the years in Montgomery County MD?

The address for this thing is not on their website.  However, we do know that this gala will happen Friday, December 1, at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center.  The address is 5701 Mannelli Road in Rockville.

Their phone number is not on their website (Gee!  I wonder why!)  But there is a "contact us" page where you can leave comments.  Moreover, the president's email is listed.   Please ask them to rescind that ill-advised invitation.  Otherwise, we will most likely picket this gathering.  Please advise, via comments if you'd be interested in joining a picket, if that be the case.

Update On The CBN-Shriver Situation

Yesterday I had sent several emails to CBN-Montgomery officers to protest the planned appearance of Mark Shriver.  Today I received a reply from Robert Scanlon, CBN-MC president.  He advised me that Shriver canceled his appearance due to a scheduling conflict.  Indeed, the main CBN page was changed to this:

He also mentioned that their board would discuss this matter at their next board meeting.  Therefore, I'd urge that we continue to write to them to remind them of the bishops' directives that those who flagrantly flout the Church's teachings on faith and morals not be honored and feted at Catholic venues.  The bishops' directive should be a key guiding principle as they select future speakers and guests of honor.

Catholic Business Network Of Montgomery County MD To Host Mark Shriver - Act Now To Forestall This Outrage

In their 2004 Statement on Catholics in Political Life, the nations' bishops had this to say: "The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions."

The Catholic Business Network of Montgomery County is preparing to act in defiance of the bishops, not to mention in defiance of decency, common sense and God's laws regarding human life.  On Friday, Sept 12, the featured speaker at their monthly breakfast will be Mark Shriver - unless of course the light of reason shines upon them and they rescind that invitation.  Here's a picture of their main web page - just in case that invitation gets (ahem!) "disappears" from that site.

My church bulletin alerted me to this.  Unfortunately that bulletin is not online yet.  The advertisement (most likely submitted by CBN) gave a glowing account of his political career and the book that Shriver wrote about his father.  Conveniently missing from that write-up is the unabashed support that Shriver has lent to abortion while in Annapolis.  In his failed bid for US Congress, he ran on a pro-abortion platform.  Even as he was touting his book on his father, he did not apologize for the fact that he took issue with his father's pro-life convictions.

As the bishops made clear in 2004, the CBN acted in appropriately by inviting Shriver to speak at their Catholic community.  Here is the contact information from their website and more contacts.  Please contact these individuals.  Politely but firmly insist that the invitation to Shriver be rescinded.  Please spread this word.