Posted on 06/06/2013 4:26:44 PM PDT by NYer
Details from Sports Illustrated:
Retired Ravens center Matt Birk spoke out Thursday morning on Minnesota’s KFAN about his reason for declining an invitation from President Barack Obama to be at the White House during the team’s visit a day earlier.
Birk, a six-time Pro Bowler who was on the Ravens’ 2013 Super Bowl team, said he has “great respect for the office of the Presidency” but decided against going with the team on Wednesday as part of an annual NFL tradition for Super Bowl winners. Birk said he based his decision on a comment the president recently made in which he applauded Planned Parenthood, a leading health care provider of reproductive and sexual health:
“I wasn’t there. I would say this, I would say that I have great respect for the office of the Presidency but about five or six weeks ago, our president made a comment in a speech and he said, ‘God bless Planned Parenthood’…Planned Parenthood performs about 330,000 abortions a year. I am Catholic, I am active in the Pro-Life movement and I just felt like I couldn’t deal with that. I couldn’t endorse that in any way…I’m very confused by [the President's] statement. For God to bless a place where they’re ending 330,000 lives a year? I just chose not to attend.”
Ping!
Doesn’t matter how you phrase it Matt. You are now on Obama’s enemies list.
Way to go Matt. We need more like you to speak up against this outrageous administration.
He can expect a series of IRS audits.
Love it.
I’ve never been a Ravens fan, mostly because of Ray “Killer” Lewis, but I really respect you standing up and being counted Matt. There are Cardinals (Dolan) who don’t have that much courage and integrity!
God bless Matt Birk! We need more voices like this!
Excellent.....
Not just talking the talk but walking the walk....
Hey, how about it, you lib dim CINOs?
This man will be in my rosary tonight. May God grant him peace, strength, and perseverance.
Wow! I’m a Steelers fan, but I’ll be cheering for this guy when he takes the field!
Matt Birk was a legend when he was here in Minnesota and is now one forever with me.
Man, as a diehard Colts fan I loathe Baltimore and their players on general principle...but this guy is a-ok in my book!
I LOVE this man!!!!
Plus he can expect to be attacked by the femme-nazi's at PP.
Retired Ravens center Matt Birk
God Bless You, Matt.
Good for you Matt! God is smiling :)
That’s one man with principles who won’t be found in this White House. If he went, he would be as lonely as the Maytag repairman.
You shouldn’t hate Baltimore, they didn’t sneak out of town with Mayflower moving vans like the Colts did.
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