As a Catholic wife, mother, legal secretary and advocate for nationwide legislation similar to California's 2003 Sex Abuse returning justice to victims of sex crimes committed in the name of freedom of religion privilege, it is difficult to stay out of political discussions. However, this morning's stop at LA Union Station, alerted me to the Rolling Stone Magazine and the cover article entitled "How Bush Destroyed the Republican Party"
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/22665562
With another hour of riding the train before arriving at the office, I had enough time to purchase, read and prepare a comment with discontent that the Rolling Stone Magazine could actually blame one individual for destroying the Republican party.
The article included a timeline consisting of high and low points of the "longest sustained period of public disapproval" in the history of the American presidency, entitled "A Brief History of Bush's Flameout". Some of the events mentioned in the article were: the 911 tragedy (2001), the fact Bush secretly diverted $700 million appropriated for Afghanistan to prepare for invasion of Iraq (2002), the first photos of Abu Ghrailb surfaced (2003), Bush signed $155 billion in corporate tax cuts (2004), President signed the Terri Schiavo bill and also flew to Phoenix for John McCain's birthday (2005), Rep. Mark Foley quits over scandal (2006), Karl Rove resigns (2007) and the gas crisis (2008).
Tragically, I was shocked that the clergy sex abuse crisis that erupted in 2002 in addition to the fact that President George W. Bush decided to grant immunity to the Vatican for approximately 100,000 sex crimes committed against children in the United States, were totally deleted from the presidential history timeline. Why? How could this serious matter of public interest and safety be totally removed from the history books? Is politics and the media working together to wipe the clergy sex abuse crisis totally out of the public's eye? On another note, is the media forced to labor with fear that political forces will destroy careers and reputations if sensitive subjects similar to failures to protect children, are reported thoroughly, despite the painful truths?
With respect, I pray the media and U.S. citizens will never labor with fear of political retaliation and career ruin for exercising freedoms of speech, press and opinion. Guaranteed freedoms of speech, press and opinion protect the media and the public from punishment. May we never forget that guaranteed freedom of religion privilege is not a free pass to commit sex crimes against children. Corrective nationwide legislation is desperately needed to correct the wrongs committed against innocent children. Without justice, there will never be peace. Without peace, faith and our country's laws are empty.
