The most recent 20 comments posted to Electrolite by Elizabeth:

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Posted on entry Rag: ::: August 01, 2003, 10:41 AM:
Bill said: "Perhaps I am slicing the distinction too fine, but I don't think it was the Vatican which was actively concealing the sex crimes of American priests-- this was something that was done parish by parish, dioceses by dioceses."

Oh, I think it's clear that the Vatican knew. This is a very old problem, and they did reports back in 85 on it.
You might take a look at a report done by the Dallas Morning News. A reprint of the article (not currently available on the Dallas site) is here: http://www.vachss.com/help_text/archive/two_thirds.html
If you want a paper version, it's June 12, 2002.
The Dallas news made an actual database of cover-up guys. You can find it here:
http://www.dallasnews.com/cgi-bin/2002/priests.cgi

I find the following quote from the article very revealing:

"The Rev. Thomas Doyle, who helped write the 1985 report to the bishops while working at the Vatican Embassy in Washington, said he thought numbers found in The News' study were low."

I find it horrifying that a group who covered up, protected, and collaborated with repeated child rapists is calling the lack of a mom or dad "violence".

For myself, I wish I could be religious. I was baptized Catholic, so maybe that's part of the problem. I never liked their rule-set to begin with. Every spiritual game I have tried to play (nice rules or not) has been ruined by one set of munchins or another. I am sticking with my own set of choose your own adventure novels for now.
Posted on entry Eric Alterman: ::: March 20, 2003, 02:28 PM:
I guess I don't see the point of holding candlelight vigils to protest the war anymore. It's here already. I am too damn practical, my time is limited, and I won't flog a dead horse. Too many other things to do.

I see the point in praying, and demanding that all our soldiers get decent treatment (including disability and medical treatment when appropriate, unlike some other wars), and in preparing for a hard campaign for 2004. I realize this may sound callous, but the budget is something the conscientous can still affect, if we act quickly. Congress, for those who don't know, may not include the war in the budget *at all* (see, for example, yesterday's "Fantasy Budget" editorial on the Washington post webiste). I think this kind of madness will further sink our beleagured economy, hurt the poor and middle class, limit our options for dealing with N Korea, ad infinitum.

Am I furious about the war in Iraq? Yes.

But my options to affect the war's outcome are limited. So I intend to put my actions where they will do the most good. I will praise the military for being more sane than the presidency (so far, they seem to be truly making an effort to limit civilian casualties and generally be guys in white hats). I will vote (and campaign) for people who might get elected (i.e., a R or D) who will limit the patriot act, who will pursue diplomacy, who will remember that the economy isn't perfect right right now, who believes in things like habeus corpus, and so on.

-Elizabeth

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