Misguided Politician of the Week: NYS Assemblywoman Markey

On Friday, March 8th of this year, New York State Assemblywoman Margaret Markey will hold a rally in Manhattan, New York re-introducing The Child Victims Act. She and the bill co-sponsors hope to: "Eliminate statute of limitations in criminal and civil actions and revive civil actions for certain sex offenses committed against a child less than eighteen years of age." Sounds good, right? Did you notice that the quoted memo mentions 'certain sex offenses' will be included? Are there some sex offenses are healthy for children, or is there something else being left unsaid? I digress.

NYS Assemblywoman Markey
District 30

First the back-story. This isn't the first time the bill has been in the news. The bill has been presented several  times before with the last attempt failing in 2009. What Assemblywoman Markey fails to mention is that the bill affects only private institutions and schools, not public ones. For example, a child sexually assaulted in a public school by a teacher will not have the same window of time in which to file a claim as a child sexually assaulted by a teacher in a private institution or school. Why is that? The Assemblywoman has a history of being heavy-handed toward the Catholic Church, yet ignores the continual sexual assaults against minors in the public school system. It is also too difficult to change the laws in regard to public schools because of an immeasurable length of red tape. 

                                                                                                             Read what the New York State Catholic Conference has to say about it HERE. 

Read the bill in its entirety HERE.     

Bill Donohue

Read what Bill Donohue from the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights has to say HERE. 

On Blood Pressure, Edmund Burke and the Domestic Church

This blog entry has been ruminating for a few weeks now and was delayed until my blood pressure finally recovered to within a normal range.  Actually, I never took my blood pressure, and for all I know it never ventured into the danger zone.  I can tell you that I lost a lot of sleep and my left eye twitched with such frequency that the crow's feet are more deeply defined on one side of my face.  All due to the 'mama bear' reflex gone into overdrive.  If you have no idea what I'm talking about, just know that to 'mess with' me or my faith, I can calmly re-educate you. Mess with my kid... watch out for Mama Bear!

Knowing that our regular readers are just as passionate about certain sensitive topics as I am, I thought I'd update you on a topic I brushed upon HERE in an earlier entry.  From that post:

Our son who is in 7th grade came home with a permission slip for us to sign last night.  It was for a seminar to be held at our local community college this month with the main theme of tackling bullying.  The program is only for junior high students from all of the local schools and seems quite benign.  He shared that they will have a speaker and then can choose different programs to attend.  Then I found at the bottom a list of sponsors of the 2011 conference - YMCA, our local drug and alcohol abuse council, the college, other similar community organizations and at the tail end of the list was  PLANNED PARENTHOOD.  My reaction was not very contained when I read it and thankfully our son looked at me knowingly and asked, "What?  You saw Planned Parenthood is on the form?"  This was just last night and for fear of losing your interest so soon, I'll cut the details and get to the bottom line.  By 8 a.m. I already had e-mailed the school principal with my concerns and sent Alex to school without the permission slip and written a letter to the editor of the local paper. 

I was assured that Planned Parenthood was not to have any information distributed (or condoms?) to our children  and they were not making any presentations.  Were we going to be sending our son to something where Planned Parenthood was listed as a sponsor?  We could not in good conscience send him.  There were no pros to the situation no matter how deeply we looked.  Between spasms overwhelming my eyelid, I desperately tried to figure out which was becoming more upsetting to me:  Was it that Planned Parenthood was involved in this project for our children or that no other parent or adult in charge was upset about Planned Parenthood's involvement?  The more I thought about it, the more agitated I became.  I had become a three-eyed alien furious with an event that left other people looking bored to death.  There was this huge, white elephant in the room and I was the only one (beside my husband) who saw that it was about to devour our children.

Taking the lemons I was served, we made the best out of the awkwardly quiet situation.  Our parish was to celebrate the start of a 40-hours devotion on that very day.  It just so happened that my Bible study group also was to meet that day.  The day of the youth conference, our son and I had an amazingly blessed day.  We started with attending Mass that morning and then went to Bible study for two hours.  From Bible study, we went to adoration where we had signed up for a holy hour before the Blessed Sacrament.  Not knowing if he would be up to an entire hour after our long morning, I told our son that if he wanted to leave the church earlier, he could just go step outside and wait for me.  I lost track of time and being without a watch, I realized that much more than an hour must have passed.  I turned to leave to find him and there he was, still kneeling in a pew in the back.  He smiled and I looked at his watch - we'd been there in prayer for well over one hour and thirty minutes.  We walked out and I asked him how his time with the Lord was.  He looked at me with a huge smile on his face and he said, "Mom, this is the best day I have had in a long time."  Wow.   God is great!  And to think of the alternative programming option for the day...

My letter to the editor did not make it into the paper that day, but it was printed the following day.  Our local online news website covered the youth conference and included pictures.  They acknowledged various supporters of the event and clearly absent was the mention of Planned Parenthood.  I noted that in a comment to the author of the article and he replied to my comments noting that indeed Planned Parenthood was involved, and in fact, one of their "educators" had led a presentation that was offered to the children.  What was the topic?  Named after the quote often attributed to Edmund Burke,  the 18th century philosopher, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Please forgive my repetitive nature, but I must point out the searingly ironic information again:  Planned Parenthood taught seventh and eighth graders about GOOD AND EVIL?!  If the bold print and capital letters do not convey the image of me to your mind's eye when I first read that information, please picture a 40-something woman with a twitchy eye, head spinning and green slime flying out of her eyes and mouth.  Too vivid?  You have no idea how understated the description is.

Our son came home from school and shared that his classmates all told him that Planned Parenthood wasn't even there - he stayed home for a complete waste of time.  He had missed a lot of fun at the youth conference and a free lunch.  At this point, it had become clear that many, many adults must have been abducted by aliens and had their brains replaced with something, well, alien.  All common sense, obligation to the Domestic Church and commitment to a good quality education for our children thrown to the nearest metallic disc flying through the sky.  I would offer to give them a clue but reconsidered knowing that I had played court jester long enough and made my viewpoint amply clear.  And their viewpoint had been sadly made loud and clear - to me at least.

"The most merciful thing that a family does to one of its infant members is to kill it."    --Margaret Sanger

Christ on Cross Drawing Grounds for School Suspension in Massachusetts

An 8-year old boy was suspended earlier this month from his Taunton, Massachusetts school because of the 'violent' picture he drew.  He was ordered to seek a psychological evaluation due to the graphic nature of his drawing, shown above.  This after being instructed by his teacher to draw something that reminds him of Christmas.  The boy's father has since transferred his son to another elementary school.

Read the full story HERE at the Taunton Daily Gazette.  Secularism at a new height of lunacy. 

UPDATE 12/17/2009:

This press release appears on the Taunton School District website:

Taunton Public Schools - Response to Recent Allegations
TAUNTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
110 County Street
Taunton, MA 02780
Phone (508) 821-1100
Fax (508) 821-1177
Press Release
Contact: Julie Hackett, Ed.D.
Phone: (508) 821-1100
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 5 P.M. EDT, December 15, 2009
TAUNTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS - RESPONSE TO RECENT ALLEGATIONS
TAUNTON, MA, DECEMBER 15, 2009: 

It has been reported in the media that a student was suspended over drawing a rendering of Jesus Christ on the cross. This report is totally inaccurate, and the student was never suspended. This incident occurred nearly two weeks ago, it was handled appropriately, and the school staff and family had been working together in a cooperative and positive manner.

The drawing published in various media outlets is not the same drawing that was discovered by the teacher. It has not been established whether the drawing was actually completed in school. Contrary to what has been reported, there was no request or assignment by the teacher for students to sketch something that reminded them of Christmas or any religious holiday.

The inaccuracies in the original media story have resulted in a great deal of criticism and scrutiny of the system that is unwarranted.  In this case, as in any other case involving the wellbeing of a student, the administration acted in accordance with the school department’s well-established protocol. This protocol is centered upon the student’s care, wellbeing and educational success. The protocol includes a review of the student’s records, discussions with staff, central administration, school psychologists and other community resources. Decisions were made only after this protocol had been completed, including a consultation with a veteran staff member with a background in clinical psychology and a Ph.D.

It is unfortunate that the actions of our district staff have been classified as “religious” in nature when, in fact, they were based solely on the wellbeing of the student. At this time of year, Christmas is one of many religious and secular holidays. Taunton, known as The Christmas City, takes pride as a community in celebrating this Christian holiday together with Hanukah, Kwanzaa, and many others. In the school district, it is our goal to provide the opportunity for all students to be well-rounded, and it is our responsibility to help them attain their social, emotional and academic goals regardless of their religious affiliation.

New York State Catholics: Action Needed

Tell Your Lawmakers to Reimburse Catholic Schools

In dealing with two important issues this legislative session, namely the growing State Budget deficit and the deficit of the 12-county Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), lawmakers delivered some good news and bad news to schools in New York State. For public schools the news was good. For Catholic and other religious schools, the news is very bad.

The legislative session ends on June 22. Please act immediately to urge lawmakers to treat all schools fairly. Go to this link to send a pre-written, fully editable e-mail to the Governor and your Senator and Assembly member. Be sure to edit the letter to include your personal stake in religious education: tell your lawmakers if you are a principal, administrator, teacher or Catholic school parent.

If the link above does not work, go to www.nyscatholic.org and click "Take Action Now!"

Knownothingism and other Anti-Catholic Gems in U.S. History

Perhaps the 'Native Americans' may have been better served by a warning against turning the letter 'N' backwards, but it was the motto which served the 'American Party' or 'Know Nothing Party' in mid-19th America. Oddly enough, they did not see the oxymoron they were attempting to jam down the throats of a 'Puritan' nation - one that referred to the real Native Americans as savages and nearly wiped them out. In their paranoia, they seemed to forget that they were a foreign influence and not native to America themselves.

From Wide-awake! Romanism: its aims and tendencies. The sentiments of a "Know-nothing." by L.W. Granger:

Fellow citizens of America! What a field for contemplation! Are you not competent to manage the affairs of a government of which you are the main pillars and embodiment? We are not willing yet to believe that you have fallen so low, or degenerated so fast, as yet to give up to the demands made upon you by Romanism. Before your very eyes in the light of day, is this spirit of insubordination and anarchy ripening into maturity. The storm cloud is brooding; your enemies are marshalled on every hand. Let every American be on his guard against the restless foe, by securing well of his country's honor and integrity.

This book, like many others of the day, goes on spreading lies which took on a life of their own and caused the burning of many Catholic Churches -- and plenty of deaths as a result. Tall tales included that Bishops asked that the Protestant Bible be replaced with the Douay-Rheims in public schools (Fact: it was requested that Catholic children be allowed to use their own Bibles if they wished); Catholic churches were fortifying themselves with canons and muskets (there were indeed weapons at the church - after they were notified that mobs of 'nativists' were planning to riot including the the burning of churches and any occupants. 'Nativists' were warned that they must arm themselves and "shoot down the first Irish rebel, that dare insult your person as an American citizen!"

When asked about being a 'Nativist', they were expected to reply with a resounding, "I know nothing." I tend to agree with the statement but not within the context they intended. It is quite obvious that they were mired in paranoia so vast that it would rival any diagnoses in the most recent DSM.

From page 296 of The American Pageant textbook:

Older-stock Americans were alarmed by these mounting figures. They professed to believe that in due time the "alien riffraff" would "establish" the Catholic church at the expense of Protestantism and would introduce "popish idols." The noisier American "nativists" rallied for political action. In 1849 they formed the Order of the Star-Spangled Banner, which soon developed into the formidable American, or "Know-Nothing," party - a name derived from its secretiveness. "Nativists" agitated for rigid restrictions on immigration and naturalization and for laws authorizing the deportation of alien paupers. They also promoted a lurid literature of exposure, much of it pure fiction. The authors, sometimes posing as escaped nuns, described the shocking sins they imagined the cloisters concealed, including the secret burial of babies. One of these sensational books — Maria Monk's Awful Disclosures(1836) — sold over 300,000 copies.

'Maria Monk' is still quoted today by virulent anti-Catholic individuals - and I have witnessed this first-hand while engaging in online conversations with self-professed evangelical Christians.

The city of Philadelphia witnessed much death and destruction at the hands of 'nativists' against Catholics and their churches. In 1844, the 'City of Brotherly Love' failed miserably to live up to the nickname. On May 7th of that year, a mob marched into the Irish section of the city and set some 30 homes ablaze. Included in the destruction were St. Michael's and St. Augustine's churches as well as a monastery and library. Firemen were not allowed to go to the scene and when the Mayor called for calm, he was struck and knocked unconscious. At least 14 souls were lost on that one day.

The Bishop, Most Rev. Kenrick, ordered all churches closed the following Sunday in order to calm the riots. He let it be known that it was better for all of the churches to be burned to the ground than to have one more drop of blood spilled. Urging Catholics to let the courts deal with those who perpetrated the violence and to not seek vengeance, it appeared at first that justice would be handed out. When the jury delivered its verdict, it found in favor of the 'Nativists' and pointed the finger at the Irish Catholics instead. That verdict only served to embolden the 'Nativists' who planned an even bigger display of hatred at an Independence Day parade. The Southwark Riots ensued and the eventual result was the laying of the foundation for a Catholic school system by Bishop Kenrick.

(Cartoon: Pope's Dream - Catholic America)

A bit of trivia on the Know Nothing Party: Our 13th President was a member of the Know Nothing Party - Millard Fillmore and Ulysses S. Grant was also a member of the party for a time prior to the Civil War. In 1875 President Grant called for a Constitutional amendment that would mandate free public schools and prohibit the use of public funds for "sectarian" schools. We have heard of the so-called 'Blaine Amendments' recently when school vouchers were a hot topic. Just a last note to anyone who has read this far: The Puritans who fled Europe and came to America seeking religious freedom brought their Geneva Bibles (NOT the King James Version) and were fleeing the Church of England - not the Popish Roman Church. Gosh, you'd think only a couple hundred years after the Puritans landed, the 'Nativists' would have known their history.

When slavery became a dividing issue among the 'United States', anti-Catholicism was alive but slid to the back burner for a time. In the beginning of the 20th century, enter the Ku Klux Klan and other 'gems'. Most people know that the KKK targeted African Americans, but many do not realize that Catholics were equally despised. In Oregon, the Klan had few minorities to deal with and seized the opportunity to target Catholics almost exclusively. The Masonic Grand Lodge of Oregon, with the full support of the KKK, sponsored a bill with the sole intent to wipe out parochial schools. The Compulsory Education Law was passed in 1922 and thankfully was found to be unconstitutional in 1925 by the United States Supreme Court case of Pierce v. Society of Sisters.

Anti-Catholic bigotry is, in my opinion, just as Philip Jenkins suggests: The Last Acceptable Prejudice. Having experienced it myself in a most shocking way in online forums and discussion rooms. The luxury of anonymity seems to allow for a 'no holds barred' mentality for many people. I have been called a pagan, pew mushroom, cultist, droid, robot, Mary worshiper, popish, a wafer idolater and told that the Church to which I cleave is the Whore of Babylon. One 'Christian' told me that he hoped 'Mother Teresa was rotting in hell' because of the way she cared for pagans in her ministry (she did not force them to accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior in order to receive treatment). Folks like Jack Chick abound and derive plenty of income from attacking Catholicism, fueling the ever-present fire in America. I have found that most of the people who are extremely anti-Catholic were Catholic themselves in the past. Much can be said about the lousy catechesis of the past 40 years and that many of us have been made to suffer because of it. Maybe another entry - another day.

If you are interested in learning more about Anti-Catholicism or apologetics, consult the following links:

Catholic Answers Anti-Catholic Library
Bible Christian Society
Anti-Catholicism on the Internet - Catholic League
Dave Armstrong's Blog
Catholic Answers Practical Apologetics

When a Juvenile is a Sex Offender

You may be asking yourself what this topic is doing on a Catholic blog--and that is a very good question. As a volunteer in our Catholic school, my husband and I had to take the course Protecting God's Children conducted by VIRTUS. Every single adult within our diocese who has any contact with children in the Catholic Church or Church operated organizations and schools must complete the training. This is a good thing, a very good thing. In a previous job, I was a state mandated reporter and had to take the state provided training. In that one we were basically instructed on signs to look for and how to report abuse. The VIRTUS program is very different; we are to know how to prevent it from happening in the first place. As part of the program, we must complete monthly online training bulletins and answer questions which follow.

I just received the training for this month and the topic is Managing the Child Sex Offender who is a Student. It raises some interesting things that I have not considered previously. I once reported a child for having abused his little brother in ways unimaginable while I worked for the Head Start program. I felt horrible doing so, but knew I must nonetheless. I knew that this abuser was just a young child himself and that something had most likely been done to him for him to even know the vocabulary and actions he carried out. Most juvenile offenders of sex crimes never serve any time in a correctional institution and are instead directed to intensive counseling. How do we protect the child who abuses as well as keeping them from abusing again? There may be no good answers, but some ideas shared in the bulletin will hopefully be helpful to someone who reads this.

The key for a school to manage the juvenile child sex offender is structure. This means that certain key people must be notified of the situation and be involved in monitoring all activities of the student sex offender.

In order for the “structure arrangement” to work, the school administration should also implement an approved School Safety Plan that the sex offender student must follow.

A School Safety Plan should include the following:

• The student must be required to check in at the principal’s office at start of school and check out at the conclusion of the day.
• The student can arrive at school only 15 minutes prior to the start of a class and must be off school property 15 minutes after attending the last class.
• The student’s school schedule should be created in such a way to allow no type of “free period” that could give the student the opportunity to travel around the school property in an unmonitored status.
• A member of the school staff must accompany the student during all bathroom breaks.
• The student must have a member of the school staff in the immediate vicinity whenever changing clothes for participation in a school activity.
• The student must never be allowed to swim or take a shower with other students.
• The student must follow certain prescribed routes to and from all classes, the gym, and the playground.
• If the student is required to commute on a school bus the student must sit in the first seat closest to the driver.
• The student shall not participate in school sanctioned class trips to the museum, park, etc.
• The student should never interact with a group of less than three students unless directly monitored.

Not a very pleasant topic to consider, I know. But, if you are ever presented with the situation as a parent you will know what issues must be addressed. We cannot leave it up to the schools to 'know what is best' and must assert ourselves when it comes to the protection of the God's children placed into our care. Child offenders? There are unfortunately more of them out there than you would care to imagine and because of their juvenile status, we may never know.