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The Church calls on Scalia to redress an injustice

Saturday, August 29, 2009

The Boston Globe reports that the Bridgeport Roman Catholic Diocese is trying to keep the public from seeing internal documents bearing on the decisions made by the present Cardinal of New York relating to the assignment and re-assignment of child molesting priests:

A Roman Catholic diocese in Connecticut has invoked the First Amendment’s separation of church and state in a request to the US Supreme Court to let it keep clergy sexual abuse documents under seal, a move that appeared to contradict the church’s recent pledges of openness.

Justice Ginsburg, a female and a Jew to boot, turned down the Church’s request, though to this lawyer the church’s argument is so clearly correct that one must suspect some sort of animus on her part. How could anyone disagree with this reasoning:

“Because courts lack a legitimate role under the First Amendment to examine a church’s employment decisions regarding its ministers, the courts similarly lack constitutional authority to require a church to produce and publicly disclose confidential internal documents or testimony that would be germane only to second-guessing those decisions,’’ the diocese wrote in its 33-page court filing.

Not to worry, the Church decided to do some Justice shopping, and has asked good Catholic male (and rumored Opus Dei member) Antonin (the “Fixer”) Scalia to overrule the presumptuous Jewess:

Following the Ginsburg decision, the diocese specifically asked Justice Antonin Scalia to keep the documents under seal until the full high court decides on whether to take up the review.

Personally, I can’t see why they asked Scalia, since he’ll obviously bend over backwards to avoid any appearance that his personal preferences might play a role in his decision making.

The documents in question were produced in connection with a series of lawsuits (23 of them, but who’s counting?) in the course of production and disclosure and motion practice. Some nosey newspapers are asking for copies of the documents, and the lower court judge agreed they should see them. The Connecticut Justices (all but one of whom will surely rot in Hell) barely discuss the First Amendment issue, choosing instead to focus on the purely irrelvant fact that the Church had not asserted a privilege during the litigation itself, and had therefore waived it. (I’ve attached a copy of the Connecticut decision below).

We can only hope this injustice will not stand. It’s self evident that the Church’s decisions about it’s pedophiliac priests are nobody else’s business. Why, in my mind’s eye I can almost see the type of intrusion into matters of religion that might result from this. What havoc to true religion would be caused if documents something like this were to surface?

Memo to: The Right Reverend Bishop Bernard O’Shaugnessy
From: Father Francis Vespucci Don Bosco

As you know, we have to make some personnel decisions in the coming weeks. You have asked for my recommendations and I enclose them herewith.

Father O’Malley, over at Our Lady of the Perpetual Agony, needs reassignment. People are asking questions. As you know, Father O’Malley prefers boys age 4 to 6, so we recommend he be transferred to supervise the Kindergarten at Our Lord of the Barely Beating Heart Church. In the name and to the glory of the Lord Jesus, Amen.

Father Sarducci, at Communist Martyrs High is asking for a transfer. He has been unable to cope with the high rate of pregnancy among the girls at the school, and in fact some of the parents are suggesting that he bears some responsibility in the matter. As you know, we have managed to hold off paternity testing on First Amendment grounds. We are recommending that he take over duties as gym instructor and wrestling coach at the School of the Weeping Virgin Female Academy, a post in which he has expressed a great deal of interest. May God’s work bear fruit through him in his new endeavors.

The Cardinal of Los Angeles has asked us to find a place for Father Scalia, who recently completed his probation in California. Luckily, he had his little troubles (for which he has made a full and sincere Act of Contrition) before the sex offender registration law was passed there. Father Scalia prefers to work with teenage boys, so I am recommending that he work here with me at the Seven Sacred Wounds and the Crown of Thorn Rehablitation Center. As you know, I am also fond of teenagers, and can likely be of assistance in helping the good father learn a little discretion, if you take my meaning. In Jesus name may our work be blessed.

I sincerely hope that these suggestions meet with your favor. May I add that I look forward to receiving some of your favors when next we meet.

It’s fairly obvious that this sort of thing is entitled to constitutional protection. You can see he’s talking about God all the way through. What does it matter that the Church’s argument would essentially give it carte blanche to assign priests to where the pickings are good or the questions are few? We liberals believe that there should be a wall of seperation between Church and State, and so does the Catholic Church, particularly when the wall is between the law and the Church’s money and/or its reputation. It follows that there should be no consequences if the Church enables a little harmless child molestation, since in doing so it is by definition doing God’s work.

Afterword: In all seriousness, the Church’s argument would appear to preclude even criminal investigations into these matters, or at least preclude any requirement that the Church provide any information with respect to such an investigation. If this information is constitutionally privileged in some instances, it is privileged in all.

You can read the Connecticut court’s decision here

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Did it

Friday, August 28, 2009

Snow Leopard installed successfully on my Mac. So far so good, except the alleged quick install time (supposedly 15 minutes) is a fiction. It took almost an hour on both my computer and my wife’s. Everything seems to work fine, with the single exception of my blog editing software, which I will have to stop using until it’s updated. I wrote the company an email and received a reply within 20 minutes, to the effect that they expect to update soon. That sort of response is pretty impressive.

The Mail program is supposed to work seamlessly with Microsoft Exchange 2007. It didn’t work for me, but I suspect that’s because my firm is probably running Microsoft Exchange 1993 or something.

As advertised, nothing terribly exciting. We’ll see if there is really a speed enhancement. Hard to tell so far.

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Friday Night Music

Friday, August 28, 2009

A mini concert somewhat suggested by Teddy Kennedy’s passing. I think for a lot of us who lived through the turbulent sixties, his death brings back memories of former years and former Kennedys.

First choice is obvious I guess. Dion singing Abraham, Martin and John. I guess now Teddy’s on that hill, though we can be thankful he didn’t die young.

There was another video of Dion from back in the 60s, but someone spliced in a picture of Jefferson Davis in part of the tape, so I nixed that one. I guess you can say the song is a bit maudlin, but there’s nothing wrong with maudlin once in a while. When I was searching youtube for a good version of this song I also happened upon two interesting audio only (and therefore ineligible for posting) versions, one my Moms Mabley. The other is by Marvin Gaye. What a sweet voice the man had. Well worth searching out, if you’re interested.

This next song needs some explanation, since it has no explicit connection to Kennedys or politics, but I remember (at least I think I remember) seeing it performed on television back in 1968 or so, accompanied by images of the train carrying RFK’s body to Washington from New York. It evokes some of the sense of despair, the “empty and achin'” that the twin deaths of MLK and RFK engendered.

Another from Simon and Garfunkel, sans Simon this time.


This is the best version I could find, the second best is a studio rehearsal version for a special, perhaps the same show I remember, that Simon and Garfunkel were to do sponsored by AT&T. The story is here:

A week before the show was due on the air, they showed the film to Bell, who rejected it completely. It was out of the question. They strongly objected to a sequence with Robert and John Kennedy and Martin Luther King, using Bridge over Troubled Water as background. According to Paul, their objection was on the grounds that: “They were all Democrats. There’s no Republicans in there. And we said, “Is that what you get? How about that they were all assassinated””

Well, they’re still all Democrats, and Teddy can claim to have been a bridge for a lot of folks.


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Teddy Kennedy

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

It has been said (Shakespeare again, naturally) that “some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them”. But which applies to Teddy Kennedy? Born to a political family and practically fated to a life in politics, thrust to the forefront by the violent deaths of three older brothers, he ultimately achieved greatness on his own by his tireless dedication to the principles for which he stood, and which he vigorously defended, through good times and bad, throughout his political career.

He was imperfect, like every other human being, but no one can deny that throughout his life this son of privilege, stood with the weak, the oppressed, the forgotten, and the common man and woman (compare a certain other son of privilege who shall remain unnamed). This country would have been an infinitely better place had there been more Teddy Kennedys in the Senate.

It’s a sad fact of life that we want what we cannot have and fail to appreciate what we have. My generation grew up on Kennedys. We idolized and, after his death, practically sanctified JFK, still wonder what could have been had Bobby not been killed, but have tended to take Teddy for granted. Yet was there any other person in public life that so consistently stood up for liberal principles, no matter which way the prevailing political winds were blowing. Would his brothers, had they lived, have stood the test of time so well?

He had his faults, but now that his life has run its course, we can say without question that his audit stands well to the good. In 1980 he gave the speech of this life, and the final paragraphs can surely stand as his epitaph:

And may it be said of us, both in dark passages and in bright days, in the words of Tennyson that my brothers quoted and loved, and that have special meaning for me now:

“I am a part of all that I have met
To [Tho] much is taken, much abides
That which we are, we are —
One equal temper of heroic hearts
Strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”

…

For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.

With him gone, the Senate looks even more like a collection of political pygmies. Warts and all, he towered above them. As the Bard said: He was a man, take him for all in all, [we] shall not look upon his like again.


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Why we need Health Care

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

You can never overestimate the heights of iniquity to which the American Corporation is capable of ascending, and, as a wise Connecticut Yankee once said, you can never go broke underestimating the intelligence of the American Public. Those two eternal verities are colliding once again, starting in Nebraska and Rhode Island, but soon appearing at a KFC near you:

In the midst of a staggering obesity epidemic in the US, KFC has doubled down on a high-calorie menu choice. KFC is now offering a “sandwich” which consists of bacon, two kinds of cheeses and sauce between two pieces of fried chicken. That’s right, fried chicken as a bun instead of bread.

This abomination (it is actually called the “Double Down”) is being test marketed in our neighboring state, so to a certain extent our fate is in their hands. The calorie content is estimated by the Huffington Post to exceed 1200 calories. That doesn’t include the inevitable super sized soda, but even if you take yours with water you will be getting more than half the calories you are likely to need in a day. And who can eat just one?


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Oh goodie

Monday, August 24, 2009

Snow Leopard is coming on Friday. I can’t wait. (For those of you stuck in the world of Windows, Snow Leopard is the latest major upgrade to the Mac operating system).

Prudence would dictate that I wait a while, until at least the first minor upgrade when they work the major kinks out. But I never do that. Prudence is for losers. No, I’ll get a copy on Saturday, if at all possible, and install it (or try to), Saturday night. According to Apple, my life will never be the same, or at least that’s what I’m taking away from the blurbs.


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I’m with Joe on this one

Monday, August 24, 2009

There’s some folks out there that are irate with Joe Courtney for declining to hold “town halls” on health care. You know the world is getting strange when people are complaining because they have been deprived of their right to disrupt what should be a peaceful meeting.

Given modern communications, it is now possible to hold virtual town meetings, either by phone or over the net, that can’t be disrupted, at least not as easily as flesh and blood meetings. In the best of all worlds it wouldn’t be necessary to go that route, but the right wing has worked very hard to make sure that we never get close to the best of all worlds.


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One, two, three, what are we fighting for?

Monday, August 24, 2009

My homepage on my browser is Buzzflash. It was the first left wing site I found and, during the 2000 election theft, made me feel like I wasn’t alone-that there were other people out there who saw what was going on and shared my outrage. I admit they get a bit breathless at times, but this editorial/report on Tom Daschle’s role in the health care debate is, unfortunately, spot on. There is no excuse for Obama to be relying on an insurance company lobbyist for help in crafting a health care plan, and Daschle’s argument that there is no conflict “because he’s telling them all the same thing” is beyond disingenuous. He is, after all, getting big bucks from only one side, which is paying him to say those things.

Every day my inbox fills up with emails urging me to do various things to support health care reform, and every day it becomes just a little clearer that the process, as Woody Allen said, “is a travesty. It’s a travesty of a mockery of a sham of a mockery of a travesty of two mockeries of a sham.” How can you get excited about a plan that bids fair to further enrich insurance companies while doing very little to help the uninsured, or the small business that are getting killed by health care costs.

Still, hope flickers, if only fitfully.


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Yet another modest proposal

Sunday, August 23, 2009

My friend Bob Roth recently wrote about the fear that the teabaggers, et. al represent the beginnings of a nascent fascist movement, while Austin Cline over at Jesus General points out that the very people who are hurling this epithet at others are using the tactics that fascist movements historically use. It’s not an unreasonable fear, and we should certainly be alive to the possibility that these people are fertile soil in which to grow a fascist state. Luckily, at the moment, they don’t appear to have a leader around whom they can coalesce, though that could change fast. Without someone to tell them what to do, these kinds of folks can’t accomplish much.

But this issue, along with the associated issue of the mindless health care “debate”, got me thinking about our educational system.

When I was in high school, I took typing. The class consisted of future secretaries and a smattering of Honor Society types. I flunked the course, as did the only other male in the class (the teacher took off one letter grade for every error) but it was arguably the most useful course I ever took. If not for that course, for instance, I would be unable to inflict my opinions on a defenseless world. Typing is a practical skill (particularly for someone whose handwriting is totally illegible) and, as it turned out, extremely important in the computer age.

There is another practical skill, far more important, that we should teach in a systematic way: critical thinking. Without it, we can’t hope to survive as a representative democracy. The fact is that we increase the number of potential sheep in this country if we fail to clearly and directly teach our kids how to protect themselves individually, and all of us collectively, from the barrage of bullshit to which they are subjected from the time they are infants.

Think about it. We are bombarded with commercials inviting us to make irrational decisions. Talking heads scream at us from televisions making assertions that make no sense either factually or logically. Religious leaders ask us to believe the impossible. Almost as many people believe in astrology as in natural evolution and almost everyone believes in miracles.

Now I count myself among those who have a natural tendency to disbelieve anyone in authority. I did verbal combat (always respectfully, of course) with the nuns back at good old OLS (Our Lady of Sorrows to the uninitiated) and I do mental combat with most of the commercials and all of the idiots I see on television. But I firmly believe most people don’t. As Marshall McLuhan pointed out, most people don’t engage with their televisions, they are merely passive receptacles, into which both advertisers and corporate broadcasters dump misleading garbage.

Every kid should be trained early on to ask him or herself: what is it that these people are trying to get me to do, think or say? What are the premises, and do they make sense? Do the facts check out? Do the conclusions I am being asked to draw flow from the facts and premises? Most important of all, they should be taught that they should start with the presumption that people out to make a buck, or protect their ability to make a buck, are not to be trusted. Sure, these issues are glancingly covered in some courses, but not in the concentrated way that they deserve.

Of course, there is no hope that any such course will ever be taught in our schools, because the primary lesson it would teach is that those who control our world are pretty much always lying to us. That is not something the corporations, the government (most of the time), or the churches want them to know. What would those entities do without the easily manipulable consumers upon which they’ve come to depend? What if they couldn’t get us to buy things we don’t need, vote against our interests, and believe things that make no sense? Imagine the consequences.

If we were taught to think, we might have a chance to fix this democracy, instead of having to worry about the possibility of fascism. I would submit that fascism is impossible in a country where people are taught to think, because it depends for its success on the willingness of a substantial number of people to let other people do their thinking for them.

By the way, don’t believe a word of the foregoing until you’ve examined my premises and checked my facts. Then decide for yourself about the conclusions I’ve drawn.


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Maybe we should have taken guns

Sunday, August 23, 2009

A couple of days ago I posted about a pro-health care event that was to be held today.

I was always a little dubious about this particular event. The idea was to get people to link hands across the Gold Star Bridge. Now, I have ridden my bike across that bridge (on the sidewalk/bikeway) and no matter how you slice it, it is a long bridge. You either need about a thousand people, or a hundred people with very very long arms. I’d say the number that showed up was a teeny weeny bit shy of a hundred (although they had regular size arms), meaning our numbers far exceeded the number of protesters that got such coverage from the Day when Chris Dodd came to Groton, but let’s face it: framing is all. When you overreach, you don’t look good. We could have made quite a presentable crowd at the Soldiers and Sailor’s monument in New London, but we didn’t make a dent on that bridge.

It also seemed quite odd that while there were a fair number of folks perfectly willing to be organized, there didn’t seem to be anyone who felt responsible to organize. Basic issues like parking appeared to have been overlooked, not to mention that no one actually stood up and said “I’m so and so, I organized this event, and here’s what were going to do”. At some point, people just started walking onto the bridge and started waving signs. In other words, the thing was only slightly better organized than Obama’s political strategy appears to be. (I knew we were in trouble when one fellow kept calling the event a “happening”)

It was a nice bunch, and what it lacked in numbers it made up in spirit.

Reaction from passing motorists was quite good, until these motorists chanced by.

Apparently it’s legal to wave guns in this country, but not signs, at least not on a bridge where you might distract traffic, so we were advised to “move on”, which we did. Now, I would have thought that it was fairly basic that if you are going to do something like this, you would check with the local authorities just to make sure that this type of thing is not going to happen. We were ready to break up anyway, so the intervention of the troopers didn’t have much impact. Parenthetically, they couldn’t have much to do these days, as a total of four cruisers eventually made it to the scene.

Some Groton regulars were there, including Mary Keating (who is in the picture above) and Betsy Moukawsher (below). I think I saw Lisa Luck as well, but I’m not positive.

If Health Care passes it’s fair to say that today’s happening will not go down as the turning point in the battle. Still, every little bit helps, and what we lacked in numbers and organization, we made up in …. well, I’m sure we made it up in something.


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