The Sins Of The Fathers

I love a good boycott. There is nothing more fulfilling as a consumer to see a company go out of business if the way they conduct themselves is less than you like.

I noticed a few weeks ago that Hooters on Airport Road is closed! Oh, what a shame, they can no longer demean women, and the women who worked there can now go somewhere else for their daily dose of degradation. A successful boycott!

My boycott of Bess Eaton Donuts resulted in their demise also. (yep, I'm taking full credit.) Had they refrained from putting biblical quotes on the coffee cups and donut boxes, there might have still been time to make the donuts (whoops, isn't that Dunkin Donut's catch phrase?) I know I wasn't the only one to be offended by their actions, actually the actions of their founder and chairman; Angelo Gencarelli. As a so-called "born again" christian, he felt that he needed to get his message out about his religious beliefs. As consumers, we decided that his messages were offensive and chose instead to make DD one of the most profitable entities in RI. At the end of his little reign Mr. Gencarelli filed for bankruptcy amid questions about their financial dealings. So much for his christian character, hmmm? Another successful boycott!

And speaking of christians, then there are the catholics. I was raised roman catholic and even as a young child found their celebration of mass to be a bit ridiculous. Of course, I find any sort of ceremony to be a bit silly, always asking myself who came up with this stuff? Sit, stand, and kneel; all on demand. I really never got it about a higher power either. Who says? Because it's written in a book? A baby whose mother was a virgin? A guy who walked on water and fed a lot of people with a little bit of food? A guy who rose from the dead? Sounds like a magician to me, or maybe just a tall tale - like Paul Bunyan. I just don't get it, period. But I acknowledge that there are people who believe, and while I don't get that either, I respect their right to their own beliefs.

However...

I have been boycotting the catholic church for a very long time. Yes, even when a kid asks me to buy a candy bar, I always have to ask who they are selling it for. It's hard to say no to those kids, but once I had realized that the catholic church employees (bishops and priests) said one thing and did the exact (and sometimes extreme) other thing, there really was no choice. Like child sexual abuse, also known as pedophilia.

I have up close and personal experiences in that department, and as a result I have always felt that one of my duties in life is to protect those who cannot protect themselves; your children.

So today I read another report of another diocese paying out money to the victims of these horrible priests. Here's a listing, get your calculators out, because we are talking HUGE amounts of money:

The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego said Friday it has agreed to pay $198.1 million to settle 144 claims of sexual abuse by clergy, the second-largest payment by a diocese.Earlier this year, the diocese abruptly filed for bankruptcy protection (still, they didn't want to live up to their responsibilities) just hours before trial was scheduled to begin on 42 lawsuits alleging sexual abuse. Bankruptcy could shield the diocese's assets, but a judge recently threatened to throw out the bankruptcy case if church officials didn't reach an agreement with the plaintiffs. Thank goodness for that judge!

In the largest payment yet in the scandal, the Los Angeles Archdiocese settled 508 cases for $660 million in July, two days before jury selection was scheduled to begin in the first of 15 trials involving 172 abuse claimants there. (Again, they tried to get out of it.)

The Diocese of Orange agreed in 2004 to settle 90 claims for $100 million after a judge promised to set trial dates and begin the discovery process if settlement talks collapsed.

Diocese of Covington, Ky., 2006, up to $84 million for more than 350 people.

Archdiocese of Boston, 2003, $84 million for 552 claims.

Diocese of Oakland, Calif., 2005, $56 million to 56 people.

Archdiocese of Portland, Ore., 2007, agrees to pay about $52 million to 175 victims to emerge from bankruptcy protection; sets aside another $20 million for any future claims.

Diocese of Spokane, Wash., 2007, agrees to pay $48 million for about 150 claims to emerge from bankruptcy protection.

Diocese of Sacramento, Calif., 2005, pays $35 million to 33 people.

Archdiocese of Louisville, Ky., 2003, $25.7 million to 243 victims.

Diocese of Tucson, Ariz., 2005, agrees to fund a settlement trust worth about $22 million for more than 50 victims to emerge from bankruptcy protection.

The Davenport, Iowa diocese, which faces claims from more than 150 people, is still in proceedings.

"The diocese has always been committed to resolving this litigation in a way that fairly compensates these victims of abuse and would still preserve the ongoing ministries and programs of the church," Bishop Robert Brom (of San Diego) said in a press release Friday. "We pray that this settlement will bring some closure and healing to the years of suffering experienced by these victims."

Well Bishop Robert Bozo, what you don't realize is that these "victims" are really survivors! They have lived their entire lives tortured by the memories of what was perpetrated upon them when they were just little kids! There isn't enough money in the world that could fix that for them. Shame on the catholic church, from every pope, bishop and priest who had any involvement or knowledge of what was happening repeatedly from one side of this country to the other and did nothing! Nothing!!!

I'm hopeful for yet another successful boycott.