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	Letter to the Editor: McCann's Denials Don't Make Sense By Steve Dykstra Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Febriary 3, 2008 http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=713770 Former Milwaukee County District Attorney E. Michael McCann said he never would have advised the Catholic church as he did if he had been told a priest had engaged in inappropriate sexual activity. McCann asked us to use common sense in evaluating the report and consider his reputation ("Documents detail church coverup," Feb. 1). Let's use good sense as we consider another aspect of the report. McCann told the archdiocese to take the priest out of ministry for five years because he paid too much attention to a boy, though neither the boy nor his mother complained about it and, according to McCann, he wasn't aware that the priest had been accused of anything. McCann said that if five years passed without complaints, the priest could go back to work. But why would he worry about complaints if he was unaware of any in the past or present? Does that sound as though McCann didn't know the priest was suspected of child abuse? Would he really recommend a five-year hiatus without any allegations? Regardless of the information he had, McCann had to know he was being told about a child-abusing priest, and he took no legal action. He protected the archdiocese and the priest rather than the child and community. He can rely on legal arguments and claim ignorance all he wants. He knew what he was doing then, and we all know now. He had a chance to be part of the solution, and he chose to be part of the problem instead.
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