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	Patterns of Political Enablers Are Set in Stone! By Debby Bodkin OpEd News September 13, 2008 http://www.opednews.com/articles/Patterns-of-Political-ENAB-by-Debby-Bodkin-080912-402.html For those truly believing the clergy sex abuse crisis that publicly erupted in 2002 is over, ask yourself why Catholic Bishops and other religious leaders have not been held accountable for failures to report sex crimes committed against children, as mandated by law. The answer is very simple: The patterns of political ENABLERS are set in stone! *** The Diocese of Orange Bishop Tod Brown was the first U.S. Bishop to settle clergy sex abuse lawsuits in the amount of $100 million in December 2004. Yet, Bishop Brown continues to employ the same individuals who failed to report sex crimes committed against children years ago, today. *** Bishop Brown continues to employ multiple individuals and attorneys who aided and abetted in sex crimes committed against children, failures to report as mandated by law and discriminatory employment practices. Read the letter below sent by me just this week. Then, privately reflect on why the patterns of political ENABLERS are set in stone and exactly who the political ENABLERS are? Where are the checks and balances in the greatest country in the world, the United States of America? ********************** September 10, 2008 Via Facsimile (714) 282-3029 Bishop Tod Brown Diocese of Orange 2811 East Villa Real Drive Orange, CA 92867-1999 Re: FREEDOM OF RELIGION & PASTORAL PRIVILEGE Dear Bishop Brown: Six years ago today, on September 10, 2002, you broke the hearts of my children, Brent and Rachel, by ENABLING your attorneys and school administrators to deny their request to complete their senior year of Catholic education and graduate with their Class of 2003 at Santa Margarita Catholic High School — all because of a labor dispute. Then, you and your employees proceeded to publicly grandstand prayers and Masses throughout the Diocese of Orange communities, in memory of the September 11, 2001 tragedy. Since 2002, my family has been forced to endure years of defamation, hate crimes, retaliation, perjury, identity theft, bank fraud, legal conflicts of interest and illegal employment practices, all in the name of freedom of religion. In fact, nothing has changed since the clergy sex abuse crisis erupted in 2002. You continue to ENABLE your employees and attorneys to abuse the judicial system, destroy careers, commit perjury, obstruct justice, fail to report crimes as mandated by law and alter public records, all in the name of God. There is no doubt in my mind that there are many precious children and families living with the shame of sex crimes committed by employees protected by religious institutions, hiding from accountability, with all the legal, political and corporate protections of a Goliath. I pray daily those still suffering in silence because of you and other religious leaders, will find the courage to speak out. Last week, when my family and I thought moving out of Orange County, California, would finally bring us peace from the orchestrated political, defamation, career, religious and personal retaliations of your General Counsel, retained attorneys and employees, my youngest daughter, was the last of my children to feel the wrath of your evil ENABLING acts. Upon arriving at St. Gregory's University in Shawnee, Oklahoma, on August 27, 2008, she was told that her softball scholarship and financial aid had been revoked. Strangely, no one from the university bothered to inform her in writing or by telephone of this sudden change in funding. Laurel flew home the same day. Please extend my congratulations to your Diocesan General Counsel, corrupt attorneys and political circles for succeeding again in striking the last of my four children — all in the name of freedom of religion privilege. You have ignored letters written by me in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. You continue to ENABLE, AID AND ABET crimes against children, adults, families and employees, by rewarding those violating the law to protect you from public scandal. However, there is an emerging strength that will eventually rid your Diocese and other religious institutions of evil sexual predators and ENABLERS of heinous crimes, often disguised as attorneys, administrators, judges, government and law enforcement officials: The courage of clergy abuse survivors and their families. Until then, please refrain from confusing impressionable young adults and children with your so-called political jargon from the pulpit and the Diocesan website. Maybe you should contact President Bush before he leaves office and ask him to apologize for granting immunity to the Vatican for approximately 100,000 sex crimes committed against children in the United States of America. You reaped the benefits from President Bush's immunity for approximately 90 plus sex crimes committed under your nose - try giving back to the faithful in the pews, still struggling with all the lies and deceit. cc: President George Bush, US Conference of Catholic Bishops, US Attorney General, California Attorney General, Senator Barack Obama, Senator John McCain, St. Gregory's University, US Department of Education As an amateur writer, mother, wife and legal secretary for the past 25 years, my passion for the courage of clergy sex abuse victims, their families and mandated reporters, who made a choice to protect children, before their own career security and ego, has evolved over the past 5 years. My husband, Michael, is a former Catholic high school teacher and coach, who was forced to make a career change without due process of the law. He will soon complete his Masters Degree in Special Education, his new-found passion. Our children, Nicole, Rachel, Brent and Laurel are a gift to us and all who meet them. We pray our children and the world's children will witness society correcting the wrongs committed against innocent children and families. Without justice, there will never be peace; without peace, faith and our country's laws are empty. Contact: bodkind@hotmail.com
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