BishopAccountability.org
	The US Congress and the Debt Ceiling; the Roman Catholic Church and Predator Priests By Frank Douglas Voice from the Desert July 31, 2011 http://reform-network.net/?p=11669 Supporting survivors of clergy sexual abuse and examining the cover up, causes, and effects of that abuse in the Roman Catholic Church AS I write this, the members of Congress, whom the citizens of the United States elected, are having an extremely tough time coming to a legislative solution on the debt ceiling. American voters gripe endlessly about cowardly, self-serving politicians, but voters are quick to overlook their own role in legislative impasses that keep the nation from resolving festering problems such as immigration, the long-term stability of Medicare, and now, the debt ceiling. However, the overwhelming majority of senators and representatives do what their constituents want them to do. Or, more to the point, they respond to people in their districts who bother to vote. Nothing is dearer to politicians than re-election, and most have a keen sense of when they are straying into dangerous waters. In much the same way, many Catholics gripe about the unelected, unmarried male leaders of their church allowing predator priests to remain in ministry and prey on innocent children, not permitting women to be priests, and a host of other festering issues. Both US Congress members and Catholic Church leaders are the objects of scorn of many of their constituents. Yet, most Congress members will be reelected and will return to business as usual. Catholic Church leaders will continue to do what they always do; business as usual will continue as usual. So, in both cases power retains its seat at the top of the pyramid. The people, that is folks like you and me, could decide to make things different, but we don't. We could elect a different set of people to represent us in the US Senate and House of Representatives, but we don't. We could stop giving money to Holy Mother Church, but we don't. Why? That the $64 ($64 trillion?) question. There are a variety of answers: things are not bad enough, yet; we're just plain lazy and/or don't give a damn; we are not organized; the status quo ain't so bad after all. And so on. Will either system—US Congress or Catholic Church—change? Ever? Who knows? Does anyone really care?
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