Letters to the Editor

by the Readers

Bare the Cross

Can the Catholic Church really get away with their decision to eliminate independent investigation into sexual abuse by clergy [News, "Faith Waste Initiative," Mike Newall, Nov. 25, 2004]? History has proven that the self-audit system leads to underreporting and cover-up of the abuse. Is there nothing that the legal system can do to force more transparency into the church's activities? The Catholic Church describes itself as staunchly "pro-life." However, it appears that they care about the children only until they're born. After that, children live within the church at their own risk.

No one is above the law—not even the very rich and powerful Catholic Church. Their clergy must be held accountable in this life, not only in the next.

Mary Shaw
Norristown

French Toast

I was so relieved to have received Nancy French's "window into the red-state world" [Slant, "But You Seem So Reasonable," Nov. 18, 2004]. Now I won't have to lose any sleep over ridiculous notions that Bush Republicans are systematically and deliberately eroding all of our freedoms, destroying America's respect in the world and screwing "America" into a bigger hole than it's ever imagined. I can abandon such paranoid thinking, now that I know that reasonable, ordinary folks like Nancy are out there making ordinary, reasonable connections with misguided anti-Bush voters!

I no longer have to fret over why the Bush and Cheney daughters did not volunteer for military duty in Iraq, while it was merely "unfortunate" that young American soldiers were dying every day, never to see their husbands, wives, kids and parents again. It never occurs to the Bush team that maybe some Iraqis see our presence as occupation rather than salvation. I'll allow myself the indulgence of wondering how Americans—red or blue—would feel if they had to look at foreign soldiers with submachine guns ordering them around and shooting some of them every day, and bombing their churches, temples and hospitals then taking credit for "saving" them.

Sorry, I have to stop this kind of rumination. It's not in America's best interest to question the values and morality of the new majority. We must come together and agree that those we detested as uncritical, unreasonable shit-brained warmongers are in fact quite reasonable people.

Art Segal
Seattle, WASH.

If Miss French had ever read the teachings of Christ, how could she possibly support a president whose policies are directly responsible for the deaths of thousands of people? Perhaps she thinks the souls of Muslims don't count. Christ would certainly disagree with her.

Her claim to have been in "suburban mega-churches with more diversity than Center City" is a joke. It is precisely because of our diversity that we tend to vote Democratic. Because our immediate neighbors represent a variety of cultures, beliefs and values, we understand how important tolerance is. We have to get along well with one another because we share the same living space. Miss French has clearly never grasped this simple principle.

Stephanie Muntone
via e-mail