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Friday, April 16, 2010

Share Your Thoughts

MyLot is a relatively new social website that invites common people to share issues that concern them.  Participants come from all over the world, and each has their own unique perspective on various issues.  It's a great place for discussion, find answers, discover new friends, and a lot more.

http://www.mylot.com/?ref=MaryK56

Shouldn't They Be Held Accountable, Too?

Subject: ASSOCIATED PRESS GETS WISE ADVICE

April 15, 2010


ASSOCIATED PRESS GETS WISE ADVICE


Catholic League president Bill Donahue offers the Associated Press (AP)

some words of advice:


What a fabulous story the AP has today on 30 Catholic priests accused of

abuse who were transferred or moved abroad. AP put some money into this

investigative report: it spans 21 countries in six continents. Now

consider the following:


* In October 2007, AP released a report on sexual misconduct

committed by public school teachers and found 2,570 cases over a five

year period. In fact, it's much worse than this. As AP disclosed, "Most

of the abuse never gets reported." [My emphasis].

* Why does most of the abuse go unreported? "School

administrators make behind-the-scenes deals to avoid lawsuits and other

trouble. And in state capitals and Congress, lawmakers shy from tough

state punishments or any cohesive national policy for fear of

disparaging a vital profession."

* What happens to molesting teachers? "Too often, problem

teachers are allowed to leave quietly. That can mean future abuse for

another student and another school district." Indeed, it happens so

often it is called "passing the trash" or the "mobile molester."

* Moreover, "deals and lack of information-sharing allow abusive

teachers to jump state lines, even when one school does put a stop to

the abuse."


Advice to AP: Do a story on the "mobile molesters," using the report on

priests as a model, i.e., don't just write an article-name the names of

the teachers, principals and school superintendents. Also, track down

molesting teachers in Maine where it is illegal to make public the cases

of abusing teachers. Go back to California and Hawaii where AP was

stonewalled in 2007 from getting hard information on molesting teachers,

and this time do your own investigating. For more advice, call my

office.


Contact Michael Oreskes, the AP official who oversees investigative

reporting: moreskes@ap.org


Jeff Field

Director of Communications

The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights

450 Seventh Avenue

New York, NY 10123

212-371-3191

212-371-3394 (fax)

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Hinsdale Humane Society :: Sheltering Animals Since 1953

Hinsdale Humane Society :: Sheltering Animals Since 1953

Looking for a new pet? If you live in the Chicago area, then this is the place for you! I adopted Tyler and Fred through them, and I couldn't be happier! Check it out, even if your not a "dog person."

NewsBusters.org