I had a different blog planned for today, and now I see the announcement that Julia Gillard has announced a Royal Commission into child abuse in this country: From Channel 9:
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has announced a Royal Commission into the sexual abuse of children in Australia. The Commission will cover abuse in schools, by religious organisations, in state care and other institutions.
So, I could jump for glee. You might remember some time back that I had a run in with a Catholic Priest on twitter because of his exception to me being ok with Gay Marriage. While in the social media world, he decided he didn’t like me, I contacted him to let him meet me in real life to see I wasn’t yucky.
Not sure if you read the follow up blog after I met him: GO HERE.
You will see how much I enjoyed meeting him and how many nice things I had to say about him. We had agreed to meet up again for another good old chat about stuff.
It never eventuated.
I thought about him the other day and went onto his twitter account to see how he was only to find he had blocked me from everything.
What did I say this time??
Then it dawned on me the blog I wrote about Alan Jones – in that I made reference to a journo who was having a go at a mother for treating him like a potential pedophile, and that the journo shouldn’t blame her but the institutions and the cover-ups and now I add the judicial system. You can read that blog HERE.
So, today I feel vindicated. That not only is NO ONE going to be able to shy away from the discussion, that I still didn’t take it personally that this Catholic Priest, who incidentally, dropped the F-BOMB in his conversation with me – you know I’m not Catholic, so therefore, it doesn’t matter that he did say that….yet so pious in all other communications. At first I just thought cool, he’s just an everyday bloke, and then afterwards I just thought, I didn’t swear, what did I do to think it was ok for him to swear like that in front of me? Keeping up {Godly} appearances must be crap if it’s not who you truly are.
So, this thing is finally going to be dealt with, our society will hopefully learn, they will be able to accept responsibility for ALL the lives RUINED by predators who prey(ed) on children.
My wish is that the judicial system change to make sure there is more of a deterrent to the criminals that just keep getting a smack on the back of the hand.
It has to be a massive crime to hurt, harm or damage a child. They are the ones who are going to be leading this country as we get into our old age. Make sure they aren’t wasting precious years of their life in self-development to get themselves to a place that they can function fully. Make sure they aren’t adding to the medical system or legal system or committing suicide and taking their place in the ground or the brick wall before they are meant to.
Bring it I say – and all the institutions involved…. time to MAN UP and do what you should have done – face it, deal with it, pay for it, and make sure it never happens again.
Thanks for everything Fr Paul. You, my good man, taught me more about the Church than I ever could have hoped for.
God Bless.