On September 4, 1957, armed troops of the Arkansas National Guard stood ready to prevent nine black school children from entering Central High School in Little Rock.  A crowd of white people surrounded the children and shouted abusive, crude insults at them....even threatening them with hanging, right here, right now.

This incident reminded me of bishops in our country and a Pope who all said, when asked why they permitted priests who abused children to be moved to another parish (to abuse again and again), that they didn't know it was wrong at the time.

I wonder who's buying that?  Just like those white people who hurled disgusting words and threats at high school children, those ordained ministers of God knew exactly what they were doing.  How can someone not know that harming a child is wrong, all of the time, no matter what?  How could those white people hurl insults at children because of their skin color?  How could those men allow abusers to go free to abuse again?

I guess many would say it's the times....in the 50's segregation was the norm, so it seemed to be the right way to do things.  In our time, abuse seems common.  Both of these evil actions can never be considered okay because of the times we live in...evils against children never are.

But who protected them?  A white reporter for the New York Times helped shield one of the young girls and got her to safety on a bus.  For his kindness, he was beaten so severely by the crowd that he ended up in the hospital.

Organizations like SNAP provide information on abusers, but for their concern they are humiliated by those who say they are out to get the clergy and ignored by church leaders.

I don't understand why this happens.  The church excuses it by saying "we are only human, and humans make mistakes".  This is very true.  But, most people learn from their mistakes and correct them. People with developed morals do not continue to perpetuate their "mistake" and turn a blind eye to immoral behavior.

Abusers need to be arrested and tried in a court of law.  Abusers need to be renounced.  Abusers need to be shown that we will not tolerate their behavior....whether they wear a collar or not.