The public school system in the United States has a child abuse crisis.
An AP study from 2001 to 2005 found that there were over 2,500 cases of abuse by educators in which the abuser was punished in the public school system.
According to a Colorado journalist, public schools might do well to take note of how the Catholic Church has handled child abuse in the past decade.
And no, that doesn’t mean sweeping it all under the rug.
When Wayne Laugesen, a journalist for The Gazette of Colorado Springs, suggests that public school systems around the country should observe and imitate the Catholic Church, he is noting the fact that “in 2004 American bishops met in Dallas and voted to establish the largest bureaucracy for the protection of children the world has known.”
He is noting that last year the Catholic Churches in the US had “seven credible allegations of abuse by priests”
He is noting that in 2011, “45 percent of claims filed against the church in 2011 were so old that the defendants had died of old age.”
And lastly, he is noting that “statistically, this makes priests the safest professionals in the country to leave children with.”
Read the rest of his opinion piece here!
It’s actually like the thing that happens every time someone has a plate of plastic prop doughnuts and insists that they are just as jelly-filled as all the rest of the doughnuts, and then proceeds to eat a plastic doughnut, gets angry when try to stop them from poisoning themselves and for declining their plastic doughnut, and then convinces onlookers that you must be forced to eat these plastic doughnuts. Not a perfect allegory, but close.
(via domesticterrorism)
lovelyloretta:
I am so sick of people bashing my religion and not caring twice about it.
No one even stops to think about how it feels. I just went through and deleted “friends” of mine on Facebook for making fun of my Church, because in case you’ve been living under a rock for the past few weeks, we’re sort of…
Well, yesterday my home state (Maryland) voted to pass a bill called hb 348. It still has to go through some stuff, but might get passed this go round. *sigh*
(Source: ryandonato, via sweetandlovelygirl7)
Suicide Notes
These suicide notes were gathered at the coroners’ offices by a suicidologist/psychiatrist who asked to be anonymous. He edited identifying details out of the compiled manuscript, and he changed the names. But the text of each letter plus the age and sex given are real. All these people did kill themselves.
The notes:
-Single female, age 21
My dearest Andrew,
It seems as if I have been spending all my life apologizing to you for things that happened whether they were my fault or not. I am enclosing your pin because I want you to think of what you took from me every time you see it. I don’t want you to think I would kill myself over you because you’re not worth any emotion at all. It is what you cost me that hurts and nothing can replace it.
-Single male, age 51
Sunday 4:45 PM. Here goes
To who it may concern
Though I am about to kick the bucket I am as happy as ever. I am tired of this life so am going over to see the other side.
Good luck to all.
Benjamin P
-Married male, age 45
My darling,
May her guts rot in hell — I loved her so much.
Henry
-Divorced female, age 61
You cops will want to know why I did it, well, just let us say that I lived 61 years too many.
People have always put obstacles in my way. One of the great ones is leaving this world when you want to and have nothing to live for.
I am not insane. My mind was never more clear. It has been a long day. The motor got so hot it would not run so I just had to sit here and wait. The breaks were against me to the last.
The sun is leaving the hill now so hope nothing else happens.
-Married male, age 74
What is a few short years to live in hell. That is all I get around here. No more I will pay the bills. No more I will drive the car. No more I will wash, iron & mend any clothes. No more I will have to eat the leftover articles that was cooked the day before. This is no way to live. Either is it any way to die. Her grub I can not eat. At night I can not sleep. I married the wrong nag-nag-nag and I lost my life.
W.S.
to the undertaker
We have got plenty money to give me a decent burial. Don’t let my wife kid you by saying she has not got any money.
Give this note to the cops.
Give me liberty or give me death.
W.S.
-Married male, age 45
Dear Claudia,
You win, I can’t take it any longer, I know you have been waiting for this to happen. I hope it makes you very happy, this is not an easy thing to do, but I’ve got to the point where there is nothing to live for, a little bit of kindness from you would of made everything so different, but all that ever interested you was the dollar. It is pretty hard for me to do anything when you are so greedy even with this house you couldn’t even be fair with that, well it’s all yours now and you won’t have to see the Lawyer anymore. I wish you would you give my personal things to Danny, you couldn’t get much from selling them anyway, you still have my insurance, it isn’t much but it will be enough to take care of my debts and still have a few bucks left.
You always told me that I was the one that made Sharon take her life, in fact you said I killed her, but you know down deep in your heart it was you that made her do what she did, and now you have two deaths to your credit, it should make you feel very proud.
Good By Kid
P.S. Disregard all the mean things I’ve said in this letter, I have said a lot of things to you I didn’t really mean and I hope you get well and wish you the best of everything.
Cathy — don’t come in.
Call your mother, she will know what to do.
Love
Daddy
Cathy don’t go in the bedroom.
-Married female, age 50
When a “man” doesn’t know where to take his wife — then she isn’t a wife any more —
I hope you will be “free” to take anyone any place and I’m sure you will not have any trouble as to places —
Please don’t tell my mother the truth — your whole tribe is partly responsible for this — from your mother on down — hope they are satisfied.
-Single male, age 13
I know what I am doing. Annette found out. Ask Cara. I love you all.
Bill
-Widowed female, age 52 (Her husband died three months before.)
Please tell Ron’s folks I love them very much but my heart breaks when I see or hear from them. Also all our friends especially Irene and Charles and Ella I love them also. Forgive me for not seeing them.
Everyone seems so happy and I am so alone. Amy. I wanted to visit you but I am going around in a dream. Alice I wanted to help you paint but how could I with a broken heart. And my head aches so much any more my nerves are ready to break and what would happen if they did.
You will say I am crazy and I can’t go on this way just half living.
I loved this house once but now it is so full of memories I can’t stay here. I have tried to think of some way to go on but can’t. Am so nervous all the time — I loved Ron too much but is that a sin, with him gone I have nothing. Oh I have the girls and family but they don’t fill the vacant spot left in my heart …
Xmas is coming I can’t go on I’m afraid I would break down. I’ve thought of this so many times. I love every one but I can’t be one of you any more. Please think kindly of me and forgive me. I only hope this is fatal then I can rest and no more trouble to any one. Do with Lisa whats best I know she has been a lot of worry to mama and I’m sorry. I tried to keep the yard up that seemed to be the only comfort I had. I loved it but that wasn’t anything. I’ve lost every thing so why go on. I worshipped Ron and when he went I lost my whole world and everything.
I’m so tired and lonely.
There goes a siren. Oh how can I stand being left. I need to go to a Dr. but I am afraid. I’m so cold.
Mother Love, Louise
-Married male, age 40
Jimmy!
Remember what I told you and always respect, protect and obey your mother and always remember that I love you so much. I am going to leave you forever because I am too sick to go on. God bless you my Son and when your time comes to go to Heaven you will find your ole Pappy waiting for you.
Daddy
-Single female, age 16
Dear Mother & Dad,
Please forgive me. I have tried to be good to you both. I love you both very much and wanted to get along with you both. I have tried.
I have wanted to go out with you and Dad but I was always afraid to ask for I always felt that the answer would be no.
And about Bud, I want to dismiss every idea about him. I don’t like him any more than a companion, for a while I thought I did but no more, in fact, I am quite tired of him, as you know, I get tired of everyone after a while.
And mother, I wish that you hadn’t called me a liar, and said I was just like Hap. as I’m not. It is just that I am afraid of you both at times, but I love you both very much.
So Long
Your loving daughter
that will always
love you
Mary
P.S. Please forgive me. I want you to, and don’t think for one minute that I haven’t appreciate everything you’ve done.
By far the most interesting and thought provoking blog I have seen on tumblr in a while. What do they all have in common? Love. Is today’s view of love so warped that we see the natural response to pain in love to be suicide?
(Source: ramirezdahmerbundy, via lovewillfuckusapart)
thatjoerapkid:
hiddenfromthestars:
arbeloas:
captainfabfro | rustybayonetliebgott:
This is one of the most haunting photos I have ever seen. It is hundreds of wedding rings that were removed from those in Concentration Camps.
I haven’t seen a single post on my dash about it being the remembrance day of the holocaust today so I guess it’s up to me
This is so fucking heartwrenching. Holy hell. Anyone who has experienced love of any type should try to envision themselves in the place that the owner’s of these rings must have been…imagine being separated from the person you love the most or — even worse — witnessing their starvation and suffering.
This is sobering.
(via badwolfcomplex)
Twins
(Source: love-to-see-me-breaking, via p4tentexp1red)
Richard Rohr, OFM
and sometimes, too many times, He never hears that “I love you, too.”
(via goldenfeet)
fabulescent:
This make you uncomfortable? Why? Black history IS U.S. history. And the struggle hasn’t been pretty. This picture is only 75 years old. How many of your grandparents are 75? Don’t fear the past and don’t ignore it. Learn. Grow. Love. Together.
(via sweetandlovelygirl7)
How can we be happy in this earthly life? How can we love if we know we will be hurt? If we find and root our happiness in that which extends past this life. If we love that which will not hurt us.
How many times do I forget this? How many times do I try to make things of passing “god?” How many times do I try to love with the completeness that only God deserves those things, those people who are not God?