BishopAccountability.org
 
  Church and State

God. Family
December 17, 2010

http://novozinsky.org/Church_and_State.html

December 14, 2010... The Newark Archbishop, John J Meyers protects pedophile priests (four of 'em if you are scoring at home)... Legislation sponsored by Senators Joseph F. Vitale and Nicholas P. Scutari which would eliminate the statute of limitations for victims of sexual abuse to sue their abusers, and would allow for the revival of cases which were dismissed because the state of limitations had lapsed, was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee last week by a vote of 9-0. The bill now heads to the full Senate for consideration.

Vitale and Scutari “get it” and it’s about time some of these politicians do. Recently there has been a rash of court decisions that have opened up court records and diocesan records alike to reveal the names of credible accusations against clergy. Trenton has this “deal” as well.

In this "deal" the Mercer County prosecutor agreed to "seal" the names of priest within the Trenton Diocese that had "credible" claims against them by those they abused. They were defrocked or dead or simply slipped out of site. The prosecutor said it was just a matter of the expiration of the statutes of limitations. Well, it's not that simple anymore and there are nine men and a whole lot of people at the Diocese office quacking in their cassocks today because of it.

Now it is time for them to come clean. The deal brokered between (then) Bishop John M Smith and the Mercer County prosecutor’s office was a smoke screen that is indicative of both organizations that we place our trust in both for protection against earthly forces and our spiritual needs. Of those names sealed, I have four. I plan on having all twelve by mid-July 2011. These names are those that have either died or left the priesthood or have been defrocked but still live in our state and neighborhoods and our school districts. Should we just let this sleeping dog lie? No. There are people that walk around with a loss of innocence by those that are supposedly closest to God and the successors of the Apostles (Bishops). Opening these records will be a huge step in the healing process if healing is possible.

One of the sealed names of John Banko who is a central focus in my book Purple Reign.” Banko sits today in the Avenel Treatment Center in Woodbridge for his crimes as a priest in the Metuchen diocese but has never been held accountable for his crimes in the diocese of Trenton. Releasing his name officially will place at least seven victims in Trenton at a crossroads to decide whether to press the Diocese to react or to simply move on.

But who is fighting this bill from passing? The church and the Church “Leagues” of course.

The Catholic League is claiming that it is impossible to allow for a defense of cases that are 20, 30 and even 40 years old. Memories fade they claim and witnesses become scarce. At the committee hearing (that passed this resolution to bring to the state Senate by a 9-0 vote) the Leagues showed up as a Church proxy in order to make the claim for the church so that the church would not have to look “soft” on the past scandals.

This brings us all to the Archdiocese of Newark, NJ and His Excellency Archbishop John J. Meyers.

According to the Newark Star Ledger just this past week, eight years ago, Bishop Myers stood among the nation’s bishops in Dallas and helped craft a policy intended to cleanse the priesthood of pedophiles and restore trust among shaken American Catholics.

In ratifying the Dallas Charter, Myers and his colleagues promised a new era of reform and transparency. Allegations of sexual abuse against priests would no longer be hidden from parishioners or police, and any priest believed to have molested a child would be permanently banned from ministry.

In the years since, Myers and his aides say the archdiocese has taken aggressive measures to identify abusive priests – ah, not so much!

The diligent Newark Star-Ledger reporter Jeff Diamant did a review of the archbishop’s record since 2002 and it shows Myers on at least four occasions has shielded priests accused of sexual abuse against minors and one adult. In the four instances, the priests have either admitted improper sexual contact, pleaded guilty to crimes stemming from accusations of sexual misconduct or been permanently barred from ministry by the archdiocese after allegations of sexual misconduct.

The archdiocese also wrote a letter of recommendation for one of the priests, a week after it learned he was accused of breaking into a woman’s home in Florida and possibly assaulting her.

From one perspective, the newspaper’s findings suggest Myers continues to take a cautious hand in publicly naming priests. The findings, coupled with testimony from a 2009 deposition, show the issue weighs heavily on Myers.

From another view, the archbishop has failed to live up to the guidelines and spirit of what was set forth in Dallas. The most controversial example is the Rev. Michael Fugee, who confessed to police eight years ago that he molested a 13-year-old boy. Fugee was never ousted from the priesthood, and the archdiocese assigned him last year as chaplain to St. Michael’s Hospital in Newark without telling hospital officials of his past.

In other cases:

- In 2004, the Newark Archdiocese wrote letters to six dioceses in Florida on behalf of the Rev. Wladyslaw Gorak, one week after learning Gorak’s ministry had been terminated in the Orlando Diocese — after he was accused of breaking into a woman’s home.

- Also in 2004, the archdiocese banned the Rev. Gerald Ruane from public ministry after investigating an allegation he molested a boy, but did not publicly notify lay people or other priests. Ruane continued to say Mass and wear his collar in public.

- In 2007, the archdiocese failed to inform lay people that it found a molestation claim credible against the Rev. Daniel Medina, who had worked in parishes in Elizabeth and Jersey City. The case wasn’t made public until a victims group uncovered an alert sent by the archdiocese in September 2008 to other bishops saying Medina was on administrative leave and could not be located.

So now we need to turn to our state representatives and it seems the democrat Senators Joseph F. Vitale and Nicholas P. Scutari are answering the call and Newark Star-Ledger reporter Jeff Diamant is doing his investigating. This has to be made crystal, this is not catholic bashing. I remain devout but I also remain diligent and suspicious of career-minded clerics that are putting the church ahead protection. They are making victims of these people one more time.

December 9, 2010... Ran-dumb Thoughts... Ross Scheuerman has been named the Player of the Year for football by the Trenton Times and it is well deserved. Ross will be announcing his higher education commitment right here on www.novozinsky.org... Members of the Upper Freehold/Allentown Alliance to Prevent Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, commonly known as the Drug Alliance, asked the governing body to continue to fund their work for another year. They need $9000 to get the matching funds from the county. The Township committee via Council member Bob Faber said the governing body will do everything they can to find the funds - here's a suggestion: make-up 15% of the goal by making Rec Basketball a volunteer position... Once again the UFT bus drivers are making a difference The bus drivers of the Upper Freehold Regional School District are seeking donations for the Dec. 11 “Fill the Bus” fund-raiser. Needed are canned and boxed food items, as well as stocking stuffers that will be given to children up to age 18. All items will be going to local charities and food pantries. The collection will take place from 9 AM. to 4 PM. in the Elementary School parking lot on High Street,Allentown.- nice job... George Vardakis Jr. has filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the zoning board’s recent decision allowing a 90,000-square-foot warehouse/office space building to be built on Meadowbrook Road. This absolutely kills me - This is so "Fried being Fried, Robbinsville has the Matrix warehouses on Gordan Rd sitting empty and you people keep re-electing him. He says his hands are tied, I say he is full of it... No way Trenton Mayor Tony Mack survives to see July 4 as Mayor - he is as good as out due to a pending Recall.

December 5, 2010... The Day BHO became the first President NOT to salute a Medal of Honor Recipient. A moment of national pride took place recently in the White House when an American soldier, Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta, received the Medal of Honor for bravery above and beyond the call of duty in combat in Afghanistan.Sgt. Giunta became the first living American soldier to receive the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War. He is now one of only eighty-eight (88) living holders of the Medal of Honor.

As modest and self-effacing as he is brave, Sgt. Giunta brought further honor to himself by his humility in receiving the nation's highest medal of valor. While he made no comment in the ceremony, Giunta said before the ceremony that he was "not at peace" with being "singled out" for the honor as so many other soldiers did so much. And after the ceremony, he said he would trade the honor in a moment if he could bring back those whose lives he attempted to save under enemy fire but was unable to save. He definitely showed that he was an American in whom America could be proud.

In contrast, there was another "first" at the ceremony involving the Commander-in-Chief, President Barack Hussein Obama, in whose conduct the nation cannot and should not take pride: As far as is known, Obama became the first President, the first Commander-in-Chief , not to salute the living recipient of the Medal of Honor after presenting the medal.

It is a tradition in the military for all military personnel, no matter how high their rank, including the Commander-in-Chief, to salute a holder of the Medal of Honor no matter how lowly his or her rank. If General David Petreas was to encounter Sgt. Giunta, it would be the General who would salute the enlisted man, as a sign of respect for that soldier's extraordinary bravery, but also to show respect to all those who have received the Medal of Honor.

At all gatherings of veterans of the American Legion, or VFW, or other veterans organizations, if a Medal of Honor recipient enters the room, even a National Convention involving thousands, the proceedings stop to render military honor to that holder of the Medal of Honor. All veterans rise, come to attention, and salute. It is a matter of pride, of respect, of tradition.

This is tradition that every President who has had the honor to present the Medal of Honor to a living recipient, has shown humility, respect, and national pride in that recipient by stepping back and rendering a salute.

November 24, 2010... Obama (don't) Care... For those who say that Obama Care will not cost the middle class a tax increase let’s cut right to the chase; if you have not already noticed your health care has gone up for 2011 and anyone that drinks the Kool-aid of the Left can spin it anyway thy like but you (we) are paying for the illegal immigrants to have health coverage here in America.

My family has great health care. We pay about $700 a month and not since I was in the armed services did I enjoy such good bene’s. This week my wife informed me that they just got crappy.

We were in a pre-tax prescription program that allowed for just that “pre-tax” benefits to be used for medical needs. This extended to OTC coverage as well.

Not anymore.

We were informed by our service provider that due to the recent healthcare reform benefits this program has been eliminated and we could no longer exercise this benefit in the OTC aisles at our local CVS. All well and good enough for us but what about those who are trying to quit smoking and had this benefit? Nicotine patches can go up to $100 a case and forget the Zertak ($35). No tax? I’m sure.

Our co-payment went up as well. We were $15 aqnd now are $20. No too bad but we are a family of six and I don’t see my oldest son readjusting any of his programs until his 27th birthday.

Madame Speaker, you did pass it. We see what’s in it now – it stinks.

November 20,2010... A Lesson from Israel – PROFILING IS THE ANSWER TO AIR TRAVEL SECURITY

When will political correctness frenzy be reigned in? We are allowing our liberal Washington, DC caretakers lull us into a false sense of security that if are real nice to those that want to kill us (and bow before their leaders – literally) that they will not want to kill us anymore.

What will it take (again) for President Barak Hussein Obama to get his wake up call and realize that the sky’s are not safe, the borders are not safe and that the shifting of criminal terrorism cases from a military tribunals to a federal is certainly not safe. The president maintains that we are safer using a diplomatic approach to terrorism by playing nice-nice instead of taking a lesson from our only middle eastern allies – Israel. The more I Barak-watch the more I am convinced that he is incapable of “taking that call that comes in at two in the morning.”

IF I fly (and I prefer not to) and someone wants to grope-search me, then that's okay. Wand the nun and pull an occasional granny from Scandinavia and give them a sniff-test if you like but let's not be ignorant to the issue that prompted all of heightened security. We are at war with radical Islam. Extremists blow up planes and subway stations. I don't blow them up, chances are you don’t; but we’re pulled aside each and every time and why? Well it seems that Muslim groups are getting tired of being profiled. They're feelings are hurt because we are picking on them - but they still want to kill us.

Though our President feels otherwise Muslims are not a peaceful, fun-loving people. They abide by the Quran and have this little quirk that says Sharia Law is a good thing. Also contrary to our President's beliefs, I fully support Israel's right to a homeland. But it seems that they have an issue with bombs being tossed over their borders and killing their children to the tune of about 20 a year. Lovely.

The one thing Israel does not have a concern about is airline security. Think about it, every border country around Israel wants them dead and obliterated yet no one can get on their planes - why is that?

“Profiling” in Israel’s El Al Air is not a dirty word.

In 30 years El Al has had zero highjackings and no terror threats within the skin of any plane and only one is its history.

But how do they do it?

Israel does not rely on technology alone. They also do not hire the Nathan’s Hot Dog guy from the dayshift at Newark Airport to cover the night shift screening station in the International flight terminal.

They pay well and they get well-qualified candidates for security jobs. They must be secondary school eduated (equivalent to a 2 years associates degree in the United States) and must speak two languages on top of their native language and English. They must be trained for 6 months in classrooms and receive on-the-job training with a supervisor for four weeks to make sure that they understand how to approach a passenger and how to convince him to cooperate, because the passenger is taking the flight and we are on the ground. The passengers have to understand that the security is doing it for their benefit.

Israeli answer to our TSA is in constant communication with Israeli intelligence to find out if there are any suspicious passengers among hundreds of passengers coming to take the flight by getting the list of passengers for each flight and comparing it with the “suspicious list”. If one of the passengers is on either list, then they are waiting for him – the aggressor becomes the aggressed.

Each and every gate guard is licensed to carry a handgun and a semi-automatic weapon that is strapped to their thigh so it cannot be wrestled away and the video equipment is high definition. Any “move” to break the gate is considered an act of aggression and the rules of engagement on the aggressor is more lenient and forceful than our own government allows in the killing sands of Afghanistan or outside of Iraq’s Green Zone.

Juan Williams was fired by (government funded) NPR for saying what we are thinking and it’s all the fault of the current administration.

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November 15, 2010... More Sensitivity. More Tolerance. More Unity for all Faiths (except for Catholics)... From Arch-Bishop Timothy Dolan who says it best as far as I'm concerned. This week the NY Times ran a review of a "must see" art exhibit and... oh well, I'll let the Arch-Bishop tell it from here...

"... I know, I should drop it. “You just have to get used to it,” so many of you have counseled me. “It’s been that way forever, and it’s so ingrained they don’t even know they’re doing it. So, let it go.” I’m talking about the common, casual way The New York Times offends Catholic sensitivity, something they would never think of doing — rightly so — to the Jewish, Black, Islamic, or gay communities. This glowingly reviewed not-to-be missed “art” exhibit comes to us from Harvard, and is a display of posters from ACT UP.

Remember them?

They invaded St. Patrick’s Cathedral to disrupt prayer, trampled on the Holy Eucharist, insulted Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger when he was here for a conference, and yelled four letter words while exposing themselves to families and children leaving Mass at the Cathedral. The man they most detested was Cardinal John O’Connor, who, by the way, spent many evenings caring quietly for AIDS patients, and, when everyone else ran from them, opened units for them at the Terence Cardinal Cooke Health Care Center and St. Clare’s Hospital. Too bad for him. One of the posters in this “must see” exhibit is of Cardinal O’Connor, in the form of a condom, referred to as a “scumbag,” the “art” there in full view in the photograph above the gushing review in our city’s daily..."

My Take: The New York Times, the liberal left, the apologists for "art" and ACT-UP are irreverent, disgusting and pompous. Christians have to sallow this tolerance castor oil while these unemployed dolts that could not carry a full course load in college "artists" get a free pass.

Supreme Court will not halt DADT while it is being heard by the Appeals Court... The U.S. Supreme Court refused Friday to stop enforcement of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy while a lower court hears a challenge to the Pentagon’s ban on gays and lesbians serving openly. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit is preparing to hear legal arguments in a case brought by the Log Cabin Republicans. The gay rights group is challenging “don’t ask, don’t tell,” and in September a federal district judge found the policy to be unconstitutional and blocked the Pentagon from enforcing the ban. The appeals court is not likely to set a hearing on the issue until mid-March, and its ruling could come anytime after that. But the Justice Department persuaded the 9th Circuit to lift the judge’s stay, prompting the Log Cabin Republicans to appeal to the Supreme Court.

My Take: I have to defer to the military on this and as a five year vet, I believe that DADT needs to upheld. People talk about battlefields etc but what they lose site of is the closed quarters and the element of people from each corner of the country. This is not an anti-gay stance. I think in the year 2010 the gay community is still treated like the crazy uncle no one wants at the wedding but in a climate that the united states armed services has, this is not a good idea to mix company.

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November 11, 2010... I've made it known that I am a fan of David Reeder. Dave is a good man and a great friend, His wife and I have known each other for 44 years and I admire the way they both conducted themselves during the most horrible time of their lives when their child became ill.

David has been a fixture in Little League baseball here for decades. As a player, as a coach and as a board member he brought pride and dignity to the job and to the league. He knew every kid by name and listened to many complaints and too few accolades. Soft spoken and a man of character, David lost some friends along the way but never lost sight of his focus; to keep baseball thriving in Allentown and Upper Freehold.

his past summer a friend's dad died. He was 91 and raised 7 kids. He was hard as nails and worked a factory until he was 77 because he wanted to. I summed up his life to my friends as "he did his job." David Reeder came to the ball park before dawn and left well after dark. He took his one vacation a year and sacrificed so many more social outings because he wanted to. He leaves the game of baseball in our community a better game and a better league - David Reeder, a good man, did his job.

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October 27 , 2010... Take a look at the MessPress and EXAMINER next time it comes through - what's missing? Advertising. The EXAMINER is cutting back on staffing and is taking a dip in readership ever since it went from the mailbox to the driveway. Soon, (I think) this will be the place to get your news, sports and weather and God forbid that...

Speaking of the EXAMINER, Greg Bean takes a hit on credibility. Always a shill for a liberal cause (and knowing nothing about western Monmouth County), Bean and his wife are now using their son's (Coleman) death as a campaign plug for Rush Holt. The Bean family lost their son to suicide after he bravely fought in the Global War on Terrorism. Regardless how he died, he died a hero. In the TV spot, Bean is never identified as a media man and he (and his wife, Linda) state that "Rush Holt has sponsored legislation that will save lives" but what they don't say (Holt included) is that the proposed legislation is not out of Committee and not before the Senate. So how can this be saving any lives? Either the Bean family is using their son’s passing to further a liberal cause or Rush Holt is using the Bean family to win an election. Either way this is reprehensible. Why is it that liberals use the death of soldiers to push an agenda? Cindy Sheehan and her son and the Bean’s and their son. I hope that the D12 sees through it…

What local elected official drives through the community-at-large with absolute and total disregard for speed limits and stop signs? Not only that, this individual (unless performing a street-by-street policing exercise) has absolutely no reason to be in these hoods and woods...

The Catholic Church remains a mystery to me. How can it be that the Church Hierarchy is hell-bent on the exclusion of women in more decisive and hands-on roles within the Church when it was the men that loused everything up in the first place. Women as priests? No. Women as review Board members in each Diocese and in the Vatican? Yes. The Church needs to now take a very serious look at the role of women because there is a very real crisis of nuns not being in existence in 50 years time. The reason is that they do not want to be maids of the house any longer. I fully encourage you to read the account of this at http://www.newsweek.com/2010/05/27/female-troubles.html by Lisa Miller. I will be hammering hard on this in my book; Purple Reign...

This site has garnered a lot of attention not only within the Diocese of Trenton but also by surrounding religious as well. A Monsignor from the Diocese of Newark emailed me recently and had the following to say: "... your voice is being heard. Make sure you use it in the correct and proper manner and with manners. Don't be swayed by those that say what you are doing stands against the church because it doesn't. Those of us that believe that there is evil within the church also believe that those who speak out against abuse are serving an important ministry…” ...

There are a billion Catholics in the world. There are a billion and a half Muslims. To say that all Muslims are terrorists is unfair and tantamount to saying that all Catholics are child molesters - it's absurd. The problem is with Muslim Extremists and that leads into the powers of the thrown of Iran, Afghanistan and Lybia.

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October 25, 2010... Who is Muhammad? Why Can't We Draw a Picture of Him (without getting killed); The Qur'an The following was taken from answers.com:

Muhammad is the central prophet of the Islamic faith. Born into a noble Quraish (Quraysh) clan, he was orphaned at an early age. He grew up to be a successful merchant, then turned contemplative; it's said that beginning when he was 40, Muhammad was commanded by Allah (God) to recite the words that would later become Islam's holy book, the Qur'an (or Koran). As the revelations continued, Muhammad preached publicly of the duty to submit to the one true god, gaining followers and earning the enmity of the polytheistic authorities. To escape persecution, Muhammad was forced to flee in 622 to Yathrib (later called Medina). His poetic recitations and pleas for social justice continued to win converts, and Muhammad was repeatedly called into battle in his efforts to unite Arabia behind the faith known as Islam (meaning "submission"). After finally conquering Mecca in 630, Muhammad returned to Medina, where he died in 632. The prophet's name is sometimes spelled 'Mohammed' or 'Mohamet'... To show respect, many Muslims say or write "peace be upon him" (abbreviated "pbuh") after the name of Muhammad and other prophets.

The Qur'an. Sacred scripture of Islam, regarded by Muslims as the infallible word of God, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. The book, first compiled in its authoritative form in the 7th century, consists of 114 chapters (surahs) of varying length, written in Arabic. The earliest surahs call for moral and religious obedience in light of the coming Day of Judgment; the ones written later provide directives for the creation of a social structure that will support the moral life called for by God. The Qur'an also provides detailed accounts of the joys of paradise and the terrors of hell. Muslims believe that the God who spoke to Muhammad is the God worshiped by Jews and Christians but that the revelations received by those religions are incomplete. Emphasis on the stern justice of God is tempered by frequent references to his mercy and compassion. The Qur'an demands absolute submission (islam) to God and his word, and it serves as the primary source of Islamic law. It is regarded as immutable in both form and content; traditionally translation was forbidden. The translations available today are regarded as paraphrases to facilitate understanding of the actual scripture.

Why can't we draw a picture of Muhammad without getting killed?

The permissibility of depictions of Muhammad, the founder of Islam, has long been a concern in Islam's history. Oral and written descriptions are readily accepted by all traditions of Islam, but there is disagreement about visual depictions.

The Qur'an does not explicitly forbid images of Muhammad, but there are a few hadith (supplemental teachings) which have explicitly prohibited Muslims from creating the visual depictions of figures under any circumstances. Most contemporary Sunni Muslims believe that visual depictions of the prophets generally should be prohibited, and they are particularly averse to visual representations of Muhammad. The key concern is that the use of images can encourage idolatry, where the image becomes more important than what it represents (the prophet).

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October 22, 2010... Faux-Outrage and Political Correctness Gone Overboard and Christine O'Donnell: Wrong Candidate at the Wrong Time (or any time) ... NPR fired Juan Williams a long time (and liberal) NPR show host. Williams also is a frequent guest and panelist on various FOX News broadcasts such as the O’Reilly Factor and Hannity. He is forthright and very, very good.

This is what happened. On a recent segment on The O’Reilly Factor, Bill O'Reilly, asked him whether he thought the United States was facing a "Muslim dilemma." "The cold truth is that in the world today jihad, aided and abetted by some Muslim nations, is the biggest threat on the planet," O'Reilly said.

Williams, who is African American and writes and speaks frequently on race, told O'Reilly that he agreed with his assessment.

"I mean, look, Bill, I'm not a bigot. You know the kind of books I've written about the civil rights movement in this country," he said. "But when I get on a plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they're identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous."

Muslim advocacy groups and liberal commentators reacted with outrage to Williams's comments on "The O'Reilly Factor" and called for his ouster. Conservative bloggers, in turn, blasted the dismissal as political-correctness spiraling out of control.

Guess who won? Not Juan Williams - Gone. Fired.

NPR says that Williams’ remarks “are not in line with the editorial standards and belief of NPR.” Oh, so it’s okay for the liberal-slanted NPR to go on and on about freedom of speech as long as it toes the line of their beliefs. Keep in mind that NPR is partially federally funded.

I don’t fly. I try to avoid it at all costs. I make frequent trips to the South (Florida and North Carolina) and I drive. My wife has a ska-billion frequent flyer points and I get into my car and drive. Why? Because I am an ultra-paranoid that feels the only lottery I am destined to win is the “your plane is getting blown out of the sky” lottery.

MY track record on racial bigotry is well known and documented. Bullies and Bigots are beneath contempt. But I also travel to Newark most days and when I am forced to intersect Broad and Market I “get worried, I get nervous.” Not because I am the only white guy out there but there place is crawling with addicts and pushers. When I come to the stop light at Broad and Emmett I “get worried, I get nervous.” Why? Because there are 3 guys each and every day that walk through traffic at the stop light and each have a pit bull on a rope and each are giving head nods which is Broad and Emmett-speak for soliciting drugs.

Take a stroll with me and you’ll see it for yourself. I am so sick and tired of this faux-outrage because certain groups say they are offended. Ever since this mega-mosque in NYC and Tennessee came to light we are so worried that we are offending Muslims and radical Islam – guess what, THEY are telling us how outraged WE need to be and we are buying hook, line and sinker. We are being cajoled into a false sense of complacency of pre-September 2001 and it will come back to haunt us.

October 20, 2010... Sunday afternoon I spent part of the day with some wonderful people from St Raphael / Holy Angels of Trenton NJ. Several parishioners got together to support the Father Selvaraj Legal Defense Fund. I have said it in the past and will say it here "you do NOT want to go up against a room full of Trenton Catholics." This was evident in that room.

Here is what struck me. I WAS THE YOUNGEST guy in the room. How the church has changed. The people at the fundraiser were elderly and gave me a warm reception. I was asked to give my version of my issues with Father John Bambrick, my book and my dealings with the Diocese. These people listened and asked very pointed and relevant questions. Father James Selvaraj is THEIR priest. These people love and support him and will continue to do so. They will be boycotting the Bishop Appeal. They will continue to call the Pastoral Center and make their feelings known at any given opportunity.

Father looks good and became emotional during his remarks. This is NOT a guilty man. I gave my commitment to support Father in anyway that I can. I will be tracking his plight throughout this ordeal. Here's why; when the charges were brought against him the Trenton Times had it page one, above the fold. When he was exonerated, it was page 34 under Garage Sales. As long as this site has the attention of the Diocese (and it DOES) - I will continue to give the updates. God Bless James Selvaraj.

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Kathleen Folden, 56, of Kalispell, Mont., was arrested Wednesday and charged with criminal mischief after allegedly taking a crowbar to a controversial art museum display in Colorado that critics say portrays Jesus Christ receiving oral sex from another man.

The piece, on display since Sept. 11 at the tax-funded Loveland Museum Gallery in Loveland, Colo., includes several images of Jesus, including one in which he appears to be receiving oral sex from a man as the word "orgasm" appears beside Jesus’ head.

Where is the outrage? Is Christ receiving oral sex tolerant?

In the very un-funny HBO show Curb your Enthusiasm, show creator Larry urinates on a painting of Jesus Christ, causing a woman to believe the painting depicts Jesus crying.

Where is the outrage? Is Christ being pissed on tolerant?

The Seattle cartoonist whose artwork sparked the controversial "Everybody Draw Muhammad Day!" has gone into hiding at the advice of the FBI after being targeted by a radical Muslim cleric, according to the newspaper that published her comics.

Molly Norris has moved and changed her name, the Seattle Weekly said Wednesday, after U.S.-born Yemeni cleric Anwar al-Awlaki placed her on an execution hit list. Awlaki -- who has been linked to the botched Times Square bombing and cited as inspiration for the Fort Hood massacre and a plot by two New Jersey men to kill U.S. soldiers -- reportedly called Norris a "prime target" for assassination and that her "proper abode is hellfire."

Oh, the cartoonist says “draw Muhammad” and receives a death sentence – now that’s outrage? That’s showing tolerance and that’s being sensitive. Why aren’t peaceful Muslim’s speaking out against these execution lists?

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It's Time to Revisit Megan's Law and to Make it More Like Jessica's

I want to believe that there is a special place in Heaven that Megan Kanka and Jessica Lunsford play together and get a daily visit from God who has taken the horror of their last hours on earth and made it a never-to-be-had-again-thought for eternity. My faith allows for me to believe this and reality forces us to live with what happened and families to be absorbed each and every waking moment of their lives until they are back with Jessica and Megan.

To those of us in central New Jersey, Megan was “our child.” When she died we all felt a loss. Those who were our state representatives at the time did as well and they instituted Megan’s Law. Trenton is in the very shadow of the neighborhood that Megan lived and past. The law was passed in New Jersey in 1994 and several other states adopted it as well. In 1996, the U.S. Congress passed Megan's Law as an amendment to the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children's Act. It required every state to develop some procedure for notifying the public when a sex offender is released into their community. Different states have different procedures for making the required disclosures.

The problem is that 16 years later, the Law is flawed and NJ is reluctant to change its course and adopt the more enforceable and stricter, Jessica’s Law.

Over the weekend, my friend and attorney Jeff Ferriar sent me a link to an article that I missed and it was based on the loop holes surrounding Megan’s. Here within lies the issue; no law that protects children against those who are prey on them can have any sort of “out.” None. Period. Nada. Zilch.

From the APP.com: “…Megan’s Law contains provisions for some sex offenders to get out of the registration requirements and lifetime parole supervision if:

• they have been in the community for 15 years without reoffending and can prove they no longer pose a threat.

• offenders who were younger than 14 when they committed a sexual offense also can apply to get off of Megan's Law restrictions once they turn 18.

• a sex offender cannot have a conviction for the most serious and violent sexual offenses — aggravated sexual assault and sexual assault, and cannot have committed multiple sexual offenses

• offender must prove to a Superior Court judge in a closed hearing by clear and convincing evidence that he is not likely to pose a threat to the safety of others…”

Unacceptable.

(APP.com) ”…The Public Defender's Office has been successful in getting 18 offenders off of the state's Megan's Law registry and two off of lifetime parole supervision though none reside in Monmouth or Ocean counties. As of Oct. 4, there were 13,612 sex offenders on the Megan's Law registry in New Jersey, according to State Police. Of those, 762 reside in Monmouth County and 704 reside in Ocean County…”

It’s outrageous enough that our tax dollars are used for Public Defenders to defend these indefensible; but then we have the profiteers - enter the bloodsuckers on the enflamed hemorrhoids of our existence.

Attorneys Alexander M. Iler and Travis Tormey, whose office is in Red Bank, have been advertising on the Internet for such clients (see http://www.ilerlawfirm.com/). They said they have helped about a dozen sex offenders get off of Megan's Law restrictions in Monmouth, Ocean, Middlesex, Mercer, Union and Essex counties in the past year, and they have a dozen more such clients with applications in the pipeline. All have been successful, so far, they said.

So Iler and Tormey are proud of this (see their site dedicated to this at: http://www.ilerlawfirm.com/Sex-Crimes/Megans-Law-in-Sex-Offender-Cases.shtml). They have gotten off (no pun intended) these offenders and can sleep at night. I can go on for days on the topic of this Firm. One day their police scanner broke and they didn’t have the bandwidth to chase the ambulances down the GSP to insert business cards on bodies being carted away from the accidents scenes so they decided to take a step lower than tick-droppings and defend the indefensible – sex offenders. I hope the most violent of which moves into the house next door and is a crossing guard at their kids’ bus stop. But I digress.

What will help me sleep at night is that my state representation reviews Megan’s Law and adopts the more stringent Jessica’s Law.

Under Jessica the law is clear, succinct and simple (and has no loopholes). It reads: “Named in memory of Jessica Lunsford, who was abducted and sexually assaulted before being brutally murdered, "Jessica's Law" refers to the Jessica Lunsford Act passed in Florida which mandates a minimum sentence of 25 years and a maximum of life in prison for first-time child sex offenders.” BANG! Bye-bye – see you (maybe) in 25 years.

BillOReilly.com tracks the progress of the implementation of Jessica and to date there are seven states that are classified as “heading in the wrong direction.” New Jersey is one of the seven. We are hesitant to make the changes and to take away from the memory of Megan – this needs to be put in the right hands.

Today I have contacted Maureen and Richard Kanka through their Foundation and asked them to support the revision of Megan’s Law to fall more in line with Jessica’s Law. I believe that Mr. and Mrs. Kanka want what is right for our children and that is not achieved through loopholes and lunch-stained shirted, dreg attorneys like Iler and Tormey. I ask that you do the same and contact the Kanka’s by logging into http://www.megannicolekankafoundation.org/ and our Governor, the honorable Chris Christie at http://www.billoreilly.com/outragefunnels and tell him that the law needs revision and no public funds for defending the appeal of sexual offenders.

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The BEST Idea Since ... well... the Cell Phone - Anti-Text Devices that we ALL Need to Have

I NEVER read the NY Times but someone sent this to me and it is worth posting. I am as guilty as anyone when it comes to texting and driving and as of today, it stops. I'm a parent of a driver and one soon-to-follow and I don't want them dead or anyone else so I have listed the top four rated anti-text device (plans) for you to look at. I am going to do a Consumer Technology Report look up and let you know which is the best rated. But for now, here are the top rated...

TXTBLOCKER If you, O parent, were born with a dominant Big Brother gene, this is the app for you. It prevents texting, calling, e-mailing or Web surfing when the phone is in motion. It also lets you pinpoint the phone’s location on a map online, so you can track your child’s comings and goings.

You can set it up so that you get a text message every time the phone’s owner exceeds, say, 65 miles an hour. (An unlimited texting plan might be useful.)

You can also define a “no phone” zone, like your young hellion’s school; the phone stops working inside this area.

As for the Passenger Problem, you can temporarily unblock the phone by solving a timed puzzle.

In the blessing/curse department, note that tXtBlocker “pings” your phone’s GPS only once every several minutes. As a result, it’s slow to block and unblock the phone — but it doesn’t burn through your phone’s battery as fast as its rivals. (Price: $25, plus $10 a month or $100 a year; family plan available; for BlackBerry and Windows Mobile. Android and iPhone versions coming soon.)

CELLSAFETY This app blocks everything bad — text, e-mail, Web, chat, Facebook — except actual phone calls. Weird.

Like tXtBlocker, CellSafety offers location tracking and speed monitoring features, and lets you define certain geographic zones. When your teenager enters or exits that area, you’re notified by text message, and, at your option, no texting is allowed. CellSafety also blocks pornographic Web sites.

The Passenger Problem: if you click Request Permission on the blockade screen, your parent or boss gets a text message. If your overlord approves of your request by replying with “unblock,” you can use the phone. (Price: $10 a month, on Android, BlackBerry and Nokia phones.)

IZUP If CellSafety is a friendly babysitter, iZup is the distraction Nazi. Once you’re in motion, iZup turns your phone into a brick. You don’t have access to a single feature (except one single designated app, intended for your GPS navigation program).

“IZUP does not allow a user to select some distractions and stop others,” says the company. “We believe that is key in the fight against distracted driving. We are purists in our approach here.”

You can’t even whip out your phone at a red light or stop sign; to guard against that sort of sneakiness, iZup doesn’t reactivate for several minutes after you stop.

You can’t make any calls except to 911 or one of three preapproved phone numbers. Only the parent or boss can unlock the blocking — by entering a password before you start to drive. If you’re a passenger, tough rocks.

One more note: maybe these apps are young, or maybe the technology gods had a rough week — but in my testing, three of the four apps stopped working at one point or another. TXtBlocker, CellSafety and ZoomSafer each worked intermittently until company reps walked me through reinstalling them. Only iZup worked every time, all the time, solid as a rock.(Price: $5 a month or $50 a year; family plan available; BlackBerry, some Android, LG and Samsung phones.)

ZOOMSAFER When ZoomSafer kicks in, the phone makes a little sound. You can replace that sound with one you’ve recorded yourself; your toddler saying, “Stay alive, mommy!” or “Come home soon, daddy!” makes a particularly effective choice.

(Source: NY TIMES)

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Good for Steinert High School Grad, Justice Samuel Alito...

Let's talk some Supreme Court... When Supreme Court justices enter the House of Representatives in their black robes for the president's next State of the Union address, Samuel Alito does not plan to be among them.

The justice said the annual speech to Congress has become very political and awkward for the justices, who he says are expected to sit "like the proverbial potted plant."

Of course, Alito did not remain impassive at the most recent State of the Union speech by President Barack Obama. He reacted to Obama's unusual rebuke of the court for its decision in a campaign finance case by shaking his head and mouthing the words "not true."

The 60-year-old justice, an appointee of President George W. Bush, acknowledged with a smile that his colleagues "who are more disciplined refrain from manifesting any emotion or opinion whatsoever."

Alito, answering questions following a speech Wednesday at the conservative Manhattan Institute in New York, also said, "Presidents will fake you out." The institute provided an online video link to Alito's talk and question-and-answer session.

The president will begin a sentence with an invocation of the country's greatness, Alito said. If justices don't jump up and applaud, "you look very unpatriotic," he said.

But, Alito continued, then the president may finish the thought by adding "because we're conducting a surge in Iraq or because we're enacting health care reform." Justices aren't supposed to react to statements about policy or politics.

The better course, Alito said, is to follow the example of more experienced justices like Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and the recently retired John Paul Stevens. None has attended in several years.

"So I doubt that I will be there in January," Alito said.

At least one justice, Stephen Breyer, has said he was not bothered by Obama's criticism and believes justices should attend so that viewers can see the three branches of government represented in the same room.

October 5, 2010... Tyler Clementi - What happened and why; A Local School Reacts; What are Our Responsibilities and the Responsibility of the LGBT Community, the Music Industry and Parents and Schools

WARNING: The following post has graphic and explicit language which is by design - if you are offended, then close the site and read another - I don't care.

Tyler Clementi was not just a Rutgers University student. He was not just "a gay". He was not a just musician. These things are all the attributes that he lived - it didn't make him what is "was." He WAS 18 and young. He WAS quiet and he WAS talented. He WAS a kid; he WAS just trying to find his was around campus and into a new way of life and WAS trying to just fit in. Just like my son three years ago and maybe your child today, he was trying to make friends and trying to get an education along the way. He was not a punk. He was not a bully, the "prank" that was launched against him (and his companion) was nothing "they had coming to them." But it did come to them and Tyler decided that the only way out was to take his own life and no one will know why in 2010 a child needs to feel that type of pressure but Tyler did.

Tyler Clementi was the victim of bullying and that led to his death. That is plain and simple. Two punk ass, snot-nose kids with a sense of superiority and judgement decided that they were the Morality Police and would "punk" the kid with glasses and a lisp and "out" him. Guess what, Dharun Ravi, of Plainsboro, N.J., and Molly Wei, of Princeton, N.J., both 18, and charged with invasion of privacy are guilty. Not "allegedly" - they are stone-cold guilty.

It's Saturday and today Tyler was supposed to play with the Rutgers Symphony Orchestra Saturday for the first time. Instead, the performance will be dedicated in his memory, and his chair left empty. On Friday, students wore black as they signed condolence cards on campus but more needs to be done and one local school (UFRSD-ES and MS) are right on track with the times and reacting swiftly. I received this email from parent, BOE'er and anti-Bullying advocate Patricia Hogan. Hogan and I agree on a few things and disagree on a little more but the one thing we get shoulder-to-shoulder on is the safety of kids - this is Hogan's email to me today...

From: "Hogan, Patricia" email address withheld

Date: October 2, 2010 12:51:24 AM EDT

To: bnovozinsky@me.com bnovozinsky@me.com

Subject: What's next

Please implore the parents that follow you - cyberbullying - not new, but life threatening...The primary focus of AntiBullying Committee/Stand United Against Bullying = cyberbullying for the Stone Bridge Middle School this year...Our children are children, they make dumb decisions -NO MATTER HOW SMART OR POPULAR THEY ARE!!! Pay attention, go on their sites/pages/review their text messages...Kindness, compassion, wonderful, talented kids are not using their talents to the best of their ability when they expend energy on stuff that we dismiss as trivial - but they deem important. Moms , dads, pay attention, save a life! Patty Hogan

WARNING: The following post has graphic and explicit language which is by design - if you are offended, then close the site and read another - I don't care.

We all need to use Tyler as an example of a victim of bullying. I hear "gay", "fag", "faggot" "queer", "nigger" "spic", "dick", "whore", "slut" each and every day of my life. I've used each and every one of those words in my life. There is my confession of the day. I'm not proud of it, but I have. But let's put this in perspective and let's face it, we can talk to the kids at breakfast, lunch and dinner and at assemblies and watch the Laramie Project with popcorn and butter but we are parents and teachers and kids are getting mixed messages. Here's how:

The music industry glorifies the "shock and awe" theorem that bad is good. As long as rappers and "artists" glorify their lyrics with (what I call) the "NBH Trifecta" (nigger, bitch, ho) kids will listen, download, sing, lyricize and post on Facebook Walls. The music industry and the black leadership promotes and encourages this behavior and kids are sucked up and influenced by it. The gay community promotes the following activities to grab attention and spotlight their agendas (google it) - Dykes Planning Tykes which is for lesbian/bisexual/queer women considering parenthood. Participants are invited to explore practical, emotional, social and legal issues related to becoming a parent. Last I heard, "dyke" was a derogatory term, yet this program is endorsed by GLSEN.

The local chapters of Gay Straight Alliances (prevalent in our public schools and universities) widely promote a yearly event called "Queer it Up" Day which is a national "coming out" day.

WARNING: The following post has graphic and explicit language which is by design - if you are offended, then close the site and read another - I don't care.

The gay community and music industry as well as black leaderships hold part of the responsibility NOT FOR THE DEATH OF TYLER CLEMENTI but for the encouragement, mixed messaging and promotion of these derogatory terms. Kids that use these terms in a non-sexual way (ex: "that shirt is so gay") are not intolerant little brown-shirts; but kids that hear these things on the radio, CD's TV and the internet by the very people that profit from it both financially and promotionally.

And you know what: IT'S ABOUT TIME THAT IT ALL STOPPED! The detentions and the suspensions and the time-outs and the groundings have been exhausted and based on the fact that Tyler got in a car, drove on the NJTPK to 95 and took a dive from the GWB shows that these methods do not work. The time for hand holding is over. WE (parents) are responsible for what our kids do and the message is not getting through. The schools have to get the attention of the kids and the parents alike and I re-propose what I brought forward two years ago:

Take down every piece of art, assignments and wall hangings in each and every school corridor leading up to the lunch room.

Replace what was removed with one single sign hanging over the entrance to the cafeteria and that sign must say: "In NO manner or context what-so-ever are YOU to use the following slurs: "gay", "fag", "faggot" "queer", "nigger" "spic", "dick", "whore", "slut" (fill in more if you wish) - IF you are caught using any of these slurs, on campus or at any school activity you will be suspended under ZERO, ZILCH, NADA TOLERANCE! Just TRY us.

Leave it up for ONE day and then take it down. You have to believe me that this will generate dinner conversation and phone calls to the local schools and BOE'ers like never before. Parents will come out in droves to the next BOE meeting and raging mad but they will get the point and it will not die down. The locals will pick it up and it will be the story that will not die.

The UFRSD is taking a lead. They will not go as I've outlined above but they are in the planning stages and I have every bit of confidence that Hogan, Guterl, Nolan, Gagliardi. Cadigan et al will make a solid point but it cannot stop there. Be Aware. Be Involved. Look at the subject of Hogan's email to me: What's Next?

 
 

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