A bad day at the office - could be called anything you like - if you like
resend - Your Excellency I believe our Prime Minister may have inadvertently made a very unfortunate error.
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Page Category: JohnB
Wednesday, 24th September, 2008
6:57 PM
Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC
Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia
Your Excellency Ms Bryce,
I wrote the following which I felt may be helpful in showing more of this. I strongly believe it is a matter which needs to be urgently addressed.
wit regards
John A Brown
I do not believe the Prime Minister has the right to pass the responsibility of my sexual abuse over to the Catholic Church.
What gives him that right. It certainly is not a right or responsibility of his as Prime Minister as his words show.
It is an act familiar to any with an understanding of the effects of sexual abuse committed on children although it is in those circumstances seen as abandonment and an inability to parent effectively. It simply is an abuse of his authority or his position to turn responsibility for my sexual abuse over to the Catholic Church that is completely inappropriate and particularly offensive.
The fact that my abuse:
- was by what is estimated to be the world record holder for the number of children sexually abused by a single priest in the guise of Catholic priest, Father Kevin O'Donnell.
[ Father Kevin O'Donnell has been credibly assessed and publicly acknowledged to have sexually abused up to 2000 children - a possible world record holder for any pedophile anywhere - priest or no priest and that fact should properly become a part of our folklore This figure has never been challenged by the Church or by The Independent Commissioner of the Catholic Church established Independent Commission into Sexual Abuse. A commission which is answerable only to the Catholic Church and is solely funded by the Catholic Church. An independent commission which refuses to act on behalf of victims.]
- was by a man who belonged to a particular religion or church
[not that that should come into it, however it appears to be so. If this man was a Muslim Mufti I believe he would need protection due to the possibility that he may be stoned to death by the people for these unspeakable crimes against our children. Discrimination on the basis of religion against individuals who have had the unfortunate experience to have become the target of a sexual predator is in fact carried out when that is the determinant in the case of those sexually abused by Catholic priests specifically. This simply cannot be determined on the basis of the perpetrators religion or the status he holds within that religion.]
I simply believe that there is no Constitutional right and no supporting legislation which provides the Prime Minister whether in his role as Prime Minister of Australia or simply as Kevin Rudd the person to pass responsibility for my sexual abuse to anyone outside of the Constitutionally established law and The Commonwealth.
I believe that the Prime Minister has acted incorrectly and inadvertently caused these human rights abuses. That Mr Rudd did not understand this may simply be due to him having a great deal of knowledge but did not have a full understanding of the effects of his actions. The is a great deal of evidence today, in fact the evidence appears to be overwhelming that these types of actions are are do cause harm to those individuals and the families of those affected by these abuses and the evidence shows that this is poison in a society. It seems that the Government itself has never had a full understanding of the causes and effects of the abandonment victims feel - is it any wonder they feel re abandoned and re-abused.
I believe the Prime Minister does owe an apology and does have a responsibility to make up for the losses over so many years for those people affected and to protect the rights of each and every one of its citizens including those of us who have been sexually abused by one or more Catholic priests.
I believe the wrongs this has permitted to occur should have an assisted path through our legal system. Our Health and Policing systems should jointly bring their understanding on these issues up to date by including the real experience of those discriminated against by systems maintained under the result of such abhorrent discrimination.
Kevin Rudd, Prime Ministers and Premiers do not have the right in the same way that Attorney Generals, Policing and Health do not have the right to determine the right of an individual to obtain justice on the basis of the religion of the perpetrator.
No matter how long it is argued and no matter what is argued it is a fact that no-one has the right to pass the responsibility for the sexual abuse of any individual in the country to anyone other than the legal system of the country. To do otherwise would be to bring the entire country into disrepute.
JohnB
Wednesday, 24th September, 2008
4:54 PM
resend - Your Excellency I believe our Prime Minister may have inadvertently made a very unfortunate error.
My apologies, I missed putting my name on the previous send
rgds
JohnB
Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC
Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia
Your Excellency Ms Bryce,
Iwas touched by your recent interview (ABC 23, September 2008) and was spellbound by your frankness and your words at times. A spark of hope was raised in the minds of so many that I hope they are words that will hold for a very long time.
Your Excellency I believe our Prime Minister may have inadvertently made a very unfortunate error. An error which can call into question his allegiance to the the Commonwealth of Australia, her land and her people in his role of Prime Minister.
When the Prime Minister was asked in regards the sexual abuse issue and the likelihood of an apology by the Pope, the Prime Minister perhaps believing that he was protecting the good name of the Church or embarrassment of the Pope deferred to the Church the responsibility of the right to proper legal redress for victims of clergy abuse. It is not a part of The Prime Ministers job description or a part of his sworn oath to abrogate responsibility for the sexually abused children and others to other than the law as established for the people of this country.
It is not the role of a Church to determine how justice is to be meted to any victims it may produce, that role is and remains within the Commonwealth of Australia and it is a breach of that sworn oath if the role of providing justice to victims of clergy abuse is permitted to remain in the hands of the Church, a Church which unfortunately housed the perpetrators.
Much can be said in regards the abandonment this action brings to those victims and their families, much can be said to show how the human rights of many people have simply been taken away from them and their hopes of healing and repair dashed by none less than their Prime Minister and the episode does truly begin to mirror the actions of those many priests and Bishops accused and found guilty of enabling the continuation of these abuses and for perverting the course of justice.
I believe that it is appropriate that victims of clergy abuse should be provided with a public apology for this most recent action and for similar past actions of this and previous Governments.
I believe Mr Rudd as a person is of great character, however this unfortunate circumstance and position is one that has been in existence for quite some time. I believe that if these matters are pointed out to the Prime Minister that he too will see how this has disadvantaged and re-abused those who have not been able to find justice or healing after being sexually abused by a pedophile or other type of abusive priest.
I have attached some clips from online news articles in reference to the Prime Ministers statement from several global sources. There is untold referencing to information showing of the harm this type of event brings about as well as uncountable references to the abuses committed.
I believe this is one of those events the interviewer was referring to when he spoke of walking through a door and finding something so terribly wrong that it needed to be addressed. Victims of clergy abuse are denied justice through this action. Victims of clergy abuse have aright to legal redress and compensation via the Australian legal system and have an expectation that those rights will not be passed over or onto another authority. Children have a right to be protected under Australian law, not at the whim or law of a Church or religion be that a Christian Church or a Muslim Church or other. The people of Australia have these rights yet those specific people who had the unfortunate experience of being sexually abused by a priest of the Catholic Church on the basis of Mr Rudds response has no right in Australian law, they simply have no legal right and the only place they can go is back to whom they see as their perpertrator, the Catholic Church. Many people have been fined and jailed, some have had their children removed from them when they have made similar errors. What we as Australians jokingly refer to as a Fair Go cannot be found specifically in regards the provision of services and justice for those abused by some Catholic clergy.
I believe this matter does require your attention and that it also requires the attention of the Prime Minister.
http://www.pm.gov.au/media/Interview/2008/interview_0363.cfm SPEERS: Just quickly Prime Minister yourmeeting the Pope today. The apology issue, the victims of sex abuse within the church. How important is an apology from the Pope in your view?
PM: This is a matter for the church and I respect the internal judgments of the church. I don't stand outside the church and provide them with public lectures in terms of how they should behave. I've noted carefully what his Holiness has said in the United States. Obviously that was a source of great comfort and healing in the United States. I'm like all Australians very much looking forward to what the Pope has to say here in Australia as well, as I am to my own conversation with the Pope later this morning.
This is a matter for the church and I respect the internal judgments of the church.
The matter of the apology issue, the victims of sex abuse within the church is a matter for the church and I respect the internal judgments of the church.
This despite the fact that we are talking about thousands of events which are crimes in this country, crimes against the most vulnerable we have,our children. What respect can be shown when the Pope himself acknowledges that the issue has gotten out of hand and the Prime Minister will not act on his oath and will not act to uphold the law of this country.
All literature produced and published by Governments across the country endorse people who speak out, people who take actions - there is no excuse - it is that simple and Kevin Rudd through whatever means has walked away from the "horrendous" sexual abuse of children right across this country. That is referred to as abandonment. The abandonment of thousands of sexually abused children and in the most classic of styles he presents victims with an only course of returning to their abuser as a means of finding healing. The facts of the matter were at the time of Mr Rudd's statement and remain to this day that the sexual abuse of children is against the law and it is not his role to abandon every child who has been sexually abused by pedophile priests.This action has set back the opportunities for healing literally into the dark ages when then also the State abrogated its responsibility to its people and allowed the rule of some other entity to reign. There is no reason for him to do this for any other State on the globe. There is no reason for him to do this for any other religion on the globe. Why then does he do this when it comes to the catholic church?
Kevin Rudd swore an oath on the 3rd of December 2007 and broke that oath to serve the Commonwealth of Australia, her land and her people when he abrogated his sworn responsibility to the Pope as leader of the Catholic Church in the matter of the sexual abuse of thousands of our children.
http://www.gg.gov.au/governorgeneral/news.php?action=view&id=190Governor-General: I invite you to take and subscribe the oath of office as Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Elect: I, Kevin Michael Rudd, do swear that I will well and truly serve the Commonwealth of Australia, her land and her peoplein the office of Prime Minister.
This oath makes no mention of putting the law of Australia second to the Church in any way - it simply does not consider that an option. It can only be flawed thinking which has resulted in this outcome.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24033640-5016937,00.htmlMeanwhile, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says a papal apology to victims of sex abuse is strictly a matter for the Catholic Church.
Mr Rudd met Pope Benedict XVI in Sydney this morning.
The Pope's apology to sex abuse victims in the US earlier this year had brought "great comfort and healing", but an apology to Australian victims was a matter for the church, Mr Rudd said.
"Like all Australians, I am much looking forward to what the Popehas to say here ... as I am (during) my own conversation with the Pope later this morning," he said on Sky News.
"(But) This (apology) is a matter for the church and I respect the internal judgments of the church.
Mr Rudd described as "horrendous" the stories of sex-abuse victims.
"They're just awful, they're horrible facts." he said.
"What I do note also, (is) the church over time has been moving in response to each of these matters as they come into the public domain,and you would say sometimes better than others.
"But it's very important for the church to respond to each individual case."
http://www.indopia.in/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/273984/International/2/20/2 Sydney, Jul 17 (AFP) The Catholic Church should respond to every sex abuse case involving priests, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said today as the issue partly overshadowed a visit by Pope Benedict XVI.
But whether the Pope should apologise to Australian victims as he did in the United States in April was up to the church, Rudd told Sky News as the pontiff took charge of World Youth Day celebrations here.
The historic apology in the US was "a source of great comfort and healing",the Prime Minister said, but "this is a matter for the church and I respect the internal judgements of the church."
Rudd told Australian commercial radio later that sex abuse by the clergy was "horrendous" and had caused enormous damage to families and individuals.
"They're just awful, they're horrible facts." he said
" What I do note also -- the church over time has been moving in response to each of these matters as they come into the public domain,and you would say sometimes better than others.
"But it's very important for the church to respond to each individual case."
http://haaba.com/news/2008/07/16/7-161206/catholic-church-must-respond-to-sex-abuse-cases-rudd.htm?action=comment-form SYDNEY, July 17, 2008 (AFP) - The Catholic Church should respond to every sex abuse case involving priests, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Thursday as the issue partly overshadowed a visit by Pope Benedict XVI.
But whether the pope should apologise to Australian victims as he did in the United States in April was up to the church, Rudd told Sky News as the pontiff took charge of World Youth Day celebrations here.
The historic apology in the US was 'a source of great comfort and healing', the prime minister said, but 'this is a matter for the church and I respect the internal judgements of the church.'
Rudd told Australian commercial radio later that sex abuse by the clergy was 'horrendous' and had caused enormous damage to families and individuals.
'They're just awful, they're horrible facts.' he said.
'What I do note also -- the church over time has been moving in response to each of these matters as they come into the public domain,and you would say sometimes better than others.
'But it's very important for the church to respond to each individual case.'
regards
John A Brown
Wednesday, 24th September, 2008
4:50 PM
Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC
Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia
Your Excellency Ms Bryce,
Iwas touched by your recent interview (ABC 23, September 2008) and was spellbound by your frankness and your words at times. A spark of hope was raised in the minds of so many that I hope they are words that will hold for a very long time.
Your Excellency I believe our Prime Minister may have inadvertently made a very unfortunate error. An error which can call into question his allegiance to the the Commonwealth of Australia, herland and her people in his role of Prime Minister.
When the Prime Minister was asked in regards the sexual abuse issue and the likelihood of an apology by the Pope, the Prime Minister perhaps believing that he was protecting the good name of the Church or embarrassment of the Pope deferred to the Church the responsibility of the right to proper legal redress for victims of clergy abuse. It is not a part of The Prime Ministers job description or a part of his sworn oath to abrogate responsibility for the sexually abused children and others to other than the law as established for the people of this country.
It is not the role of a Church to determine how justice is to be meted to any victims it may produce, that role is and remains within the Commonwealth of Australia and it is a breach of that sworn oath if the role of providing justice to victims of clergy abuse is permitted to remain in the hands of the Church, a Church which unfortunately housed the perpetrators.
Much can be said in regards the abandonment this action brings to those victims and their families, much can be said to show how the human rights of many people have simply been taken away from them and their hopes of healing and repair dashed by none less than their Prime Minister and the episode does truly begin to mirror the actions of those many priests and Bishops accused and found guilty of enabling the continuation of these abuses and for perverting the course of justice.
I believe that it is appropriate that victims of clergy abuse should be provided with a public apology for this most recent action and for similar past actions of this and previous Governments.
I believe Mr Rudd as a person is of great character, however this unfortunate circumstance and position is one that has been in existence for quite some time. I believe that if these matters are pointed out to the Prime Minister that he too will see how this has disadvantaged and re-abused those who have not been able to find justice or healing after being sexually abused by a pedophile or other type of abusive priest.
I have attached some clips from online news articles in reference to the Prime Ministers statement from several global sources. There is untold referencing to information showing of the harm this type of event brings about as well as uncountable references to the abuses committed.
I believe this is one of those events the interviewer was referring to when he spoke of walking through a door and finding something so terribly wrong that it needed to be addressed. Victims of clergy abuse are denied justice through this action. Victims of clergy abuse have aright to legal redress and compensation via the Australian legal system and have an expectation that those rights will not be passed over or onto another authority. Children have a right to be protected under Australian law, not at the whim or law of a Church or religion be that a Christian Church or a Muslim Church or other. The people of Australia have these rights yet those specific people who had the unfortunate experience of being sexually abused by a priest of the Catholic Church on the basis of Mr Rudds response has no right in Australian law, they simply have no legal right and the only place they can go is back to whom they see as their perpertrator, the Catholic Church. Many people have been fined and jailed, some have had their children removed from them when they have made similar errors. What we as Australians jokingly refer to as a Fair Go cannot be found specifically in regards the provision of services and justice for those abused by some Catholic clergy.
I believe this matter does require your attention and that it also requires the attention of the Prime Minister.
http://www.pm.gov.au/media/Interview/2008/interview_0363.cfmSPEERS: Just quickly Prime Minister your meeting the Pope today. The apology issue, the victims of sex abuse within the church. How important is an apology from the Pope in your view?
PM: This is a matter for the church and I respect the internal judgments of the church. I don't stand outside the church and provide them with public lectures in terms of how they should behave. I've noted carefully what his Holiness has said in the United States. Obviously that was a source of great comfort and healing in the United States. I'm like all Australians very much looking forward to what the Pope has to say here in Australia as well, as I amto my own conversation with the Pope later this morning.
This is a matter for the church and I respect the internal judgments of the church.
The matter of the apology issue, the victims of sex abuse within the church is a matter for the church and I respect the internal judgments of the church.
This despite the fact that we are talking about thousands of events which are crimes in this country, crimes against the most vulnerable we have,our children. What respect can be shown when the Pope himself acknowledges that the issue has gotten out of hand and the Prime Minister will not act on his oath and will not act to uphold the law of this country.
All literature produced and published by Governments across the country endorse people who speak out, people who take actions - there is no excuse - it is that simple and Kevin Rudd through whatever means has walked away from the "horrendous" sexual abuse of children right across this country. That is referred to as abandonment. The abandonment of thousands of sexually abused children and in the most classic of styles he presents victims with an only course of returning to their abuser as a means of finding healing. The facts of the matter were at the time of Mr Rudd's statement and remain to this day that the sexual abuse of children is against the law and it is not his role to abandon every child who has been sexually abused by pedophile priests.This action has set back the opportunities for healing literally into the dark ages when then also the State abrogated its responsibility to its people and allowed the rule of some other entity to reign. There isno reason for him to do this for any other State on the globe. There is no reason for him to do this for any other religion on the globe. Why then does he do this when it comes to the catholic church?
Kevin Rudd swore an oath on the 3rd of December 2007 and broke that oath to serve the Commonwealth of Australia, her land and her people when he abrogated his sworn responsibility to the Pope as leader of the Catholic Church in the matter of the sexual abuse of thousands of our children.
http://www.gg.gov.au/governorgeneral/news.php?action=view&id=190Governor-General: I invite you to take and subscribe the oath of office as Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Elect: I, Kevin Michael Rudd, do swear that I will well and truly serve the Commonwealth of Australia, her land and her peoplein the office of Prime Minister.
This oath makes no mention of putting the law of Australia second to the Church in any way - it simply does not consider that an option. It can only be flawed thinking which has resulted in this outcome.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24033640-5016937,00.htmlMeanwhile, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says a papal apology to victims of sex abuse is strictly a matter for the Catholic Church.
Mr Rudd met Pope Benedict XVI in Sydney this morning.
The Pope's apology to sex abuse victims in the US earlier this year had brought "great comfort and healing", but an apology to Australian victims was a matter for the church, Mr Rudd said.
"Like all Australians, I am much looking forward to what the Pope has to say here ... as I am (during) my own conversation with the Pope later this morning," he said on Sky News.
"(But) This (apology) is a matter for the church and I respect the internal judgments of the church.
Mr Rudd described as "horrendous" the stories of sex-abuse victims.
"They're just awful, they're horrible facts." he said.
"What I do note also, (is) the church over time has been moving in response to each of these matters as they come into the public domain,and you would say sometimes better than others.
"But it's very important for the church to respond to each individual case."
http://www.indopia.in/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/273984/International/2/20/2 Sydney, Jul 17 (AFP) The Catholic Church should respond to every sexabuse case involving priests, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said today as the issue partly overshadowed a visit by Pope Benedict XVI.
But whether the Pope should apologise to Australian victims as he did in the United States in April was up to the church, Rudd told Sky News as the pontiff took charge of World Youth Day celebrations here.
Thehistoric apology in the US was "a source of great comfort and healing",the Prime Minister said, but "this is a matter for the church and I respect the internal judgements of the church."
Rudd told Australian commercial radio later that sex abuse by the clergy was "horrendous" and had caused enormous damage to families and individuals.
"They're just awful, they're horrible facts." he said
" What I do note also -- the church over time has been moving in response to each of these matters as they come into the public domain,and you would say sometimes better than others.
"But it's very important for the church to respond to each individual case."
http://haaba.com/news/2008/07/16/7-161206/catholic-church-must-respond-to-sex-abuse-cases-rudd.htm?action=comment-formSYDNEY, July 17, 2008 (AFP) - The Catholic Church should respond to every sex abuse case involving priests, Australian Prime Minister KevinRudd said Thursday as the issue partly overshadowed a visit by Pope Benedict XVI.
But whether the pope should apologise to Australian victims as hedid in the United States in April was up to the church, Rudd told SkyNews as the pontiff took charge of World Youth Day celebrations here.
The historic apology in the US was 'a source of great comfort and healing', the prime minister said, but 'this is a matter for the church and I respect the internal judgements of the church.'
Rudd told Australian commercial radio later that sex abuse by the clergy was 'horrendous' and had caused enormous damage to families and individuals.
'They're just awful, they're horrible facts.' he said.
'What I do note also -- the church over time has been moving in response to each of these matters as they come into the public domain,and you would say sometimes better than others.
'But it's very important for the church to respond to each individual case.'
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