"I do not pretend to know where many ignorant men are sure"

Yesterday Pope Benedict XVI met privately with victims of clergy sexual abuse. On the first day of his visit to the US he actually addressed the issue directly and seemed genuinely sadden by it. He has fielded several questions on the issue and although his itinerary was made public it seemed to be a surprise that he met with victims of the scandal. The Pope met with victims while in the presence of Bishop O’Malley of the Boston Archdiocese, this Bishop along with several others, was named by an advocate watch group as some of the worst offenders in helping to cover the issue up. Some may trivialize this gesture however had the Pope chosen to ignore the issue, like many of the Archbishops and Cardinals have in the past, it would have not raised any concern. I am going to play the devils advocate here and say that I only hope that this may be the beginning of witch-hunt within the clergy, to finally free themselves of this awful stigma (let me qualify I am not a bible thumper however I am forced to go with the odds on this topic, religion has helped more people then I have so I really must deign to its validity, although it has been a slow week for me) http://www.bishopaccountability.org/

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Today is the Birthday of Kathy Acker one of the famed black mountain beat punk poets. I always thought her poetry a little to “avant garde” for me, but it seemed to develop that 'cool' underground ‘blind’ following, that only real ‘individuals’ like the independent art crowd are capable of devoting. I really did love some of her books; they were the funniest modern commentary based on this kind of stranger removed ‘point of view’ wandering through a modern landscape. The feminist portrayed her as a victim, and I am sure more then a few people thought she was a ‘tart’ (I am being kind), but I always thought she was a cross between Mister Magoo and Elvira. She was criticized for plagiarizing writing styles and classic author’s premises; however it always seemed to lend her writing style a sort of point of reference. I never took her books that seriously anyway.

Today was the start of the West Virginia Mine War of 1912-1913. I think it’s important that we remember this period in our history because you really have to research your history books to find out about this period, {or be a dork like me and spend a summer in grade school reading everything you can find on Clarence Darrow}. We often hear about the Rockafellers, Vanderbilts, and the Gettys of this era forging the foundation of our modern industrialization, however we so rarely hear of the civil unrest of this era and immoral treatment of the poor and working class by the wealthy tycoons that our society has come to idealize.