The Skeeter Daddle Diaries

Not being a particularly religious fellow myself, I can’t help but watch the ongoing Confession of the Catholic Church the way a passerby might hurry past a sidewalk suicide, trying to move quickly but casting a curious eye to the crime scene. If this were a national political party or a sports franchise, we might shake our heads at a cover-up of incredible proportions. And actually we do.

But … when it’s a religion, one that numbers between a billion and two billion people, the largest organized religion on the planet, it does make a person wonder What the Hell??? This week the Vatican and the Holy See are gathering to get to the bottom of this sorry state of affairs. Cardinals and bishops and priests, the entire bureaucracy of the Lord is in attendance for some soul searching and no doubt some final atonement, plenty of Hail Mary’s, no doubt, as recompense for sins committed. For years, for decades, for centuries these folks have conspired to protect child predators. They’ve moved wayward pedophile priests from parish to parish, covered up their sins – no, let’s call them crimes, okay? – and protected the guilty from their victims and the victims’ parents and family. They’ve paid billions from their coffers to compensate these people. And still they keep those records hidden or they destroy them or they never bothered in the first place. Protecting the good name of the church was paramount.

I give the Pope credit. A little, anyway. He’s slowly come around after some initial lapses in judgement. And who knows, maybe these holy men will see the error of their ways and wise up. But mostly I think they’ll make their public confession and absolve themselves. Forgiveness is divine, you bet, and I think it’s healthy for a person to forgive himself, learn from his mistakes and move on in a better direction. But when the entire cast forgives itself and declares absolution, not so much. Crimes were committed, crimes were covered up, crimes are going on now, and crimes need to be punished. Not by mumbling some Hail Mary’s, boys, but by jail time. Not by ponying up some pesos, but by a secular system of justice. And yeah, I know they’ve paid a terrible price in public relations, terrible, one they deserve. What kind of religion is this? What kind of monsters do this? What kind of criminals cover it up? And who would still worship at that altar?

Not being a religious fellow myself, I have no clue. Mostly I just want to hurry past this sidewalk scene, go take a hot shower and try to rid myself of the memory of this creepy horror. Someone else is going to have to cast stones. Vengeance, saith the Lord, is Mine. I’m going to leave it in Her Hands.

Lock him up! Lock him up!

Maybe you were bizzy working today and missed the Cohen testimony before the House. Lucky you! Anyone half interested in impromptu lessons in American Civics 101 that glued their eyeballs and ears to television cable coverage witnessed something we haven’t seen since the Watergate hearings back in the ‘70’s, not quite half a century ago. Nixon’s people were on the docket back then for some illegal search and seizures of political enemies. I was unemployed and so I spent an inordinate amount of time watching the daily investigation on live TV. Explosive stuff, all culminating in Nixon’s resignation. Even his own party drew a line in the sand and told him, step off or face impeachment. Nixon was no dummy. Mean as a viper, but not stupid. He stepped off.

What you saw today was just another example of Profiles in Courage. Not. The Trump party, terrified that their boy who holds an 85% approval rating from the GOP base, ignored any facts or evidence from the guy who was Donald’s personal attorney, his ‘fixer’, a man who now is singing like a canary on meth. They attacked his credibility, they attacked his personality, they attacked his ethics, they attacked his motives. All perfectly reasonable … unless you reject the corroborating evidence he brought to bear.

Not one of these brave Republicans confronted the evidence itself or offered refutation. No, easier to shoot the messenger. If you wanted a glimpse into what an impeachment hearing for high crimes and treason would look like, you got more than a peek, you got the spectacle of rats scurrying in a sinking ship, blaming the crew for catastrophic leakage. Cohen himself was contrite, apologetic for crimes against the nation, for supporting and abetting a con man, a fraud, a crook and a cheat. His closing statement was poignant and bittersweet from a man who had lost everything. His name, his wealth, his law practice, his family’s love, his respect and in a few days, his freedom. He had been blinded by the Trumpster and no doubt his own greed. He told the Republicans they were doing exactly what he had been doing and they would regret protecting a man who deserved no loyalty. He admonished them to cease and desist before it was too late. All this from the man who said he would take a bullet for his boss.

Apparently there are plenty more who would defend a crook and a con rather than their country just to stay in power. These men apparently are willing to take a slug for the boss and hopefully they get the chance.