4.28.10 / Opinion
On April 1, Mike Ramsey, with the approval of The Call’s editorial staff, published a vile and offensive piece of anti-Catholic bigotry, and did it precisely on the day that Catholics remember and celebrate the origin of the Mass and the New Covenant priesthood. The cartoon depicted a priest pouring drugs in a chalice for the purpose of sexually abusing three altar boys. The insult was plain.
An entire class of people, Catholic priests, was generically held up for ridicule as child molesters, without the slightest intention of qualification or limitation (which would have been easy to do).
Mike Ramsey knew well that he would not be allowed to get away with a similar attack on representatives of other world religions, but he gambled that this particular piece of bigotry would get through, and he was right.
After hearing some of the outrage from both on and off-campus sources, Ramsey and The Call editorial staff had a couple of weeks to reflect. What the university community got back was Mike Ramsey’s April 22 letter, which is simply breathtaking in its dishonesty from beginning to end. He begins with some adolescent blather that his work was a “political cartoon,” the purpose of which was to “stoke controversy and initiate debate.” First of all, the cartoon had no political message at all; it was, again, simply an expression of bigotry against Catholic clergy. Moreover, with reference to the claim that the purpose is to “stoke controversy,” I would suggest that this is an unworthy goal. Any boor can take the low road Ramsey took and create controversy simply by insulting people; that is hardly an aim to be respected.
To initiate debate is laudable, but one does not initiate substantive dialog with crude insults. Instead of addressing forthrightly the actual content of his cartoon, Ramsey now changes the subject, dishonestly, to a theme in no way present in the original cartoon, that is, a criticism of the way the bishops and the Pope dealt with the crisis. Ramsey shed no light, giving us only inflammatory rhetoric and outright lies.
Let us begin with the false claims. First, it is not true that Church officials are currently “cowing their victims into silence with threats of hell-fire.” Canon law grants no such authority to a bishop, and there is no conceivable church moral teaching that could possibly be construed by anyone to mean that one would go to hell for reporting the truth about abuse. It is not in fact a theme in any responsible discussion of the issue. Secondly, in response to recent media reports, the Vatican most certainly did not “blame the victims,” nor did the Vatican claim that the victims were “conspiring to bring down the Pope . . .” Third, to say that Benedict XVI is someone who believes that “infallibility means never having to say you’re sorry” is a slur that utterly misrepresents the Pope’s attitude, as evidenced in recent, highly publicized statements of apology, most notably in his trip to Malta where he again met with victims.
Finally, he claims that “Vatican officials” have engaged in “what are unquestionably breaches of the law,” and for this are relying on “diplomatic immunity.”
The truth is that diplomatic immunity was mentioned in response to frivolous and groundless lawsuits naming the Pope. Can you imagine if every anti-American lawyer around the world could compel U.S. Presidents to come to their country to give testimony at will in civil lawsuits? No state filed criminal charges against the Pope, and there is no credible evidence that the Pope violated civil law in the United States or anywhere else.
In at least six other ways, Ramsey is misleading, although given his abysmal level of ignorance on the subject, I am reluctant to say deliberately so. First, he clearly suggests that the church is currently “protecting child rapists,” an inflammatory and unfair generalization on two accounts. First, as the Newman Association tried to explain to him, the bishops in the United States turned the entire situation around in the last decade, and there is no institution in the United States that has more systematically investigated abuses and run the guilty out than the Catholic Church. Secondly, while sexual activity with adolescent males is utterly opprobrious and merits the severest penalties, it is not generally called “child rape” when committed by anyone else other than a priest.
Thirdly, the letter blurs important distinctions in time. An honest discussion would note that the most widely publicized recent episodes (Wisconsin) were thirty-six years old, and that a similar abuse today would most certainly be handled according to the current “zero tolerance” policy.
Fourth, he grossly misrepresents the current Pope’s role in the Wisconsin cases, where a priest abused deaf boys until 1974. It was not until 2001 that Pope John Paul II shifted responsibility for dealing with such cases to then Cardinal Ratzinger’s Office, the Sacred Congregation for the Faith, so the only issue that said Congregation was dealing with in 1998 was the far narrower question of a canonical trial. The civil authorities were fully aware of the case and had decided not to prosecute.
Ratzinger’s office gave the go ahead for the trial, but, as the 1998 meeting in Rome to discuss the case showed, it would have been very difficult to complete a case with thirty-five year old accusations, a lack of available evidence, when the priest was near death. This had absolutely nothing to do with the legitimate complaints made against bishops who, following the therapeutic models of the times, sent abusers off to therapy and reinstated them. Fifth, the doctrine of infallibility in Catholicism has absolutely nothing to do with any of this, as it extends solely to doctrinal matters of faith and morals under tightly defined circumstances, and in no way extends to the Pope’s administrative decisions, much less his apologies.
Finally, he claims that “they compared criticism of the Church to the persecution of the Jews. . .” Well, “they” did not. One priest did, and it was reported that the Pope clearly distanced himself from the remark, and the priest later apologized. Can The Call not find someone with even a minimum level of competence to discuss such matters?
The Catholic community will certainly survive the immature ramblings of Mike Ramsey, but there will be a negative, long-term side effect. All honest people know that neither Ramsey nor The Call staff would have published such contemptible attacks against the other major world religions, still less against ethnic minorities. Everyone knows that had Ramsey targeted any number of other groups, there would have been a mad dash by administrators, faculty, and student groups to denounce the outrage roundly. Note that this did not for the most part occur. The astute observer is left to wonder about the incessant talk of allegedly university-wide commitments to values such as “tolerance, “diversity,” and “multiculturalism.”
These values were clearly not in play.
-Thomas Rourke
Author, The Social and Political Thought of Benedict XVI
4.15.10 / Opinion
“What could student senate change on campus to make Clarion better?”
 Neal Henry / The Clarion Call |
Alvin Peoples
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4.15.10 / Opinion
Dear Editor-in-Chief,
On April 1, 2010, The Clarion Call printed a political cartoon that was aimed to start a discussion about the abuses within the Catholic Church. However, the cartoon was poorly done, portraying all Catholic priests as child abusers which contributes to a stereotype that ignores their constructive service and personal sacrifice on behalf of society. Ridicule and shame do not shed any light on a terrible abuse that has been dealt with by U.S. bishops in a decisive manner. Since our bishops adopted a “zero tolerance” policy for clergy abusers, the U.S. Catholic Church has learned the huge importance of reaching out to and healing victims of this horrific crime. Our main focus should be on the victims, offering channels of healing and ensuring that no one else is victimized. The Catholic Church is learning from its past mistakes and doing what it can to rectify the situation, both in the U.S. and globally. More »
4.15.10 / Photo Sets, Sports
(Justin Gmoser / The Clarion Call)
4.14.10 / Opinion
Dear Editor-in-Chief,
This letter is in response to last week’s letter by Emily Young, “10 questions for Clarion pro-life supporters.” Last week, Students for Life held our annual “Pro-Life Week” where we focus on different events to educate students and the community about abortion. After reading Emily Young’s letter last week, we would like to respond to her questions posed to the pro-life community. However, two clarifying points about our Students for Life organization:
1. Our organization is not based on contempt for women. In fact, it has been women-led since its inception in 2004. Our advisor, Dr. Rourke, informs us that female membership has never been under 80 percent. In six years, there have been only two male officers, or around 7 percent overall male membership. Nationally, the pro-life movement is young and female. At the March for Life, young women in the tens of thousands attend. By way of contrast, the pro-choice movement looks to be dominated more by the older advocates of the feminism of the ‘60s and ‘70s.
2. Concerning the display of crosses (what we call “The Cemetery of the Innocents”), it is neither illogical nor “hyper-religious.” The use of the symbol of the cross in the ground is to communicate a grave. A cross is a universally recognized symbol of a grave. No one, even those who disagree with us, seems to misunderstand that we are trying to underline one point – that abortion results in the death of a human being. As Dr. Jerome LeJeune, one of the world’s foremost authorities in the field of genetics and most notably the founder of the genetics of Down’s Syndrome states, “At no time is the human being a blob of protoplasm. As far as your nature is concerned, I see no difference between the early person that you were at conception and the late person which you are now. You were, and are, a human being.” Our organization does not take any religious stand and we have many members of diverse religious affiliations. Our members are only members because we all agree that abortion is wrong. More »
4.8.10 / Photo Sets, Sports
4.8.10 / Opinion
I am writing to The Call because I’m very concerned about the sociopolitical atmosphere at Clarion University. It seems as though the “pro-life” rhetoric has reached a fever-pitch recently. This is unsettling to me because I strongly believe that the pro-life/anti-choice worldview is based on contempt for women, especially young women of reproductive age.
When students walk past Gemmell, I wonder if they critically think about the faux-graveyard they’re seeing. It’s meant to be shocking. But if you actually take time to think about it, it’s in bad taste and it’s ludicrous. Why did Students for Life decide to use crosses to represent aborted embryos/fetuses? Not everybody is a Christian, and certainly not everyone is religious. I don’t see how they expect to draw anyone to their “cause” with such a display of hyper-religiousity. Furthermore, by creating the symbolic graveyard, it sends an illogical message — that many people have tragically died. An embryo/fetus is not a person and it cannot survive outside of the womb before 23 weeks gestation. Abortion is not a universal tragedy. I think time would be better spent addressing real tragedies… More »
4.8.10 / Sports
You’ve never heard of Frankie Edgar? Hailing all the way from Toms River, N.J., Frankie “The-Answer” Edgar was a four-time national qualifying wrestler here at Clarion and graduated in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science.
Still not ringing a bell? It will come April 10.
Since graduating from Clarion, Edgar has made a name for himself beating up other grown men; legally.
Edgar is 11-1 and currently the No. 1 contender for the Lightweight championship in the biggest fighting league in the world.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship, or UFC for short, is the equivalent of the NFL for football.
Winning the lightweight belt in the UFC would be like winning the Super Bowl, Stanley Cup or the World Series. It’s the championship.
Following in the footsteps of fellow famous athletes of Clarion such as wrestler Kurt Angle and football player Reggie Wells Jr., Edgar is etching his name in history as one of Clarion’s favorite sons.
Should he defeat B.J. Penn, the best lightweight fighter in UFC history, Edgar would be of one the most talked about men in the UFC.
The victory would rival Kurt Angle’s Gold in the 1996 Summer Olympics as the single biggest accomplishment by a Clarion University Alumni.
Penn, a native Hawiian, has been a premier name in the UFC for the past seven years holding the championship belt in two divisions, lightweight (155 pounds) and a short stint as the welterweight (170 pounds) champion.
“B.J. is a great fighter, considered the best 155 ever. He has tremendous timing and is extremely well rounded. He doesn’t really have weaknesses,” said Edgar.
Clarion has long been known for its outstanding wrestling tradition and Edgar wanted to add to it.
“Clarion has a rich tradition when it comes to wrestling. I felt it was the right fit for me to continue my wrestling career and get an education,” Edgar said when asked why he made the six-hour trek from New Jersey to Clarion.
Edgar fights this Saturday night, April 10 at 10 p.m. on Pay-Per-View, at the Cell Block.
Other notable fights on the main card: Current middleweight champion Anderson “Spider” Silva also puts his belt on the line as he goes to blows with Demian Maia.
UFC legend Matt Hughes looks to improve to 45-7 as he goes against one of the famous Gracie Kin in Renzo Gracie in the competitive Welterweight class.
This may not be as important to Clarion University students, but still pretty important to followers of the UFC.
When asked what it would be like to be a hero for young Clarion athletes, much the same way Kurt Angle was an idol for him, Edgar said “I think it’s pretty cool. I really don’t look at myself like that but it’s nice to be recognized for my hard work.”
4.8.10 / Opinion
“How about that summer-like weather?”
 Chantel Wilson / The Clarion Call |
Chris Cobler
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 Chantel Wilson / The Clarion Call |
Janayah Davis
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 Chantel Wilson / The Clarion Call |
Trisha Vamosi
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Compiled by Chantel Wilson
4.1.10 / A&E
Rabbits in top-coats, cats disappearing in thin air, smoking caterpillars, talking playing cards and magical tea parties only begin to describe the wonderland of the new box office smash “Alice in Wonderland” in 3-D.
Most people remember the animated Disney version of “Alice in Wonderland” from their childhood and can admit that it was a pretty insane and trippy movie. But now some 50 years later, Tim Burton is bringing it back for a second movie, making it even crazier and more unbelievable than the first. More »
3.30.10 / News
Via the Kittanning Leader Times: Two Clarion students, Jamar Xavier-Ramon Mitchell, 19, and Gregory Clayton-Vaughn Ford, 24, were arrested Monday and charged in connection with a home invasion and shooting.
Both were arraigned Monday before District Judge Sam Goldstrohm on charges of burglary, robbery, theft, discharging a firearm into an occupied structure and two counts of simple assault. They are being held in the Armstrong County Jail on $25,000 bond each.
You can read the full Leader Times article here. Stay tuned for The Call’s coverage of this story.
3.18.10 / Opinion
What is wrong with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE)? First of all, what is essentially right with PASSHE? Answer? The system was established to make sure that rural Pennsylvanians had access to a college education. In many cases, this means the rural poor, who can not only not afford to travel to larger centers of education, but could not afford the tuition even if they could. In this sense, PASSHE is an entirely good system and an entirely noble one.
But what is wrong with the system? I, for one, don’t have all the answers, but the following may shed some light on the problem:
When compared to student growth, since 1990, management has grown by 25 percent. During the same period faculty has shrunk by 17 percent. At the same time in 1990 10 percent of faculty were temporary faculty hires. That figure is now at 18 percent. Since 2000-01, virtually all faculty FTE is attributable to temporary staff hires, which still hasn’t kept up with student growth. These figures are available at APSCUF, the faculty union. More »
3.17.10 / A&E
A showcase of talent and entertainment brought artists and audiences together in appreciation.
“Without the performers, there wouldn’t be anything here,” said Jim Rose, a secondary education freshman and Philosophy Club member.
The Philosophy Club held an open microphone performance in the Carlson Library Art Gallery on Tuesday, March 16 at 7:30 p.m. Almost 30 performers and appreciators attended. The event was the first of many open mic’s to come.
3.4.10 / A&E
Music often draws powerful emotions from both the musicians and the listeners. In the case of Manchester Orchestra, take the usual amount of emotion on a scale of one to 10 and turn it up to 11.
1.19.10 / Misc.
Founders Hall. (File photo)
It’s the beginning of the new semester, and The Call would like to welcome everyone back. Good luck in the spring, Eagles!
12.13.09 / Video
Jer gets in the holiday spirit and calls on students to tell us their favorite things about the holidays.
12.8.09 / Opinion
In memory of Suzanne P-Jobb 11/1/1941 - 5/23/09
This past summer, the sisters of Alpha Sigma Tau suffered a loss. Our longtime adviser, sister and friend, Suzanne P-Jobb lost her battle with breast cancer and passed away. To us this was so sudden. More »
11.12.09 / Sports
Clarion basketball player, No. 1 Llyod Harrsion, a junior guard from Detroit, lays the ball up against the glass against a Kentucky defenseman in Friday’s game. (Megan Shewell / The Clarion Call)
The Clarion Golden Eagles men’s basketball team kicked off its season with an exhibition game last Friday night. More »
11.12.09 / A&E
Clarion University students practice a scene in preparation for the performances this weekend. (Courtesy photo / Jessica Elser)
Radio has been the faceless media … until now. The Clarion University theater department has not halted its efforts to put on unique and groundbreaking performances. The next performance actually consists of two radio plays, “The Water Engine” and “Mr. Happiness” by David Mamet. The two shows mesh the world of theater and radio, providing a one-of-a-kind experience for audience members and actors alike.
11.11.09 / Features
It was a historic day in German history. On Nov. 9, 1989, a wall that divided the city of Berlin since 1961 was tumbled. A presentation to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall was held Nov. 9 at Clarion University. The program was organized by Dr. Eleanor ter Horst and the German Club. More »
11.5.09 / Opinion
Dear Editor-In-Chief,
I’m writing in response to the article about AAA Life Services and in response to Dr. Thomas Rourke’s letter from last week’s edition of The Call.
After reading his letter, I was not pleased with the implication that the Feminist Majority Foundation is “extremist” just because they opposed the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act. Considering the misleading title of the act, it is easy to paint the opposition as extremists in the same sense that it was easy to pain all opponents of the Patriot Act as extremists.
My understanding of an extremist is somebody whose views are far beyond the norm. The FMF is an organization of people who believe in equal rights and reproductive rights. None of the missions or principles outlined on their website could be described as “extremist.” More »
11.4.09 / Video
Jer asks students to show off their spooktacular costumes.
11.2.09 / News
The Siler Center’s annual Fall Walk parade through campus was held last Thursday. Clarion student Amanda Stockhausen was there to take these shots: More »
10.28.09 / News
Angela Kelly / The Clarion Call
7:32 PM An incident occurred shortly after 6 p.m. tonight at Eagle Commons. Campus, Borough and State police have responded and are currently outside the scene. More details to come as they are confirmed. Also see our Twitter feed for constant updates.
8:15 PM The Call can confirm that a fight broke out inside Eagle Commons, escalating to an assault.
8:46 PM Still awaiting a statement from Clarion Campus Police.
10:20 PM Ron Wilshire holds a press conference for university media and other outlets.
More photos can be found after the break More »
The Clarion Call is Clarion University's student newspaper since 1913.