Thoughts in a Haystack

At the risk of committing a Godwin, I like this:

Jury foreman Isa Logan, a bank employee and deacon at his independent West Philadelphia church, said he'd have taken a court-martial during his Army service rather than follow unjust orders.

That was the jury that found Monsignor William Lynn guilty of child endangerment for helping the archdiocese keep predators in the ministry, and keeping the public in the dark, by telling parishes their priests were being removed for health reasons and then sending the men to unsuspecting churches.

The Monsignor's defense was, in large part, that he was just a "middle manager" following the orders of Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, who died earlier this year.

Ya know, I think I'd have a lot more sympathy for some "middle manager" in a murderous, lawless, totalitarian state who said he was following orders because his life depended on it than I would someone whose only fear would be that he might be fired and lose his privileged position in a religious organization.

"He's upset. He's crushed. He's in custody and he didn't want anything else but to help kids," defence lawyer Jeffrey M. Lindy said.

If that is true, all he had to do is walk into the nearest police station and tell the desk sergeant that he had information that a Catholic priest was sexually abusing children.

That would have been a big help to a lot of kids.