False humanism ignores true victims
Kelly Fabrega
senior
Brodie Butland's April 8 letter warrants some serious scrutiny. Its most noticeable flaw, however, is its insensitivity.
Mr. Butland undermines the victimization of sexually molested children. He refers to this violence as "just a few priests in Boston [being] a little overactive with children." Whether this reference was a careless mistake, a very unfortunate slip of the pen (one of those which speaks volumes about the character of its author), or a dull-witted attempt at a euphemism, I can't be sure. But if we possess any capacity for empathy, we can be sure that whatever it was, it was certainly not an innocuous statement.
Was it a joke, an invitation to laugh about something that plays on our nerves? Or is Mr. Butland guilty of comedic narcissism? Does he so value the egoistic benefits of his own humor that he would underrate the victimization of these children? Mr. Butland invites us to make light of the agony of these children in order that we might see the "real issue:" "the fact that the Vatican has covered the whole ordeal up for decades."
One thing, Mr. Butland: I suspect that the real issue for these children both presently and in the future will be something a bit more personal. The real issue for them will be sexual molestation — their sexual molestation. It will be very concrete, you see; as children, they'll rage at such a betrayal of trust, and as adults, they'll curse it out in therapy. Day by day, night by night, minute by moment by second — there will be no forgetting.
"Overactivity," you say, just "a little."
Let's focus on the real issue: the way we've gotten so wrapped up in our causes that we grant them priority over individual persons. So we make a little joke here and there, pat the kids lightly from behind and move on to bigger and better things: "real" issues like getting the Vatican to acknowledge "covering up the whole ordeal for decades."
Meanwhile, we'll make light of their sexual molestation and make them poster-kids for our causes. Brave causes, causes that are bold and noble and protest for children but only insofar as they are stories — stories that give credence to our cause. Would you say instruments, Mr. Butland, for the advancement of the real cause?
The truth is that Mr. Butland's cause, holding the Vatican responsible for what he calls the "covering up" of similar incidents, is undercut by his dismissive attitude toward the very children that he believes the Vatican has wronged with its actions.
This is the peculiar breed of "humanism" that's all the rage these days — go grab your picket signs.
Kelly Fabrega
senior
Welsh Family Hall
April 8, 2002
All Viewpoint Stories for Wednesday, April 10, 2002
