Boston Public

[asher]

I try to watch as little trashy television as possible, but every once in a while I find myself watching Boston Public. I'll spare you my color commentary and simply say the show isn't very well done.

However, tonight's episode might have been of particular interest to the people on this board who were abused by priests. In the episode, a young male teacher was troubled by a student who was exhibiting self-destructive behaviors.

The teacher was checking up on the student and discovered he was an altar boy at the a nearby church. After the student pulled a dangerous stunt that nearly got him killed, he told the teacher that he had been abused by the priest.

Incensed, the teacher went to confront the priest and the audience discovered that the teacher had also been abused by the same priest. The episode ended with the teacher confronting his abuser and vowing to take revenge if he ever hurt the student again.

Melodramatic? Yes. Unrealistic? Completely. But it was also one of the most redemptive hours of television I've seen in a long time. I was just glad to see the teacher triumph in the end. Next episode I hope he calls the cops.

asher

 

[Thad]

I saw that show tonight and at the end of it I yelled back at the TV, "Silence Kills!"

I was so un-nerved by the boy's confession of what happened, how he blamed himself, and at the end of it, how he begged him to tell no one -

...t

 

[Harry]

I saw it too. I don't know how realistic it was or wasn't, but I loved the threats in the end, and I cried when the kid told his story. The manipulation -- "keep coming or I'll go after the younger ones" -- enraging to say the least.

John_

 

[orodo]

Missed the show, lived it...

 

[Lloydy]

Nice to see you back Orodo, and on fine form too !

Dave

 

[alexamenabar1977]

does anyone know where i could get a tape of that episode or when it'll be rerun? i missed it but it sounds like just what i need to see.
thanks.

 

[Mark Crawford]

I am sorry I missed this episode as well. I logged onto the Fox Network website to access more info on Boston Public and to see if I could get a copy (I doubt they would release one this soon) Anyhow, I came upon thier own chat room which had several threads related to this episode. One or two individuals made it clear a very similar victimization was perpatrated on them as well. I tried to log onto thier discussion forum so I could post information about our own website and MaleSurvivor hoping those individuals who were so moved by this episode might come to know about us. I could not seem to log on....hope someone else might be succesful.

As some of you know I too was victimized by a priest when I was young, and although the vast majority of priests are NOT pedophiles, the leadership of the Catholic Church has not done a very good job and I am sad to say, was VERY wrong, in the manner in which they protected, hid, reassigned these predators. Many Bishops and Cardinals have covered up abuses they were very much aware of...just as Cardinal Law in Boston had. Yet they are not coming forward to talk about thier own failings.....no surprise here. THEY ARE NOT LEADING BY EXAMPLE!!! They are afraid to get thier own but in a sling.

Change for such a beauricratic organization is very slow...as is the case today. Many are still resisting what really MUST be done. But this issue will not go away and eventually they will be forced to deal with it...our society DEMANDS IT!

The Church has said in Dallas and again recently in Washington that they will not forget the victims. I would like to know what have they done for the victims thus far? I sure know they have not contacted me! And they are very much aware of what was done to myself and my younger brother.

I had met with the local Archbishop who is now the Cardinal of Washington to inform him of my abuse...even after knowing what was done to my younger brother and I, he returned this priest to ministry as a chaplain in a nearby hospital. By the way, this offender was at one time the Archbishop's personal secretary, so I am not at all surprised at the Church's attempts to keep this all quite....even to this day!

Only after this years scandal broke was this man removed. AFTER I TOLD THEM ALMOST 20 YEARS AGO!! That Archdiocese even today refuses to name those they have removed, or to mention the number of priests here in New Jersey that had been reported to have molested children. Our local prosecuters have put the number at more than 110 priests over the past 50 years just here in NJ.

They simply have not yet come clean and I don't expect them to do so anytime soon. I WISH IT WERE DIFFERENT!

By the way, The Practice also recently aired a couple of episodes on these issues. I think it is good these issues are being covered by these dramas but we MUST be careful not to paint all priests with the same broad brush...I do not feel this was done in either of these episodes.

Mark