January
Valhalla, NY—Westchester County Executive Andrew J. Spano and other officials attacked New York Medical College (which has been affiliated with the Archdiocese of New York for more than 25 years) for refusing to sanction homosexual activist groups. The Westchester Human Rights Commission launched an investigation in spite of the fact that no formal complaint was lodged.
February 17
Oakland, CA— A U.S. District Court judge upheld the decision of the Community and Economic Development Agency to remove a flier posted by two employees regarding a religious club promoting the “natural family.” The agency claimed that the flier contained “statements of a homophobic nature.” The employees started the club in response to the formation of a Gay and Lesbian Club by their co-workers in 2002.
April 15
Westchester, Bronx, Rockland Counties, NY—Pete Leon, an aide to U.S. Representative Eliot Engel, said he opposed Scott Bloch as the head of the Office of Special Counsel because Bloch “is a devout Catholic.” Engel quickly reprimanded Leon after Engel received a letter of complaint from William Donohue.
May 31
Pagosa Springs, CO—A “Stop Work Order” was posted on a Catholic bookstore by the Pagosa Springs Building Department three weeks before opening because of a technicality. Local townspeople informed the store’s proprietor that even after she obtains the proper paperwork, government agencies will continue to obstruct her quest for a bookstore.
June 9
Hartford, CT—At the close of the 2005 session of the Connecticut General Assembly, a bill was passed forcing religious organizations to recognize civil unions and to pay for partner benefits. The law would force groups like the Knights of Columbus to make their facilities available for same-sex weddings.
June 14
New Orleans, LA—New Orleans Police Superintendent Edwin P. Compass offered the security chief of the Nation of Islam an opportunity to conduct sensitivity training for the New Orleans Police force. William Donohue faxed a letter to the New Orleans City Council detailing the Nation of Islam’s anti-Catholic bigotry. The offer was immediately rescinded.
June 23
Sturtevant, WI—A prisoner was denied access to the only Catholic service that the Racine Correctional Institution offers because he was scheduled to be in a mandatory program that was taking place at the same time. The prisoner was informed that if he missed the program he would be punished. After a phone call from the Catholic League questioning the prisoner’s treatment, the assistant warden called to promise that the prisoner would be granted the right to attend Mass with no retribution.
August
Vermont—The Vermont Human Rights Commission charged a Catholic husband and wife, proprietors of a bed and breakfast, with a human rights violation. The couple had confessed their reluctance to accommodate a lesbian couple who were seeking to celebrate their civil union. The innkeepers did not refuse the lesbians; they simply said that their hearts weren’t with them.
September 14
Sacramento, CA—U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence Karlton said he would sign a restraining order banning the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in some California school districts because of the phrase, “under God.”
September 21
Philadelphia, PA—Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne Abraham released a grand jury report on cases of alleged sex abuse by priests in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Bill Donohue said of the report:
At bottom, Abraham is a phony. From the beginning, she had absolutely no evidence that would lead her to conduct a massive taxpayer-funded investigation of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia while not similarly investigating ministers, rabbis, public school teachers, abortion counselors, et al. Worse, Abraham has the gall to say she wants to tighten the Pennsylvania Child Protective Services Law yet never states that abortion counselors should be added to the “Mandated Reporters” list.
The report resulted in zero indictments. Everyone knew from the very beginning that the statute of limitations had run out on these cases and that no priest would ever be indicted, but this didn’t stop Abraham “from doing her job.”
December 10
Washington—The Washington State Democratic Party sold magnetic car stickers of the Christian fish symbol and a cross with the word “hypocrite” in the background, accompanied with flames.
December 20
New York—New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer attempted to ban the phrase “Choose Life” from special order license plates. State Assistant Solicitor General Jennifer Grace Miller told a federal appeals court that the phrase “Choose Life” might lead to road rage, but many others saw this as an attempt to muzzle the free speech of those who have a religious objection to abortion.
Ted Kennedy on Abortion: 34 Years ago
In early August, long-time Catholic League member Tom Dennelly shared with us a letter that he received from Senator Edward Kennedy in 1971. The letter, written a year-and-a-half before Roe vs. Wade, was Kennedy’s reply to Dennelly on the subject of abortion. We thought it appropo to let the news media know about the letter, and we’re glad we did: from the Internet to radio and TV, Kennedy’s one-time pro-life position was all the buzz. It is printed below.
In his statement to the press, Bill Donohue remarked as follows: “The same Ted Kennedy who once championed the rights of the unborn now champions the right of a doctor to jam scissors into the skull of an infant who is 80-percent born. Sadly for him, history will look back on this era and recognize that he didn’t care enough about human beings to take responsibility for children from the very moment of conception.”
