Same sex "marriage"

In today's Journal.ie there is a report of the the partner of the Guardian journalist who worked with Edward Snowden to expose US surveillance tactics being detained for almost nine hours under British anti-terror legislation. The report is headed "Husband of journalist who broke NSA leaks story held for nine hours in London". I did not know that these people were in a same sex marriage and had to read down a bit until I realised this. Is the term "husband" the correct one to use in this case? The husband referred to is David Miranda. Is his partner Glenn Greenwald, his wife?
I support equal rights for same sex "unions" but we have to get our terminology right when referring to the participants therein. I have doubts about even calling the the relationship marriage. I am open to persuasion in this matter.

State of the nation

Stephen Collins had an excellent article on Saturday's (10th Aug) Irish Times. It was excellent from the point of view of being measured and balanced. Too often what we get about the state of the nation are various rants from perhaps well intentioned but nevertheless probably very angry people. Such a frame of mind is not conducive to rationally thought out solutions. We need a revolution but not of an explosive kind - rather in the nature of a controlled explosion.

The day started well, but...

Another fine day. Seems the sun is reluctant to leave us. I cannot remember a summer like this since my childhood when they all seemed fine. Thankfully all our politicians are on holiday so we don't have to listen to them prattling on about something or other. I wonder if the Nurble Co-efficient of Irish politicians is greater than those of other countries. The tragedy of the death of two children is all over the newspapers. Is this a consequence of the effects of austerity? It remains to be seen. And just now I read of the death of Colm Murray. The day gets gloomier.

The blogger returns

Back again after a long absence. The world has turned a few times but little changes. Looking recently at the pictures of Earth from the vicinity of Saturn - taken by the Cassini space probe - makes one realise how puny small creatures we are in the vastness of the universe.The charade which passes for politics continues in Ireland. We have gone through a divisive debate on a limited abortion bill - it is being discussed by the Presidential Council of State today to enable President Higgins make a decision whether or not to refer it to the Supreme Court to test its constitutionality - and in the autumn we will have the distraction from the upcoming severe budget with poll on the constitutional amendment to abolish the Senate. The more things change the more they remain the same.

Report on handling of child abuse

Bishop John Kirby of Clonfert, commenting on the recent (September 20120 publication of the report of the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church  said that he accepted the Board's review of how clerical abuse was handled in the diocese “in its entirety”. He said that the diocese had “rectified the deficiencies noted by the review and has implemented all eight of the formal recommendations in the nine months since last November”.

On a personal note, he admitted that he had shown a “previous lack of understanding of the sinister and recidivist nature of the child abuser, and the lifelong damage that this destructive behaviour has on victims”. His most profound apology was reserved for his “grave mistake” moving two repeated priest abusers to different parishes after complaints were received against them. This, he said, placed others “at serious risks”.

The “……lack of understanding of the sinister and recidivist nature of the child abuser, and the lifelong damage that this destructive behaviour has on victims” argument has been trotted out by churchmen from the very first days this whole clerical sex abuse business became widely known. This is beyond naivety. It is insidious and self serving and downright untrue for the following reason. The institutional church is an authority on evil. Its priests have been listening for centuries to people - presumably including other priests – confessing their sins in the confession box. The church has centuries of knowledge of all kinds of human failings. To hear that a bishop in the 20th century had no understanding of the crime of child sexual abuse and its consequences is to invite us to believe that he is either a fool or a knave. There are few foolish bishops.

An old smell

A new study confirms that people, like  many animals, easily recognize a unique—but not unpleasant—eau de elderly: Ferris Jabr, Scientific American, May 30, 2012   read more

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

How is it that auditing firms failed in their primary duty as auditors of Anglo Irish Bank, Irish Nationwide and AIB to alert shareholders and prospective shareholders and the country at large about the crisis that was emerging in these institutions?: Vincent Browne, Irish Times, May 30, 2012   read more