Shut them down!

Liberals and other Catholic-haters like to behave as though every Catholic priest in the history of Catholic priests has been a child molester. The MSM write countless stories about the very small number of actual Catholic priests who have sexually abused children (or allegedly) and then act like their "facts" come from the Bible. Then, people who hate the Catholic Church call for it to be investigated, tried, and done away with.

There is, no doubt, a higher percentage of school teachers who sexually abuse children. Have a look at this article:

Students in America's schools are groped. They're raped. They're pursued, seduced and think they're in love.

An Associated Press investigation found more than 2,500 cases over five years in which educators were punished for actions from bizarre to sadistic.

There are 3 million public school teachers nationwide, most devoted to their work. Yet the number of abusive educators — nearly three for every school day — speaks to a much larger problem in a system that is stacked against victims.

Most of the abuse never gets reported. Those cases reported often end with no action. Cases investigated sometimes can't be proven, and many abusers have several victims.

(Emphasis Added)

That's a lot of abuse. And teachers see students more often than priests do. Think of all the abuse that takes place. Yet, I don't hear for anyone calling for the public school system to be shut down (for this reason).

Those are the findings of an AP investigation in which reporters sought disciplinary records in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The result is an unprecedented national look at the scope of sex offenses by educators — the very definition of breach of trust.

The seven-month investigation found 2,570 educators whose teaching credentials were revoked, denied, surrendered or sanctioned from 2001 through 2005 following allegations of sexual misconduct.

Young people were the victims in at least 1,801 of the cases, and more than 80 percent of those were students. At least half the educators who were punished by their states also were convicted of crimes related to their misconduct.

The findings draw obvious comparisons to sex abuse scandals in other institutions, among them the Roman Catholic Church. A review by America's Catholic bishops found that about 4,400 of 110,000 priests were accused of molesting minors from 1950 through 2002.

Look at the numbers:

• From 2001-2005, 5 years, 2,570 educators were accused of "sexual misconduct."

• In at least 1,801 cases the victims were young and more than 80 percent were students.

• From 1950-2002, 50 years, 4,400 priests were accused of abuse.

Perhaps I'm just really bad at math, but 2,570 educators accused in only 5 years sounds a lot worse than 4,400 priests accused in 52 years.

One report mandated by Congress estimated that as many as 4.5 million students, out of roughly 50 million in American schools, are subject to sexual misconduct by an employee of a school sometime between kindergarten and 12th grade. That figure includes verbal harassment that's sexual in nature.

Four and a half million children.

Of course, the teachers' unions are firmly on the side of . . . the teachers:

The overwhelming majority of cases the AP examined involved teachers in public schools. Private school teachers rarely turn up because many are not required to have a teaching license and, even when they have one, disciplinary actions are typically handled within the school.

Two of the nation's major teachers unions, the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association, each denounced sex abuse while emphasizing that educators' rights also must be taken into account.

"Students must be protected from sexual predators and abuse, and teachers must be protected from false accusations," said NEA President Reg Weaver, who refused to be interviewed and instead released a two-paragraph statement.

And I thought liberals were all about "the children!!!"?

And what about the rights of the priests? Of the Catholic Church? Of the innocent Catholic priests who have been dragged through the mud and spat upon?

Sexual abuse is wrong wherever it takes place. We would all do well to remember that Catholic priests are not the only sexual abusers out there. School teachers are a hell of a lot worse.