I posted this on SL tonite. Thot everyone here may want to read it and hopefully be moved to respond to the paper.
The following article appeared in the OTHELLO OUTLOOK weekly paper on 10/3/02.(Town where Erica R. was molested; on Dateline report)
LOCAL CHURCH DOES NOT DESERVE TO BE HARASSED
Dozens of stuffed lambs were placed on Jehovahs Witnesses church doors across the nation two weeks ago to signify children purportedly raped and molested within the church.***Othellos Kingdom Hall was one o the church doors on which a lamb was placed. The church has been named in a civil suit through the US District Court against the elders of that congregation, following the conviction of local church member Manuel Beliz for the rape and molestation of Erica Rodriguez. Beliz was sentenced to 11 yrs. In prison.***Rodriquez, now in her 20s, claimed Beliz molested her from age 4 to 11 before her family moved to CA. She contends the abuse occurred as a result of WT policy of not reporting crimes and elder negligence.***She is not alone in her condemnation of the church. Seven other plaintiffs in the US and Canada have filed similar suits against their churches and WT.***But is the Othello cong. To blame? Rodriguez herself stated that the church knew nothing of the molestations until she moved out of state and told elders at her Sacramento, CA church, whom she alleges also molested her and threatened to disfellowship her if she went to the police.***Is putting a stuffed lamb on a church door the answer? That act borders on harassment and could, in the long run, possibly damage Rodriguezs chances in court.***Bill Bowen, the founder of Silent Lambs, an organization dedicated to fighting pedophilia within the JW church, along with soap Lake resident Richard Rawe, has been adamantly pushing Rodriguez and the others to file lawsuits against the church. The question is, whats in I for Bowen and Rawe?***Its one thing to fight for justice, but when that fight involves bringing notoriety to yourself rather than to the victims, how is that going to promote your cause?*** The Othello cong has been noted in newspapers nationwide and was the main focus of a report on NBCs Dateline in which the Othello water tower was prominently shown at the beginning of the report.***Is this any way for Othello to be seen by others across the country? Or any other city for that matter?***The church did not molest Rodriguez. Beliz did and he is now serving his sentence for that crime.***Its time for Rodriguez to move on with her life and for others to stop using her for their cause. She had her day in court and justice was served the Adams County Superior Court.
DOES ANYONE WANT TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR?? Othello Outlook PO Drawer OOthello, WA 99344 Posted by jazbugSpokane.