Bill Donohue comments on last night’s episode of “The Real O’Neals”:

Just another typical Tuesday night with “The Real O’Neals” on ABC:

The boys are fighting over which one of them should be the “faith leader” for a Catholic youth retreat at their high school; their school’s vice principal is worried that Kenny, who is gay, might be uncomfortable at the retreat sleeping with a roomful of boys; and their sister, having decided to have her first kiss, is interviewing boys to see who will be the lucky recipient. Ultimately, Kenny needs an appearance from Jesus to convince him to forgive his brother Jimmy—and let Jimmy “prank him” by tying him up—after Jimmy is named “faith leader.”

Meanwhile, back at the family home, Dad knowingly brings home a lesbian friend—who quickly takes an interest in Mom. Dad becomes jealous that his friend seems more interested in his wife than in him, and a raucous argument ensues between husband and wife.

This, of course, is Disney/ABC’s idea of a typical Catholic family: confused, dysfunctional, and shallow beyond belief.

Contact Disney-ABC chief: [email protected]

Bill Donohue comments on bills pending in the New York State capital:

No one who purports to be interested in the sexual abuse of minors can be taken seriously if his bill exempts the majority of institutions where the molestation occurs. That is why Assemblywoman Margaret Markey is not an honest broker: her bill lifting the statute of limitations gives the public schools a pass. Indeed, with the exception of 2009, every bill she ever introduced has exempted public institutions. The one time she included them, the public school establishment went bonkers.

There are other bills that make more sense. Sen. Brad Hoylman has amended his bill to cover public entities, and he is to be commended for doing so. Still, the bill introduced by Assemblyman Mike Cusick and Sen. Andrew Lanza is preferable.

Their bill would prospectively extend the age by which victims could bring a lawsuit from 23 to 28. It would also apply equally to both the private and public sectors. What it will not do is to provide a “look-back” period where suits can be filed for alleged abuse occurring decades ago.

There are fundamental civil libertarian reasons why the statute of limitations is on the books—memories fade, witnesses die—and that is why they need to be maintained.

There is another reason, rooted more in politics than law, why the Cusick-Lanza bill is preferable: those who harbor an animus against the Catholic Church would not be able to exploit this issue to suit their ideological and financial interests. Quite frankly, there is no organized legal effort to bilk any demographic group or institution other than Catholics and the Church.

Lawmakers Cusick and Lanza need to learn of your support.

Contact: [email protected]
Contact: [email protected]

Bill Donohue comments on the Catholic League’s campaign against the ABC show, “The Real O’Neals,” and why he is asking the Kimberly Clarke Company, owner of Huggie’s Diapers, to drop its sponsorship:

Please contact media relations at the Kimberly Clarke Company and tell them how offended Catholics are by a show that is based on the life of an obscene anti-Catholic bigot, Dan Savage (who is also an executive producer), and why we are requesting that the Kimberly Clarke Company stop advertising Huggies diapers on the show.

Contact: [email protected]

Bill Donohue comments on the Catholic League’s campaign against the ABC show, “The Real O’Neals,” and why he is asking Sprint to drop its sponsorship:

Please contact David Tovar in Sprint media relations and tell him how offended Catholics are by a show that is based on the life of an obscene anti-Catholic bigot, Dan Savage (who is also an executive producer), and why we are requesting that Sprint stop advertising on the show.

Contact: [email protected]

Bill Donohue wrote a full-page ad, published today in the Albany Times-Union, on the anti-Catholic efforts underway in the New York capital this week. Lawmakers will consider bills to lift the statute of limitations on the sexual abuse of minors, the real target being the Catholic Church, not the public schools. Anti-Catholic activists will push their agenda on May 3-4, devoting all day Wednesday to attacks on the Church.

To read the ad, click here.

We will provide contact information for select lawmakers over the next two days.