Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action ~ 1John 3:18
Dear Mayor Villaraigosa,
We are here today to present you with a DVD of the film Deliver Us From Evil. It is often said that a picture speaks a thousand words. This film speaks a million.
We know you are a busy man, but please take the time to watch Deliver Us From Evil.
You will want to deny what you see and hear during the film. You will want to deny that the families in the film experienced such horrific pain and devastation. You will want to deny that Cardinal Mahony turned a blind eye and deaf ear to the cries of sex abuse victims and their families while he urgently scrambled for a new church or school to transfer the sexual predator, before the public learned the truths. You will want to deny that Cardinal Mahony bribed the witness/perpetrator to crimes against children with an annuity. However, by accepting the truths in Deliver Us From Evil you will take your first step toward fixing the wrongs committed.
The truths in this film cannot be denied. Cardinal Mahony's statements on camera are self-explanatory. Unsuspecting families and precious children were destroyed by sexually abusive employees of a politically-connected religious institution, the Catholic Church, while government and political influences interfered with criminal prosecutions, civil lawsuits and our country's guaranteed right to due process.
As you ponder the facts revealed in Deliver Us From Evil, remember that Cardinal Mahony uses his powerful influence to twist the truth so the public blames the victims of sex abuse crimes -- instead of the sexual predators that destroyed lives. Cardinal Mahony could change the world if he wanted to. Instead, he continues to use expensive public relations campaigns and hardball legal defenses to cover up for criminals who raped the souls of little children and annihilated their faith in man and God alike.
Your actions can make a difference.
As an elected government official, each time you stand with the Cardinal, you offer him moral credibility, a credibility that the Cardinal doesn't warrant on his own. Most importantly, remember children and their parents look up to you as the elected Mayor of Los Angeles. Each time you appear publicly with Cardinal Mahony, you tell the citizens of Los Angeles that sex abuse crimes, cover-ups and failures to protect children are not really crimes when committed by influential and politically-connected religious leaders.
Mayor Villaraigosa, we present you with this DVD of Deliver Us From Evil and pray that the next occasion you have to stand with Cardinal Mahony, you will recall the words:
Dime con quien andas, y te dira quien eres -- Tell me who you walk with and I will tell you who you are.
As increasingly more people see this film, don't you think people begin to question who you are in light of your close association to Cardinal Mahony?
Respectfully,
Mary Pitcher,
Mary Jane McGraw,
Udo Strutynski,
Joelle Casteix