Orange County Blog

From my Facebook page:

Gus, Gus, Gus.... you certainly are causing me problems lately. As an HBA board of directors member I was very disappointed by your accusations against Bishop Flores. We should have lunch to discuss your concerns. If you can prove your accusations I will make a motion to rescind the invitation, but I don't think you can.

If you ever have a question about the HBA please contact me and we can discuss it. You might want to do some background investigation before posting. I will always talk to you.

Marcelo Reyes, Esq.
HBA, Board of Directors

My response:

It's not an accusation, Marcelo: it's fact. Did you read my story on Flores?

http://www.ocweekly.com/2009-01-15/news/bishop-cirilo-flores

He served on the very board that is supposed to discipline priests...and nothing.

Vitriol and indignation are best reserved for those who emote in that manner based upon knowledge, fact and substance. Attacking an individual, organization or race merely by it's/their association with greater goods because of the historical bad acts of a few is the equivalent of me attacking all Mexican-Americans for the dumb ass comments of one dumb wannabe comedian such as yourself who happens to genetically partially claim a hispanic heritage.

Gustavo your dealing with a Lawyer...he will find some loophole as to how to get around your accusation. That's what their good at.

Let me tell you Gustavo if you farted, they would go as far as to blame the beans you ate to clear you of any flatulence!

Cool, Allan! Just wanted to make sure.

Well the lubrication aint working so I'm sure people should bring a bit of axle grease to this event." High viscosity no breakdown and long lasting like the pedophiles in OC. "

This article says it all! It's time to start holding demonstrations at events like this!

I hope the people who chair this event are just oblivious to this mans complicity in the abuse of children in OC.

But I doubt that that is the case.

It seams that enablers are well connected around this county.

Dear Mr. Arellano,

My name is Carlos X. Colorado and I am the president-elect of the O.C. Hispanic Bar Association; I am the HBA officer who was primarily responsible for organizing this reception with the St. Thomas More Society. The HBA does not endorse, in any way, any actions taken to allow priests involved in sexual abuse to continue to prey on children and we deplore the occurrence of any abuse by faithless clerics, and any attempts to conceal it. We stand in solidarity with the victims of the sexual abuse crisis and are pained that any reader of your column could think otherwise.

I am leading the effort to welcome Bishop Flores to our community because I strongly believe in the positive role a bishop can have in society. When I was a child growing up in El Salvador, I met Archbishop Oscar Romero, who later was assassinated because of his valiant denunciation of the abuses of the military dictatorship in the country. St. Thomas More, the namesake of our partners in offering this reception, also was murdered for standing up to his king over principle. As you recognize, "The HBA prides itself on helping the downtrodden" and we expect to do this by working shoulder to shoulder with others in the community, including the Church. In a year in which we may be called on to respond to national immigration reform and will certainly face increased and urgent need in our communities because of the economic downturn, we could not be blind to the prospect of joining hands with the Church in the struggle for social justice. Bishop Flores told the Riverside Press-Enterprise that he expects to work closely with the church's Hispanic community, and will oversee the work of Catholic Charities. We see him as an important partner in our mission, an incoming bishop who brings not only his law degree and ethnicity, but years of service on the board of the Public Law Center, which serves the underserved in the community, and as pastor of St. Anne's, a working class parish in the heart of Santa Ana. The Hispanic Bar Association has joined the St. Thomas More Society in welcoming Bishop Flores out of a commitment to social justice undertaken with sincerity and humility, and we lament that our intention has been questioned or misinterpreted.

Respectfully yours,

Carlos Colorado

Gustavo:

Don't believe the HBA's hype about helping the "downtrodden". When this organization had an opportunity to endorse a "No" vote on Proposition 8, it declined even though conservative groups like the Orange County Bar Association endorsed a "No" vote.

Gay Latino, Esq.