We recently celebrated the six-month anniversary of Sept. 11. We honored the selfless heroes, both living and dead, and remembered the innocent victims of this horrific event. We, as Americans, want justice and the hope that a similar event will not recur. We realize that we cannot generalize by branding all Muslims as being responsible for this tragedy. Indeed, many Muslims are our allies in fighting terrorism.

We need to provide the Catholic Church, its priests and religious the same sense of fair play with its crisis. Although one cannot generalize one's own personal experience as the norm, I never encountered a priest, brother, nun or lay person who was guilty of taking advantage of their position of trust to engage in molesting me or one of my peers. I attended parochial grammar school, Catholic high school and college and was an altar boy for many years.

Anyone, whether a religious, relative, teacher or stranger, who preys on our children deserves punishment and treatment and should be removed from any further contact with young people. But, our young people also need the contact with most of these selfless people who have dedicated themselves to the service of God and themselves. It would be a sad state of affairs if a child is denied a hug when he or she falls and bruises a knee.

Robert L. Jackowski