Smokin'

2007-06-22 - 12:35 p.m.

Last night, Brin sat me down and showed me one of her favorite films. So I showed her one of mine.

Yeah, we live an exciting life on my day off.

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Okay, gang - correction time.

In this space yesterday, I reported about an article on Boortz' site about a change in the statute of limitations for sex abuse cases. Today, Boortz is running a correction and, in the interest of fairness, I'm reporting it here:

I got something wrong yesterday. Oh, I had help, to be sure, but I got it wrong. The story about the expanded statute of limitations for lawsuits over incidents of child abuse in Delaware was not exactly as I presented it. Yesterday I said that the teacher's unions stood in the way of expanding that statute from two to twenty-five years for employees of government schools. That is not exactly how it happened.

It's true, there is a bill in Delaware to expand the statute of limitations for civil actions relating to child sexual abuse. What is also true is that the Delaware government and all government employees, as is the case with most other states, are generally immune from such lawsuits in the first place because of the concept of sovereign immunity. I was also right in telling you that the highest incidents of child sexual abuse in the country happen at the hands of government school employees.

Now ... here is what has really happened. When the bill expanding the statute of limitations was introduced, an amendment was offered by Republican Representative Greg Lavelle that would expand the liability for these lawsuits to the State of Delaware and its employees. That would include the employees of the government schools. That amendment was defeated ... defeated by Democrats. Representative Lavelle is going to offer that amendment again as a separate bill.

We had several discussions with Representative Lavelle's office yesterday afternoon, and he asks some interesting questions. If the legislators in Delaware are saying that the victims of child abuse in Delaware should have 25 years now (instead of two years) to file lawsuits for damages, why should private school teachers be subject to these lawsuits when government school teachers are not?

So .. here's what I got wrong yesterday.

1. I made it sound as if government school teachers in Delaware were actually subject to those lawsuits now but with a two-year statute of limitation. I was wrong. They're immune from civil even now.

2. I also made it sound as if only government school teachers were affected by this exemption. Actually, it's all government employees, not just the teachers. The reason teachers are being focused on here is because most other Delaware government employees don't have daily close contact with children, and there is no real record of any significant number of incidents of sexual abuse of children by government employees ... other, that is, than government school employees.

3. Representative Lavelle's office won't exactly admit that there was any teacher's union pressures brought to bear here.

So .. the essence of my story was correct, but the details need a little straightening out here. I tell you not to believe everything I say on the air unless it is consistent with what you already know to be true, or you've taken the time to check things out for yourself. I just want you to know that we go to some lengths here to get the true scoop on these stories .... even after we cover them on the air. If a correction or clarification is needed, you'll certainly get one.

So, there you go. Personally, I agree with Lavelle - it should be all school teachers, not just private school ones.

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So. Down in San Diego, police chase an SUV. It heads straight for the border and...well, go read.

And remember, it's our laws that cause this shit to happen.

Oh, and it's all Bush's fault. Well, actually, in this case it is - if he'd get the damn borders secured already...

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You also might want to take a listen to this.

If you can't beat it on its own playing field, outlaw it.

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Okay. Enough political ranting.

Be seeing you.

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