Neil Mitchell's psychopathology kicks in at the mention of Pell and the Catholic Church

One of the outstanding characteristics of 3AW's Neil Mitchell is that his deep neurotic prejudice towards Catholics and the Catholic Church means that at every issue concerning the Church his psychopathological inclinations kick in immediately. He can never be objective. Whatever information comes his way, it's filtered to extract only what suits his Gothic fantasies. Today is a perfect example.

Most of the important information about the Anthony Jones case is on ABC's Lateline webpage, however much they manipulate that information. Important back-up information is to be found in the document Toward Healing which provides the protocol for the Church to deal with allegations of sexual abuse. Other information can be gleaned by a search around the internet, mainly in the newspapers.

Mitchell clearly has not consulted any of these sources. Almost totally ignorant of the detail of the case he is simply driven compulsively to the conclusion that Cardinal Pell is guilty (unspecified) and the Church is a monstrous organisation that is using the law to escape its responsibilities and oppress all those who appear with any allegation at all against the Church. No evidence and no logical argument. His position at the million-dollar microphone relieves him of that duty. Often he calls in a "reliable" witness for support. The reliable witness in this case is a lawyer who defends the victims of sexual abuse. Naturally, a defence lawyer is going to act in her professional interests.

At one point this lawyer spoke of the Church going to "great lengths to deal with the sickness within its ranks of clerical sexual abuse...' This sort of statement, often made, gives such a distorted picture of the incidence of sexual abuse within the Church that it amounts to criminal slander. There is a good reason why ordinary people have come to think lawyers as a class are venal and self-serving.

So we have Mitchell declaring that "Pell doesn't get it" and that "he must stand aside" and that "he must resign". The "doesn't get it!" a favourite exclamation directed at people who he disagrees with and who he won't or can't mount a competent argument against. Then there is the heart-felt appeal: "Do the right thing!" repeated continually. What this means is that the Church is to shut up and lie down let bigots like Mitchell trample over it. No recourse to the instruments of justice for Catholics.

Finally, Mitchell scoffs at the idea that this attack on Cardinal Pell has been timed to coincide with the Pope's visit. How blind can a prejudice make someone?

Neil Mitchell will never get it.

As a postscript I will remark how extraordinary it is that (with the exclusion of Alan Jones) the airwaves in Australia are ruled by people like 3AW's Neil Mitchell. It's a choice between a confused soft liberal like Mitchell and a spectrum going to the far Left. In the US there is huge choice of conservative radio hosts, including extremely articulate female conservatives. Why don't the owners of broadcasters in Australia consider that there might be a conservative audience in Australia?

I emailed the following message as soon as Mitchell started into his rant this morning. Email responses from listeners are regularly read out during his program. Mine (they have been many) are never read out. I am persona non grata for the Mitchell show.
Typical Neil Mitchell, being driven as usual by his anti-Catholic bigotry and not by the facts. You could at least have read the Lateline transcripts. You would have found that the Anthony Jones case went through the proper procedures which included the civil and criminal courts. It's no wonder that the ordinary person has utter contempt for the liars and bigots that make up the media. You might also read my comments, which are getting strong support.

comments: gerardwilson01@optusnet.com.au