Title: A Civil Discourse At Obama Health Care Forum

" This is the WB one news podcast for Wednesday August 12 a service of WBUR Boston's NPR news station I'm Deborah Becker. Coming up a Massachusetts group is calling for an investigation into allegations of abuse in Catholic institutions in the twentieth century after a report detailing abuse -- institutions in Ireland during that same time. But first. President Obama's summer push for support to expand health coverage went before a relatively polite crowd in New Hampshire yesterday. While protesters rallied outside the president's town hall style meeting in Portsmouth the heckling stayed outside. --"

" If first it looked like this my fuel -- town meetings and members of congress have been holding all of the country a lot of shouting not much discourse. Mining the drive -- to face it pro and anti Obama protesters yelled at each other across the --"

" Leading into the high school it was a long morning hundreds of people fleeing quietly gave him. Some sort of read in the high humidity -- sunshine as the earliest -- in the morning president went -- here. We came from all over New Hampshire and Massachusetts and Maine as well. Jackie Miller left her home in wells made 730. She's worried that if her husband -- to lose his private supplemental health insurance will be left with Medicare."

" Medicare covers most of the things I need done the supplemental. Comes to okay basically my -- And those. I'm very expensive might take quite a few I have not collapsing -- tend to fall asleep so I needed to help -- stay away. And without it I mean I mean I he would contact could wouldn't give -- to drive."

" Inside nobody shouted anybody you know. People ask questions. And answers from president Jackie -- woman from wells got to ask her question."

" What will happen I have I take a lot of medications I need a lot ad panel on procedures. And how will. Medicare. And -- under the new proposal help people who were going to need things like this."

" In terms of savings for you as they Medicare receptive the biggest one is on prescription drugs. Because the prescription drug companies have already said. That they would be willing to put up eighty billion dollars. In rebates for prescription drugs as part of a health care reform back."

" Militants still have to be out of pocket for drugs but the president argued it would be lessons he's paying now. It was an answer that satisfied -- it I got this very -- actually made me feel a lot better about what it's gonna. President Obama also took questions from critics of his plan. Don't writer of the lecture and after the Mr. President name has been persons and not from a conflict Maine and also the springs Florida. I'm a Republican I'm doing here bottom here where where the but."

" Come on Medicare but I still worry that if we gold to a public option period. That's the private companies insurance companies rather than competing."

" Let's hope to compete with the government the answer is nobody so my question is do you still as. Yourself now -- support a universal plan for. I you open to the private industry still being maintained."

" There's nothing inevitable. About this somehow destroying private marketplace as long pants and that's the legitimate point they are raising. But it's not set up where the government is basically being subsidized by taxpayers -- even if they're not providing -- we keep on having a pony up. More more money and and I've already said that can't be the wave of public option has set up it has to be self suspect that answer questions of but her Simpson didn't think the president did answers question."

" Not not a lie what possibly possibly sharing this but. But. Again I guess -- it can't insurance companies will be forced out if the government has been single Payer plan might actually."

" The president took questions from several people skeptical of his proposals including one recent graduate of Saint -- school in Concord, New Hampshire. Hello Mr. President I'm just and that means from -- New Hampshire. Or just fine thank you armed there's a lot of them from misinformation about how we're gonna pay for this health care plan. And it's I'm wondering how we're gonna do this without raising taxes on the middle class because I don't want the burden upon my parents."

" My belief is that it should not Burton. People who make 250000 -- a year or less. And I think that's the commitment that I made the pledge that I made when I'm up here running in New Hampshire folks. So I don't want their voice and somehow that. I'm. You know -- in the -- switcher I said very specifically I thought we should roll back bush tax cuts. And use them to pay for health insurance that's what I meant having to --"

" Figgins who will be a freshman at Tufts University this fall. Leader said he heard some wiggle room in that answer."

" I don't feel the speed definitively said he would not taxes are raised taxes on the middle class. Com I thought you referenced it calmly answered my questions and how in the pledging New Hampshire. On the connected to that pledge. But he didn't definitively today. On yeah. No team captains for middle class. It's President George Bush first it when he was running for president. "

" The give and take between the president and new englanders at the forum in Portsmouth seemed to have nothing in common with a shout fest reported in other parts of the country. In a debate that's been anything but civil since congress went home two weeks ago Yankee civility now for WBUR. I'm -- tennis."

" You can watch our video interviews with new englanders about President Obama and health care reform and get all the latest news all at the new WBUR -- work."

" And is."

" When the Irish government recently released its report after investigating the abuse of children in Catholic running institutions there. Many questions heroes on this side of the Atlantic about whether similar abuse happened here. The almost 3000 page Irish report known as the Ryan report. Said rape and abuse were endemic in Ireland's territory and schools and orphanages from in 1930s. Until most of the facilities were shut down in in 1990s. They were dozens of similar facilities in Massachusetts that were run by religious groups at that time. So the Waltham based group bishop accountability dot org which gathered information on the clergy sex abuse crisis analysts some 3000 abusive clergy members. Is now investigating best. Tearing -- in the head of bishop accountability dot org is creating a database of the US church run institutions where there have been similar allegations."

" We have certainly over the years as we've worked on these cases. Noticed that abuse has occurred residential facilities but we hadn't really. Put it in that category. And realize there are a number of different kinds of residential facilities and that it added up to a lot of vulnerable children. And that priests who. Liked to this kind of thing would likely target those vulnerable populations. When Ryan report came out it all came together for us."

" May -- group has documented similar abuse at dozens of Catholic run institutions in the United States and he expects that hundreds more facilities will be identified. We -- says he's been inundated with claims from alleged victims some of whom had never before come forward. 51 year old David West -- of Oklahoma grew up in Massachusetts. But when his family couldn't care forum he was sent to the sacred heart academy boarding school in Andover and an affiliated summer camp during the late 1960s."

" I was sexually abused the number of probably hear it not only get to school itself but also let's hear their summer camp."

" Both the school and the camp or run by the Catholic religious order the Brothers of the sacred heart and -- says abuse was rampant."

" Eventually what they would do is they would come to you and you don't know that we were young children that we were we were desperate for attention. You know they would tell us how much they loved us and how much they cared force -- brother particularly with I remember he was signature he would start talking to has been a Monday it was. And then now if we get up I mean start run on my shoulders. And it put his head next next the mine was very -- tell me how much he loved me and that it would just be a matter minister of forestry and you -- stance."

" The Brothers of the sacred heart says records from its two boarding schools in Massachusetts are difficult to sign and not very detailed. Brother Robert Croat -- spokesman for the order was advised by the group's attorney not to comment on tape for this story. But he did say they are aware of abuse allegations at the Massachusetts schools and the order has offered to pay for counseling for alleged victims. 76 year old Jerry Sears is now in counseling for alleged abuse that occurred at another brother of the secret her boarding school in share. He now lives in Colorado but while he was going up in Massachusetts his father left and his mother could no longer care for him. So he sent into the school where Sears says the Brothers would exploit children."

" The most. Significant technique is fine I'm just to show. Some friendship and returns or sexual favors. And of course I it was a devoid of -- I have no farther in my life. -- father figure so you know some adult males that would show me some attention. Would be welcome."

" Sears says it is still difficult for him to talk about what happened then and it took in decades to even acknowledge that he was abused."

" I just. Went without you know I was this little. Estranged kid alone. But I guess fortunately. Human. It doesn't force there was so many. I don't want I don't remember it."

" Neither Sears -- got ever pursued legal action and their alleged abusers have never been charged. The Brothers of the sacred heart spokesman brother Robert crude -- says these allegations are particularly difficult because doesn't he orders Massachusetts boarding schools closed in the 1970s. Many of the Brothers involved are dead and many of the alleged victims were very young children. This also was a time of transition for how the state handled children in its care. During the 1960s and seventies there was no department of social services and the state was moving away from putting kids in large institutions in orphanages. Into placing them in smaller homes and Foster care. Busting college history professor James O'Toole says officials learned that those types of facilities were not best for children. He also says that just because the abuse happened in those institutions in Ireland it doesn't mean it happened here."

" It's important I think. Sort of -- Now I is that those that resist hierarchical structure. For the most part in institutions and religious orders like this. Things really stop at the order waters and it so. These sorts of institutions. In Ireland. Entirely different from organization -- And other life separate from institutions here."

" But and Barry Doyle of bishop accountability dot org says after the clergy sex abuse scandal -- government here has an obligation to investigate the evidence that her group is compiling we're gonna start."

" Folks in Massachusetts and new England and expanding our database. Presidential institutions we -- children refused to -- Public documentation we it would assemble enough evidence. At the attorney general might be compelled. To say this is unbelievable. That. D.'s president Catholic orphanages and boarding schools right here in our state. Were hell holes for children."

" The Massachusetts attorney general did conduct a lengthy investigation of the Boston Archdiocese after the clergy sex abuse scandal but never filed charges."

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