Margaret Cessna

I am a survivor of clergy abuse. One of my abusers was Fr. A. Joseph Maskell. He was depicted in the NetFlix series, "The Keepers". I could never understand how he was able to get away with what he did to us. I knew he was a manipulator. He was one of the "Good Old Boys". Everyone liked him. Didn't they know? Couldn't they see? No one would believe us. He was a Catholic priest, an adult. We were just a bunch of teenagers with wild imaginations. That was over 50 years ago. I was still wondering - until I saw "Scared Silent". This movie does more than "entertain". It takes away any notion that the abuse is the victim's fault, and answers my long asked question, "How did he get away with it?".

I watched the episode of the 1906 earthquake only because there was nothing else on TV. Within the first five minutes, I was completely captivated. The manipulation of the facts of the earthquake's impact was a perfect example of missed opportunities due to the hidden agendas of those in controlling positions. The methods, motives and their consequeses are disheartening. But the history of the event as a whole provides a great oppotunity to make what changes can be made now towards a better outcome in the future.