Fuck the Evil Catholic Church

[D1B]

Now they're going after victim advocacy groups.
NY Times Editorial

Hurting Victims’ Advocates
Published: March 13, 2012

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, known as SNAP, has played a critical role in making public the horrific crimes of pedophile priests and holding the Roman Catholic Church accountable for the crimes. Now the church is using a tactic that could cripple SNAP by embroiling it in costly litigation in which it is not a party.
Related News

As Laurie Goodstein wrote in The Times on Tuesday, lawyers for the church and priests accused of sex abuse in two Missouri cases have gone to court to compel SNAP to hand over two decades’ worth of e-mails and a huge amount of private correspondence with victims, lawyers, witnesses, reporters, prosecutors and the police.

The group has been subpoenaed five times in recent months and its national director, David Clohessy, deposed in the Kansas City, Mo., case. SNAP says it has incurred about $50,000 in legal fees and devoted hundreds of hours of staff time since the subpoenas began. This is a strange level of interest since SNAP is not involved in either case and Mr. Clohessy has sworn that he has had no contact with the accuser in the Kansas City case. The church’s lawyers want information on the network’s members and tactics, going beyond the cases. “The real motive is to harass and discredit and bankrupt SNAP, while discouraging victims, witnesses, whistle-blowers, police, prosecutors and journalists from seeking our help,” Mr. Clohessy said.

Given the aggressive legal tactics, it’s hard not to think that he is right. The judges asked to rule on motions to compel information must reject unfairly burdensome discovery requests. When the sex-abuse scandal erupted a decade ago, church leaders spoke of reconciliation with the victims. Now, in threatening to expose private files compiled by advocates for abuse survivors, they are giving victims new reason to retreat into fear and secrecy. For the church to target SNAP compounds the horror.

Bet the catholics are proud. Fucking scumbags.

[JoltinJoe]

No, **** you for being stupid.

SNAP functions as a "runner" does for personal injury lawyers. Since you're too dumb to know what that means, google it: "runner" and "personal injury lawyer."

SNAP maintains a message board where "victims" post information about specific priests.

So then someone who wants to make a quick buck can search the board, find a priest that they can plausibly claim that they knew, and then they have all sorts of information about existing accusations about the priest.

The "victim" calls SNAP, SNAP farms the case out to a lawyer, and no doubt the higher ups get paid a fee for the referral. The lawyer claims that the "victim's" story -- how he was approached, where he was abused -- is similar to existing accusations against the priest.

Then the lawyer files a suit, and the "victim" claims "repressed memory" as to why it took him 40 years to come forward.

That's why I've been calling them Ander$NAP.

Don't fear, I'm sure that SNAP will do its best to avoid producing the subpoenaed information, or it will be produced with noticeable gaps.

[D1B]

No, **** you for being stupid.

SNAP functions as a "runner" does for personal injury lawyers. Since you're too dumb to know what that means, google it: "runner" and "personal injury lawyer."

SNAP maintains a message board where "victims" post information about specific priests.

So then someone who wants to make a quick buck can search the board, find a priest that they can plausibly claim that they knew, and then they have all sorts of information about existing accusations about the priest.

The "victim" calls SNAP, SNAP farms the case out to a lawyer, and no doubt the higher ups get paid a fee for the referral. The lawyer claims that the "victim's" story -- how he was approached, where he was abused -- is similar to existing accusations against the priest.

Then the lawyer files a suit, and the "victim" claims "repressed memory" as to why it took him 40 years to come forward.

That's why I've been calling them Ander$NAP.

Don't fear, I'm sure that SNAP will do its best to avoid producing the subpoenaed information, or it will be produced with noticeable gaps.

Fuck you, pedophile defender. Your church is pedophile factory you dumb piece of shit.

This is yet another ploy by your evil fucking church to avoid accountability by going after a successful victim advocacy group.

You're a living human shit stain and dumbfuck catholic soldier with no care what so ever for the thousands of child victims of your church.



"I'm catholic and proud!" Joltin Joe, 2009

[D1B]

No, **** you for being stupid.

SNAP functions as a "runner" does for personal injury lawyers. Since you're too dumb to know what that means, google it: "runner" and "personal injury lawyer."

SNAP maintains a message board where "victims" post information about specific priests.

So then someone who wants to make a quick buck can search the board, find a priest that they can plausibly claim that they knew, and then they have all sorts of information about existing accusations about the priest.

The "victim" calls SNAP, SNAP farms the case out to a lawyer, and no doubt the higher ups get paid a fee for the referral. The lawyer claims that the "victim's" story -- how he was approached, where he was abused -- is similar to existing accusations against the priest.

Then the lawyer files a suit, and the "victim" claims "repressed memory" as to why it took him 40 years to come forward.

That's why I've been calling them Ander$NAP.

Don't fear, I'm sure that SNAP will do its best to avoid producing the subpoenaed information, or it will be produced with noticeable gaps.

Yep, fake cases, dipshit.

The demands arise from two civil lawsuits one called “Jane Doe v. Fr. Joseph D. Ross and the St. Louis archdiocese” and another called “John Doe BP v. Fr. Michael Tierney and the Kansas City diocese.”

The St. Louis suit charges that Ross molested a girl from 1997-2001 at St. Cronan’s Catholic church in the Grove neighborhood of St. Louis city. In 1988, Ross pled guilty to sexually assaulting an 11 year old boy. But after his sentence was completed, Catholic officials quietly put Ross at St. Cronan’s and warned no one of his criminal past. Ross worked as recently as 2002. His current whereabouts are unknown.

The Kansas City suit charges that Tierney molested a boy. At least four other accusers in separate lawsuits have come forward against Tiereny and he was suspended last year because church officials deemed some of the allegations credible.

SNAP believes that this intrusion into the private messages and writings of a child rape survivor is “unwarranted, unnecessary, and hurtful.” They are calling on the two Missouri bishops to call off these hardball tactics immediately. And they want a former St. Louisan, NYC Cardinal Timothy Dolan (who heads the US Conference of Bishops) to publicly denounce the bishops who are using this “mean-spirited” legal tactic.

The demands for document are and depositions are “firsts” in SNAP’s 23 year history. SNAP is not a party to either lawsuit.

Ross has been defrocked. In recent years, he lived in Arkansas but worked in the St. Louis area for 30+ years. Tierney is still a priest and believed to be living in Kansas City.

Joe, you should be ashamed. You need help, here's a start.

Psychopathy is a personality disorder characterized by a one direction pervasive pattern of disregard for, or violation of, the rights of others. Psychopaths have a total lack of empathy or remorse and are generally regarded as callous, selfish, insensitive, dishonest, arrogant, aggressive, impulsive, irresponsible, and hedonistic.

[D1B]

From a victim:

Let’s all stand together and say ENOUGH to the Roman Catholic Churches latest attempt to silence SNAP! Thank you New York Times for exposing The Roman Catholic Church’s attempt to cripple and destroy SNAP an advocacy organization for individuals sexually abused by religious figures, with a mission is to keep children safe, help victims heal and promote public safety. Rather than deal with their centuries old problem of sexual misconduct which include the rape of children and systematic cover-ups within their institution, they are paying high priced lawyers to drive into bankruptcy Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, known as SNAP, in a case that SNAP is neither a plaintiff nor a defendant in the litigation.
Catholics can’t sit silently in the pews. We must fight back and send a clear message to the American Bishops. Begin by contacting local Bishops and tell them ENOUGH! The church’s shameful behavior has caused so much pain to abused children and their families, some victims have committed suicide to escape the hurt. Refuse to fuel this institution power MONEY! When the collection basket is passed at mass, put an IOU in that reads WHEN THE CHURCH CHOOSES TO STOP ABUSING CHILDREN I WILL PAY MY CONTRIBUTION!
SNAP has provided a way for survivors of abuse to talk about what they’ve suffered, and find comfort and healing as a result. As a victim my first SNAP meeting for me broke the icy wall of guilt I was living in. I learned the broken little boy inside me, the shame he carried was not my shame, it belonged to my perpetrator! I came away from that meeting with a new found courage, to speak of my abuse, and to speak out against it, for the future protection of children. After forty years since my abuse I now had a voice to be heard.
SNAP advocacy has made this world a safer place, exposing the truth and having sexual perpetrators within the church removed from ministry. We need to Insist that the Catholic Church get serious about protecting children, straighten out their priority’s, stop fighting and start supporting SNAP’s efforts to bring healing to its victims and safety to children.

Response from Joe:



"He's lying. Just want's money."

[D1B]

More catholic harassment.

Haiti sex abuse case brings Freeport subpoena
By David Harry
E-mail and share
Mar 13, 2012 3:40 pm

FREEPORT — A federal civil lawsuit about sex abuse in Haiti now involves a local man.

Paul Kendrick, 62, has been issued a subpoena by Boston-based attorney Theodore J. Folkman, who represents the Rev. Paul Carrier in a case being heard in U.S. District Court in New Haven, Conn.

Carrier is one of 18 individuals and institutions named as defendants by Haitian Joseph Jean-Charles, who seeks $20 million from each for sexual abuse he allegedly suffered at the hands of Douglas Perlitz.

Perlitz was employed by Carrier as the executive director of a residential schools for boys called Project Pierre Touissaint.

According to court records, the school was founded in 1997 by Carrier, Perlitz and Fairfield University, a Jesuit school in Fairfield, Conn. The residential schools and an intake center, all near Cap Haitien, were operated by the Haiti Fund, which was overseen by the university and Carrier.

Kendrick has been advocating for victims of abuse by the clergy in Maine, and now in Haiti. Folkman's subpoena seeks communications and documents between Kendrick, abuse victims and journalists Cyrus Sibert and Michael Mayko.

Sibert is an independent journalist and blogger based in Haiti. Mayko is a Connecticut-based reporter who wrote about the abuse scandal and the Haitian school's links to Fairfield University.

"The subpoena is nonsense and diversionary," Kendrick said this week. "Bring it on, I've got nothing to hide."

Kendrick said his immediate response was to write Folkman, asking for all communications between Carrier and Perlitz, financial information showing money raised by Carrier in support of Project Pierre Toussaint, and details of travels Perlitz and Carrier made on "vacations."

Mitchell Garabedian, a Boston attorney representing Jean-Charles, said he will also work with Kendrick on the subpoena.

"The subpoena is an attempt to harass. It is overly broad and unduly burdensome. Mr. Kendrick is a hero," Garabedian said.

Garabedian added there are no depositions currently scheduled regarding Kendrick's communications, so he has not filed any response with U.S. District Court Judge Janet C. Hall.

"Where appropriate, I will protect Mr. Kendrick's rights," Garabedian said.

Kendrick, a 1972 graduate of Fairfield University, said his connection to the Pierre Toussaint Project began in 2003. He said it was not until about 2007 he learned about Perlitz's crimes through an anonymous tip.

"I am deeply affected by their pain and what happened to (the victims)," he said. "I was spending all my time saying 'this is not your fault.' But they need more than that."

In his complaint, Jean-Charles said he was about 15 when Perlitz began abusing him in 2006.

Perlitz was convicted in U. S. District Court in Connecticut of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual contact in 2010, and sentenced to 19 years, seven months in prison.
David Harry can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 110 or dharry@theforecaster.net. Follow David on Twitter: @DavidHarry8.

Response from Joe:



"He's lying. Just wants money."

[JoltinJoe]

SNAP is a curious "rape crisis counselor" and advocacy group. I know of no other such legitimate organization which works so closely with personal injury attorneys. SNAP is distributing press releases with copies of lawsuits before they are filed.

Yet if you raise the quite obvious question of how intertwined SNAP's affairs are with the personal injury lawyers who so "generously" donate to it, and try to make an inquiry of this suspect relationship, you get screamed down with insults like the hissy fit you just threw.

Clohessy's deposition makes it clear SNAP does not qualify under law as a rape counseling center. In fact, he admitted that SNAP has no licensed counselors on its staff. But he refused to answer any question about SNAP's relationship with the media and attorneys based on the privilege afforded to rape crisis centers.

[Cap'n Cat]

Hmmmm. Appears to this casual reader that the Church is going after a victim advocacy group.

[D1B]

Hmmmm. Appears to this casual reader that the Church is going after a victim advocacy group.

Yes, Going after a victims advocacy group that knows how to use media and other resources to substantially undermine the billion-dollar efforts of the catholic church to cover all this up. SNAP is one of the few entities with the guts to take on the church and not be silent, like the catholic laity and uncle toms.

With offense, I'll trust SNAP and the NY Times before I'd trust a scumbag lawyer like Joltin Joke.

[Cap'n Cat]

Hey, Joe. You know, bro, you bitch about D1B in these threads, but you are a willing and enthusiastic partner in the mayhem. D could tone down the name-calling, yes, but you do your share, as well.

Add to that the fact that you are a brain-dead zealot and it spells trouble for all of us.

[GannonFan]

Hey, Joe. You know, bro, you bitch about D1B in these threads, but you are a willing and enthusiastic partner in the mayhem. D could tone down the name-calling, yes, but you do your share, as well.

Add to that the fact that you are a brain-dead zealot and it spells trouble for all of us.

Brain dead zealots, on both sides of this argument, spell trouble for all of us.

[Cap'n Cat]

Hey, Joe. You know, bro, you bitch about D1B in these threads, but you are a willing and enthusiastic partner in the mayhem. D could tone down the name-calling, yes, but you do your share, as well.

Add to that the fact that you are a brain-dead zealot and it spells trouble for all of us.

Brain dead zealots, on both sides of this argument, spell trouble for all of us.

Someone caught it!!

[JoltinJoe]

Add to that the fact that you are a brain-dead zealot and it spells trouble for all of us.

I am not a "brain-dead zealot." That's just part of your message board delusions.

In fact, I rarely speak to anyone about my faith. However, I speak up when bold-faced lies and exaggerations are peddled as fact.

You and your brother constantly start threads bashing religion, people of faith, and in particular, Catholics and the Catholic Church.

On the other hand, I never start threads introducing discussions about religion.

I am the first to admit there are legitimate reasons to question the cowardice and deception of many church leaders in connection with matters of child abuse.

But your brother in particular spouts off with post after post of thoughtless, abusive, stupid, and deceptive posts about Catholicism, and when he does that, he gets scalded for it.

You guys are the most delusional people I've ever experienced.

[Cap'n Cat]

Add to that the fact that you are a brain-dead zealot and it spells trouble for all of us.

I am not a "brain-dead zealot." That's just part of your message board delusions.

In fact, I rarely speak to anyone about my faith. However, I speak up when bold-faced lies and exaggerations are peddled as fact.

You and your brother constantly start threads bashing religion, people of faith, and in particular, Catholics and the Catholic Church.

On the other hand, I never start threads introducing discussions about religion.

I am the first to admit there are legitimate reasons to question the cowardice and deception of many church leaders in connection with matters of child abuse.

But your brother in particular spouts off with post after post of thoughtless, abusive, stupid, and deceptive posts about Catholicism, and when he does that, he gets scalded for it.

You guys are the most delusional people I've ever experienced.

Funny, Joe, a lot of people think the same about you, my brother. Me, I dig Catholics as individuals. It's just the Church and, though D particularly is very forceful in his thoughts, you are the exact same as him. Maybe you both need to cool out because the scalding goes both ways. For every person here cheering Joe on, there is another siding with him.

[JoltinJoe]

I am not a "brain-dead zealot." That's just part of your message board delusions.

In fact, I rarely speak to anyone about my faith. However, I speak up when bold-faced lies and exaggerations are peddled as fact.

You and your brother constantly start threads bashing religion, people of faith, and in particular, Catholics and the Catholic Church.

On the other hand, I never start threads introducing discussions about religion.

I am the first to admit there are legitimate reasons to question the cowardice and deception of many church leaders in connection with matters of child abuse.

But your brother in particular spouts off with post after post of thoughtless, abusive, stupid, and deceptive posts about Catholicism, and when he does that, he gets scalded for it.

You guys are the most delusional people I've ever experienced.

Funny, Joe, a lot of people think the same about you, my brother. Me, I dig Catholics as individuals. It's just the Church and, though D particularly is very forceful in his thoughts, you are the exact same as him. Maybe you both need to cool out because the scalding goes both ways. For every person here cheering Joe on, there is another siding with him.

How about stopping the constant anti-religious/anti-Catholic thread which you guys start exclusively, and we can go back to actually having fun discussions in which we can even get along?

[Cap'n Cat]

Funny, Joe, a lot of people think the same about you, my brother. Me, I dig Catholics as individuals. It's just the Church and, though D particularly is very forceful in his thoughts, you are the exact same as him. Maybe you both need to cool out because the scalding goes both ways. For every person here cheering Joe on, there is another siding with him.

How about stopping the constant anti-religious/anti-Catholic thread which you guys start exclusively, and we can go back to actually having fun discussions in which we can even get along?

It's a political forum, Joe, and, as you know, religion is political in America. Can't make that promise.

[JoltinJoe]

How about stopping the constant anti-religious/anti-Catholic thread which you guys start exclusively, and we can go back to actually having fun discussions in which we can even get along?

It's a political forum, Joe, and, as you know, religion is political in America. Can't make that promise.

Trying to avoid the pointless repetitious threads is a start.

For the record, I will state soberly, that SNAP acts differently than most victims advocacy groups I have ever experienced. Most victims advocacy groups seek to influence legislation, but distance themselves from attorneys pursuing individual, personal injury cases.

If the NY Times had some real journalists these days, they would not accept SNAP at face value, but would probe whether it serves to run cases to the PI attorney. It is a legitimate issue.

[Cap'n Cat]

It's a political forum, Joe, and, as you know, religion is political in America. Can't make that promise.

Trying to avoid the pointless repetitious threads is a start.

For the record, I will state soberly, that SNAP acts differently than most victims advocacy groups I have ever experienced. Most victims advocacy groups seek to influence legislation, but distance themselves from attorneys pursuing individual, personal injury cases.

If the NY Times had some real journalists these days, they would not accept SNAP at face value, but would probe whether it serves to run cases to the PI attorney. It is a legitimate issue.

Well, I'm going to guess that the NYT reporters did a lot more research than you assume, Joe. Maybe they didn't graduate from Fordham, but they are professionals, nonetheless. Again, what they're doing is simply a check and balance against the tendency for massive org's like the RCC to get away with murder if left unmolested.

[D1B]

SNAP is a curious "rape crisis counselor" and advocacy group. I know of no other such legitimate organization which works so closely with personal injury attorneys. SNAP is distributing press releases with copies of lawsuits before they are filed.

Yet if you raise the quite obvious question of how intertwined SNAP's affairs are with the personal injury lawyers who so "generously" donate to it, and try to make an inquiry of this suspect relationship, you get screamed down with insults like the hissy fit you just threw.

Clohessy's deposition makes it clear SNAP does not qualify under law as a rape counseling center. In fact, he admitted that SNAP has no licensed counselors on its staff. But he refused to answer any question about SNAP's relationship with the media and attorneys based on the privilege afforded to rape crisis centers.

Funny, you lying sack of shit, SNAP does't claim to be a "Rape Crisis Counselor". They're a resource center and give referrels, you strawman lying mother fucker.

We are SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. We are the largest, oldest and most active support group for women and men wounded by religious authority figures (priests, ministers, bishops, deacons, nuns and others). We are an independent and confidential organization, with no connections with the church or church officials. We are also a non-profit, certified 501 (c) (3) organization and we are here to help.

SNAP was founded by Chicago's Barbara Blaine in 1988. Since then, SNAP has helped thousands of survivors. We offer support in person, (via monthly self-help group meetings in chapters across the country), ove the phone, online, and twice-a-year at national meetings.

We also provide a safe and productive outlet for the passion many survivors feel toward preventing future abuse.

Our website exists to provide support and knowledge to all victims of clergy abuse, to help educate the public, and to help ensure that in future generations, children will be safe. If you need help navigating this site, please

What an asshole you are.

[D1B]

It's a political forum, Joe, and, as you know, religion is political in America. Can't make that promise.

Trying to avoid the pointless repetitious threads is a start.

For the record, I will state soberly, that SNAP acts differently than most victims advocacy groups I have ever experienced. Most victims advocacy groups seek to influence legislation, but distance themselves from attorneys pursuing individual, personal injury cases.

If the NY Times had some real journalists these days, they would not accept SNAP at face value, but would probe whether it serves to run cases to the PI attorney. It is a legitimate issue.

Totally YOUR opinion. My opinion is you hate them because they're schooling your evil fucking church. You have not substantiated anything you've said about them, you fuck.

You are right though if your referrring to the sham VAG's run by your fucking church that basically threatened victims and paid em off to shut up. Yeah, SNAP is different.

[D1B]

Trying to avoid the pointless repetitious threads is a start.

For the record, I will state soberly, that SNAP acts differently than most victims advocacy groups I have ever experienced. Most victims advocacy groups seek to influence legislation, but distance themselves from attorneys pursuing individual, personal injury cases.

If the NY Times had some real journalists these days, they would not accept SNAP at face value, but would probe whether it serves to run cases to the PI attorney. It is a legitimate issue.

Well, I'm going to guess that the NYT reporters did a lot more research than you assume, Joe. Maybe they didn't graduate from Fordham, but they are professionals, nonetheless. Again, what they're doing is simply a check and balance against the tendency for massive org's like the RCC to get away with murder if left unmolested.

Fordam

[GannonFan]

Funny, Joe, a lot of people think the same about you, my brother. Me, I dig Catholics as individuals. It's just the Church and, though D particularly is very forceful in his thoughts, you are the exact same as him. Maybe you both need to cool out because the scalding goes both ways. For every person here cheering Joe on, there is another siding with him.

How about stopping the constant anti-religious/anti-Catholic thread which you guys start exclusively, and we can go back to actually having fun discussions in which we can even get along?

There's no doubt that D is anti-religious and anti-Catholic (and not just towards the institution, but specifically against any individual who is Catholic, lay people included)- but when you just ignore the threads, they tend to die out on their own. No one listens to D when he goes off the deep end as he's oft to do on this topic. If you didn't respond, the threads go right down to the bottom of the page and just disappear. Sure, he'll throw up another thread with some half truths, but even he gets bored of doing that when no one takes the bait. I say just leave the threads alone for awhile and see what happens.

[Cap'n Cat]

How about stopping the constant anti-religious/anti-Catholic thread which you guys start exclusively, and we can go back to actually having fun discussions in which we can even get along?

There's no doubt that D is anti-religious and anti-Catholic (and not just towards the institution, but specifically against any individual who is Catholic, lay people included)- but when you just ignore the threads, they tend to die out on their own. No one listens to D when he goes off the deep end as he's oft to do on this topic. If you didn't respond, the threads go right down to the bottom of the page and just disappear. Sure, he'll throw up another thread with some half truths, but even he gets bored of doing that when no one takes the bait. I say just leave the threads alone for awhile and see what happens.

I don't disagree, Ganny, but having difficulty finding things D has posted that can be characterized as half truths. The emotional response is just as bombastic.

[JoltinJoe]

Trying to avoid the pointless repetitious threads is a start.

For the record, I will state soberly, that SNAP acts differently than most victims advocacy groups I have ever experienced. Most victims advocacy groups seek to influence legislation, but distance themselves from attorneys pursuing individual, personal injury cases.

If the NY Times had some real journalists these days, they would not accept SNAP at face value, but would probe whether it serves to run cases to the PI attorney. It is a legitimate issue.

Well, I'm going to guess that the NYT reporters did a lot more research than you assume, Joe. Maybe they didn't graduate from Fordham, but they are professionals, nonetheless. Again, what they're doing is simply a check band balance against the tendency for massive org's like the RCC to get away with murder if left unmolested.

No, they didn't. The would need to investigate the personal finances of SNAP's leaders, as well as the finances of SNAP itself, which they plainly didn't do.

The reason the attorneys in these cases are demanding SNAP's records is because its involvement in litigation is obvious and apparent, and the inference is that its leaders are not doing this for free.

Going to William Donohue for quotes is an evident give-away of the Times' motivations. He is a loose cannon and likely to say something inflammatory or insipid.

[Cap'n Cat]

Well, I'm going to guess that the NYT reporters did a lot more research than you assume, Joe. Maybe they didn't graduate from Fordham, but they are professionals, nonetheless. Again, what they're doing is simply a check band balance against the tendency for massive org's like the RCC to get away with murder if left unmolested.

No, they didn't. The would need to investigate the personal finances of SNAP's leaders, as well as the finances of SNAP itself, which they plainly didn't do.

The reason the attorneys in these cases are demanding SNAP's records is because its involvement in litigation is obvious and apparent, and the inference is that its leaders are not doing this for free.

Going to William Donohue for quotes is an evident give-away of the Times' motivations. He is a loose cannon and likely to say something inflammatory or insipid.

"Your honor, I ask that the District Attorney's comments be stricken from the record as argumentative and calling for a conclusion on the part of the witness."