BEING HUMAN BEING A PARENT IT'S ALL LEGAL

[The Sheriff]

Hello to Everyone: I hope ya all read this = it is my sincerest desire to connect with the legitimate people involved on this site. It is a goal to create some sort of a Grassroots Taskforce to deal with this National Issue which goes back (for those of us born in the 20th Century) 40 plus years = but the movement of taking children is historical from the beginning of time. For us as the Nation of the Free and Liberties regarding the American Dream it is very difficult to even believe that our children or even we as an individual could be used as a commodity for BILLIONS OF DOLLARS - sex slavery - institutionalization and so much more.

When I say it's all LEGAL what I mean is that - 1 - we have to stay away from the System - it's a hoax and has become a lie - anything and everything that starts off good always ends up being tainted with Evil because of FEAR, IGNORANCE, GREED (WHICH INCLUDES POWER). Staying away from the System means that we cannot believe the LIE that it will help us or take care of us because it won't - all of these programs were designed to suck people in make money off of them and control them period. Some people see those who have made a lifestyle off of the System and believe it works but you must understand the caliber of people who do that - many of them are not honest, do drugs, sell drugs, I mean they are doing illegal things but all the while never get a job or try to better themselves and for some reason the System never bothers them... I am only saying this to those like myself who have been utterly tricked into believing this - I know there are the elderly and the disabled who do not do this but can rely on the system because the System is "helping them" but receiving funds to do so - I mean they receive funds any way - but those 3 groups of people they do not bother with.

Ironically - when you are a parent(s) that is apart of the WORKING POOR CLASS = oh! how things change and become very very dangerous for you... Here you are trying to make a living and fulfill your legal responsibilities to your baby or babies and you can't even get food stamps because you are $4 dollars over what they allow because they go by your GROSS EARNINGS AND NOT NET - do we see the hypocrisy here - and don't forget SUBSIDIZED CHILD CARE... And so what - we think that we can "discuss" our "struggles" with a COMMUNITY SOCIAL SERVICES WORKER and they will help us find "OTHER RESOURCES" - listen folks I have been blinded for a number of years - trust me please I know what I am talking about... and then before we know it - out of our frustration - the other parent male or female does not help us with the child we conceived together - the costs of living is above our means - the list goes on and on - so then some of us think MEDICATION/COUNSELING but then what can we afford - THE BOTTOM OF THE BARRELL "type help" that is tied into the money making schemes of the SYSTEM - INCARCERATION/MENTAL HEALTH/DRUG & ALCOHOL TREATMENT - for most of us = BOTTOM OF THE BARRELL type "HELP." LET'S NOT EVEN TALK ABOUT CHURCHES = no Disrespect to God = but I am trying to paint a picture here... WHEN YOU GET messed up because of your poor decisions out of stress and frustration and you end up "here" the SYSTEM TAKES OVER...

The OUTLOOK - your outlook and actions must change - and it's ok to be sad and angry and to advocate for yourself and your children but you must be WISE and 1000 STEPS AHEAD OF THEM once you become entangled in THE SYSTEMS WEBS... there are so many of them including schools now - THAT'S WHYS I SAY BEING YOU AND ME AND HAVING CHILDREN well we have become to some degreed OWNED by the Nation in which we live in... BUT ALL HOPE IS NOT LOST DEAR FRIENDS - WE NEED TO CALM DOWN - PRAY - AND DEVELOP A NEW STRATEGY NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES WE HAVE ALREADY DONE 1, 2, 3 - UNTIL WE GET WHAT WE NEED AND WANT WHICH IS TO WIN AND OVERCOME AND BECOME BETTER HUMAN BEINGS, MOTHER'S, FATHER'S IN THE PROCESS -

YES! our rights and our children have been violated - but the ONLY WAY TO NOT LOSE IS TO BECOME CLEVER AND EDUCATED -clever not being in the wrong sense - but RISING ABOVE IT ALL - and always having a backup - like your own drug tests -

IT'S NOT EASY TO LOCATE "PROVIDERS" FOR YOURSELF that will be on your side because the STIGMA ATTACHED works against folks like you and me - most people feel OH YOUR A HORRIBLE PERSON and you don't deserve your kids or another chance(s) - but in this world you will have the haters and despite it all it is within you and I do believe in the Law of Attraction - not the spooky stuff but BEING POSITIVE!!! It's hard to pick yourself up when you feel so rotten and have been labeled and seen your children mistreated and don't get me started on the legal stuff - but YOU MUST NOT GIVE UP and you must GET HEALTHIER AND EDUCATED period. LEAVE THE OLD FOLKS and even if you have to be alone for a moment to regroup do so - but get plugged in - there are things you can do AND THER ARE STILL GOOD PEOPLE IN THE WORLD - DEAR FRIENDS - make your life worth living BUT NEVER GIVE UP ON getting your kids back -

I AM FIGHTING A WAR 4 YEARS STRONG NOW AND I AIN'T GIVING UP = I HAVE LEARNED ALOT = AND I HAVE STRUGGLED = BUT I AIN'T GOING TO GIVE UP ON MY CHILDREN I LOVE THEM TOO MUCH = YOU GOTTA DIG DEEP = AND KEEP DIGGING AND HAVE FAITH = WHICH SAYS "KEEP IT MOVING FORWARD" DESPITE THE PAST...

[family_man]

Thank you for these encouraging words.

[longwalk]

Every time someone publishes a new journalistic expose' . . .
Or a prominent politician or former CPS worker denounces the system . . .
Or an abused parent wins a lawsuit against CPS...
We cheer! We rejoice!Perchance we even dare to envision the smallest ember of hope, glimmering in the ashes.

But can any of these victories truly change the system? CPS is like a glacier, irrevocably grinding anything beneath its enormous mass. In some ways, it is more amoral than immoral . . . for to be immoral implies the presence of a conscience, which the actor knowingly violates.

I personally do not believe any of the task forces, or even Governor Brewer's bold dismantling of CPS as it currently exists in Arizona will create permanent change, because the power will ultimately be returned to CPS, which has historically been able to hide behind the cloak of confidentiality. Courts are closed to all but the insiders. Much like the morbid jokes about bad surgeons, social workers can "bury their mistakes;" deaths or serious injuries in foster homes are often swept under the rug, as is CPS's failure to act where TRUE abuse is obvious and reported multiple times . . . yet the child dies a horrible death, because workers are too busy busting home-schoolers, to protect that rare child who is truly being abused.

I also yawn at suggestions that the national law will change for the better. Let's face reality: Congress can barely name a library without turning into a name-calling debacle, sanctimonious grandstanding, or (if they do miraculously manage to agree) loading it up with pork that our grandkids will still be paying for while we are turning over in our graves.

This does not mean I believe the situation is hopeless. Nor does I believe all social services can or should be abolished--including CPS. As difficult as it is for many on this site to acknowledge, some children are indeed brutally abused or exploited by their own parents. As a former foster parent, I witnessed this, independent of the sometimes ridiculous statistics touted by "experts." We took a number of voluntary placements over the years--mostly to give teens and parents a break, and avoid CPS involvement by letting cooler heads prevail. (Never submitted any "mandatory report," because I didn't suspect abuse, so when social workers of our "official" foster kids dropped by, they just thought it was nice that we allowed so many friends of our foster kids to hang out.)

Only one of the ten foster children placed in our home by CPS was abused by his or her parents. A few had parents temporarily in jail (but had to remain in the system long after they were released). Many were going through teenage struggles, where the teenager was arguably just as abusive as the parents! (Anyone ever consider a private VOLUNTARY placement?!? To let everyone calm down, and cooler heads to prevail?!?) Sadly, some parents were simply struggling with poverty, depression, or other life problems. They definitely needed a helping hands, but they loved their kids; no one deserved to be subjected to the humiliation and micromanagement of CPS. Some should not have been raising their children alone--and were open to placement with relatives or even long term foster care, provided they still had a place in their children's lives. Others never should have been in the system in the first place. We bonded with many of these parents, and keep in touch with some even to this day, decades later.

So the question remains . . . how do we as a society offer help to those who need it, without violating their right to choose, or destroying those we intend to "help."

The answer must involve true choice children and families CPS purports to "protect," along with transparency, i.e. allowing the press and public to observe, provided the family consents (and protects the identity of the minors). Otherwise, whatever "new and improved" rules and oversight are developed will quickly be ignored or corrupted, and those of us who will inevitably be abused will once again be considered crackpots or abusers, unable to document our allegations, nor the prevalence of chronic and systemic CPS abuse.

As a very tiny first step, I would propose that states permit parents to transfer any CPS case to probate guardianship court, if the parents so choose. HOWEVER, parents must be provided with procedural protections equivalent to those required in dependency proceedings. This varies from state to state--sometimes significantly. But typically it would mean that parents would no longer need to fear a looming timeline to terminate their parental rights. Probate guardianships could be empowered to offer truly voluntary services (if requested by the parents), and would be required to appoint counsel for parents in either system, if requested. (Several states have published cases where CPS has dropped a weak dependency case against parents, while simultaneously coordinating with foster parents to file for adoption in courts where the parents have no right to court appointed counsel. Sadly, the parents usually lose.)

This would not require any changes in national law. (Yes, it needs changing, but good luck with that!) It also would not immediately children unjustly removed and placed in foster care. But it could allow parents to remove the child from the foster home and return him or her to the community, to live with Neighbor Nellie or Aunt Jenny (whom CPS refused to even consider), thus eliminate the ticking time bomb of the TPR timeline. Probate guardianships are not permanent, and in the most egregious cases of system abuse, the kids would likely return home far sooner, without all the intrusive "maintenance" monitoring.

The option to choose an alternate system--complete with VOLUNTARY services--would also allow admittedly troubled parents to seek help, without fearing they will lose their kids because of it.

CPS constantly accuses parents of "hiding things," yet what sane parent willingly offers information, knowing that CPS routinely kidnaps children of cooperating parents, who were just asking for a little friendly advice or help.

This is just one of many changes that I believe could help save some families. But for any change to truly loose this agency's stranglehold, it must be based on TRANSPARENCY and TRUE CHOICE.

Piece by piece, issue by issue, I believe we can restore most of the natural rights we have inadvertently permitted our government to whittle away. But each restoration requires the right to transparency, enabling us to enforce the rights we fought so hard to restore. Otherwise, the battle is all for naught.