My Side
Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 8:20 am
It's been a year, I know, but for those who read the guestbook, I would like to clear the air on a couple of things. I do not want there to be any doubt about my credibility as I work in an activist role.
For those who know, there was a rather nasty attack on me, posting pictures of the place we had lived in and stating a number of very serious allegations about me. I did not respond because I couldn't. I was busy with full time work and full time school and was, frankly, unaware of the allegations until long after they had been lobbied and I had been tried in the court of (online) public opinion.
The first thing to note is that not one of my accusers has ever met me personally. They have relied on small town gossip to fuel their allegations, and basically attempted to escalate a landlord-tenant dispute into a more serious matter. When I moved for school, these individuals stalked me in real life, going so far as to call every single business in the small community where I was continuing college and talk with the individuals in charge of hiring, to ensure that I would not be able to work. It worked, and now I am commuting 100 miles twice a week to continue my schooling because they were so effective in preventing me from obtaining gainful employment even at Pizza Hut!
I would like to note that we did NOT flee in the middle of the night, this was a school transfer. I had graduated from the community college and could not continue my degree there, and so I moved to work on my Bachelor's. I notified the landlord late, it is true, but he had notice more than two weeks before the actual move. I was unaware that I was indentured to said landlord.
I will not dispute the pictures that were taken, but the condition of the place was not significantly worse than it was when we moved in except in ONE room, and I explained that to my landlord, and paid for the repairs to that room. We did not have "soot from a poorly ventilated stove"; what they saw was ash from cleaning out a stove that was installed to code.
Over the last several years, nobody has been under more of a microscope than our family. And yet we have consistently disproven the allegations. When my daughter broke her arm in a playground accident, they investigated and we were cleared the following day after all parties were interviewed. This despite a mountain of allegations.
Our attacks were a direct result of my activism (a warning for anyone wanting to be an activist). While in the distant past, we did make the mistake of moving when an allegation was made against us (and it is something I regret; I should have educated myself and stayed and cleared our good name), that is past, this is present. I have never made a secret of where I am or who I am.
I appreciate this site and the forum it gives for families who are wrongly accused. I believe we are going to have to bite the bullet for the next four years, as CPS power will only intensify under Obama; but I hope in the long term we can draw attention to the injustice of the system.
For those who know, there was a rather nasty attack on me, posting pictures of the place we had lived in and stating a number of very serious allegations about me. I did not respond because I couldn't. I was busy with full time work and full time school and was, frankly, unaware of the allegations until long after they had been lobbied and I had been tried in the court of (online) public opinion.
The first thing to note is that not one of my accusers has ever met me personally. They have relied on small town gossip to fuel their allegations, and basically attempted to escalate a landlord-tenant dispute into a more serious matter. When I moved for school, these individuals stalked me in real life, going so far as to call every single business in the small community where I was continuing college and talk with the individuals in charge of hiring, to ensure that I would not be able to work. It worked, and now I am commuting 100 miles twice a week to continue my schooling because they were so effective in preventing me from obtaining gainful employment even at Pizza Hut!
I would like to note that we did NOT flee in the middle of the night, this was a school transfer. I had graduated from the community college and could not continue my degree there, and so I moved to work on my Bachelor's. I notified the landlord late, it is true, but he had notice more than two weeks before the actual move. I was unaware that I was indentured to said landlord.
I will not dispute the pictures that were taken, but the condition of the place was not significantly worse than it was when we moved in except in ONE room, and I explained that to my landlord, and paid for the repairs to that room. We did not have "soot from a poorly ventilated stove"; what they saw was ash from cleaning out a stove that was installed to code.
Over the last several years, nobody has been under more of a microscope than our family. And yet we have consistently disproven the allegations. When my daughter broke her arm in a playground accident, they investigated and we were cleared the following day after all parties were interviewed. This despite a mountain of allegations.
Our attacks were a direct result of my activism (a warning for anyone wanting to be an activist). While in the distant past, we did make the mistake of moving when an allegation was made against us (and it is something I regret; I should have educated myself and stayed and cleared our good name), that is past, this is present. I have never made a secret of where I am or who I am.
I appreciate this site and the forum it gives for families who are wrongly accused. I believe we are going to have to bite the bullet for the next four years, as CPS power will only intensify under Obama; but I hope in the long term we can draw attention to the injustice of the system.