Governmental influence/invasion on parenting in the new age.

Guest Column SubmissionGovernment Parenting in the New AgeBy Susie HarrisonCopyright 2003I can recall not so long ago, perhaps 30 years ago, how we were raised as children. According to some of our current ‘family’ laws, looking back, all of our parents would have lost custody of us. The difference was, 30 years ago society and the government had common sense when it came to parenting. Sometimes discipline causes less harm to the child than the offense the child is committing. Reasonably speaking as a parent, I would much rather my child suffer hurt feelings and a remembered lesson from a swat on the behind for darting into the street. The other consequences could have been a dead child by a speeding car. Back then parents were well aware of their obligations to their children and instinctively knew that how the child grew up was entirely in their hands. To hold a parent completely responsible for a child’s behavior, one must be given any and all tools to accomplish this mission. If you take away all discretion on how to achieve this awesome task, then you can not hold a parent fully liable when an older teen or young adult goes awry (as is often the case today).Parents knew that discipline (not abuse) was very important in raising a successful, productive adult from childhood. They also recognized that love came hand in hand with any correction. The government played a minimal role in determining what a parent’s rights and obligations were. The church was also a big influence on mid-century families that helped shape the values and morals in which to raise children of that day.With the discovery of the horrendous story of David Peltzer ‘A Child called It’, our society went overboard in our mission to protect children from authentic child abuse. Surely there must be a way to weed out real child abuse, while protecting the integrity of a family unit that is NOT intentionally violent to their loved offspring.The privacy of families and parental discretion are no longer honored in America today. Nor are parents legally equipped with the tools they need to raise generations of responsible adults. The ‘state’ in many cases has now assumed a parental role in some way, in nearly every family’s life. When parents are not allowed to show physical or effective consequences to bad or dangerous behavior when a child is small, we now know that the government or the streets will do it for them later.*One example of the tools of discretion being removed is the case of Vick/Keith Crawford out of Pennsylvania. Keith was taken from his financially challenged mother and father based merely on the fact that at 10 he walked 2 blocks to McDonald’s for a cheeseburger. According to the State CYS of Pennsylvania, Keith was too young to walk so far. After being placed in foster care, Keith suffered from severe emotional problems from being separated from his parents. CYS sent young Keith, with a history of cardiac problems to a CYS paid Psychiatrist who diagnosed Keith with several ‘disorders’. Then this physician placed this boy on 5 medications. While on these medications Keith was coached into claiming further abuse by his parents. During his pharmaceutical treatment Keith developed bleeding ulcers. **The foster mother of a year, then took him to another physician outside of Pennsylvania CYS. This physician was shocked at his medicinal treatment and un-perscribed all but the ulcer medicine. With in just a few weeks Keith became coherent again and was shocked at what the CYS doctor had coached him to say about his own parents. Also with in weeks Keith was removed from special education and placed in regular school classes. CYS was very upset with the foster mother for doing what she thought was in the best interest of her charge. Furthermore the foster mother then wrote an affidavit to the Judge explaining the horrific state of Keith during his stay with her and provided documentation regarding his great improvement when he was removed from these mind numbing medications. This foster mother has risked her job and submitted this SURPRISE documentation to the courts and now investigations are being pursued against the State physician and the actions of the state regarding this case. The bottom line, Keith just wanted to go home to the parents who had NEVER hurt him.*Another case in point of State vs. Parent is the Jenson Family in Utah. Their son Parker had a small benign lump removed from under his tongue. Parker’s parents did not agree with the gloomy diagnosis of a ‘potential’ cancer and wanted to seek a second and third opinion from outside physicians beyond the Utah Children’s Hospital. They were denied this right. To make matters worst, the doctors Parker were limited too wanted this 12 year old healthy, happy boy to begin a series of serious chemotherapy treatment with serious side effects regardless of an unsure diagnosis (just for good measure). The side effects of the rigid chemotherapy alone consisted of sterilization, stunted growth, severe illness, and even death itself.Parker’s parents insisted that this extreme treatment may not be necessary and opted out of this treatment, at least until they were able to take Parker to some out of state specialists; one of which was a famous cancer hospital in Texas. The State of Utah would not hear of that. Two hours before the STATE ordered that Parker be removed from his family and remanded into state custody for forced chemotherapy, the family fled the state. A nationwide man hunt ensued.In fact the Attorney General of Utah ‘ordered’ the Texas hospital that if Parker arrived for his appointment that this hospital must refuse treatment and call the authorities. Did Utah have this kind of jurisdiction? WAS this an example of Utah being concerned for the best interests in the child? Certainly ordering a hospital NOT to treat a child patient would be against the Texas physician’s hypocritical oath, I would think.When did the State become the ultimate authority over parental prudence? I believe it is the parents OBLIGATION to consider treatment options for themselves and their children when weighing the risks vs. the benefits.*A recent case in Reno also caught my eye. On a local television news broadcast, a pretty woman who appeared to me in her late 20’s had fallen asleep while her one and two year old children played. I can personally imagine an exhausted, working, single Mom, up with a sick baby all night, unintentionally drifting off to sleep in the early afternoon.I understand that the children managed to get out of the house and wonder to the neighbors who tried unsuccessfully to wake her. I believe the neighbors did what any good neighbor would do and took the children into their home until the mother could awake. When the mother did awake she panicked at her missing children and immediately called 911. Shocked that she had even fallen asleep to begin with the frantic search for the small children ended happily with their discovery at a neighbor’s home nearby. However, this still tired and panicked mother was then arrested and her children taken by Child Protective Services.Although the courts never allow us to hear the entire story, my first assumption is that this mother merely needed some help. Where are the family, church, and the father? 30 years ago, single parenting was a far less common than today. Family members were there to help with family matters of such. If all else failed members of the church were there for each other. Will this mother get the help she needs, perhaps some respite care in which to get much needed rest (maybe she is working two jobs to support her kids?). No, in all actuality this mother will probably be crucified in the courts and made an example out of by Child Protective Services. Her children survived, but all their lives will be ruined for the length of their childhood…merely because one exhausted mother was overwhelmed one afternoon of their lives.*I recently viewed a commercial produced by ‘4 a Child’ against child abuse. I was shocked at their aggressiveness in implying that any and all parents fit the stereo type of a child abuser. They imply that every waitress, secretary, construction worker, housewife, Minister, soccer Mom, dentist, nurse, store manager are one of two kinds of people…either child abusers OR spies to find child abusers (even when it may not exist)! It is frightening when everyday people are ‘brainwashed’ in believing in the free country that child abuse is an epidemic and we should spy on our neighbors to report any hint of any suspicion. This is very dangerous to the heart of our American family way of life.Of course this all leans on what the meaning of genuine child abuse is. Is there one definition of child abuse/neglect? If you researched this matter you would certainly find that our Child Protective Services are free to define child abuse/neglect in any form they wish. There are no checks and balances in the system to protect families from unnecessary or unethical invasion anymore. Since CPS is an administrative agency any one they question (any parent, grandparent, or caregiver) is not entitled to ordinary due process. You do not have to be charged with a crime against a child, a mere allegation alone is enough to have your family ripped apart. Since parents in most cases do not face criminal charges (except for extreme or genuine provable child abuse) then they are not entitled to certain processes of law such as a jury trial by their peers…which in from my experience and research, 80% of the cases would find that a parent was NOT guilty of behaving irrationally, unreasonably, or committed a crime against their own children.If child abuse were actually criminalized, we would then be able to somewhat balance out the system that remains unchecked. At least then in some cases, falsely accused parents would find some justice and be able to restore their families that have been uncompromisingly and unethically ripped apart by an agency seeking job security.*In 1997, the Federal Government instituted a stipulation in the SAFE Act that gave great financial incentives to the States for each child that was placed in foster care and remained in the system. Since this action, the ‘statistics’ of families that have been separated have quadrupled. You have to wonder if more children are really being dangerously abused…or if this is really a meat market. Safeguards must be in place to help needy families, provide home services to keep suspect families together, and to keep innocent families together.To sum it all up, our families are under attack. The state should never be in the position to override parental discretion with the exception of genuine child abuse…indeed this is far rarer than most want the public in general to believe. I am not a supporter of child abuse; I am sickened by true , intentional cruelty to any child. But we must understand that many times more harm can be done to a child/children and their families by the terrible emotional turmoil of being separated from their natural families when there is not an extraordinary reason as to why the family should be destroyed.Authors Note: This is about our current Child Protective System in general. This is not meant to target or offend our local Child and Family Services office, who I have no reason to believe would act as irrationally as social workers in other states.Footnotes:Crawford Case Research:*Vicki and Keith Crawford’s story is found at: http://familyrightsassociation.com/AMOS/6-9-03.html**Affidavit by State Foster Caregiver regarding her observations and summary of 10 year old Keith’s condition and best interests:http://familyrightsassociation.com/AMOS/crawford/affidavit_of_ruth_barron.htmThe Jenson Case History:*A brief synopsis from ABC news on the Jenson story from the opinion of those who initiated charges against the Jenson family…not the full story.http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/news/82303_local_chemotherapy.html**A copy of the article written by Paul Foy from the Associated Press can be found here since I can’t find the original article found in the Reno Gazette Journal in July/August.http://familyrightsassociation.com/news/archive/2003/aug/family_says_boy_well.htm** Another media article on the Jenson casehttp://www.sltrib.com/2003/Aug/08312003/utah/88505.asp**1/2 the page down…American Family Rights Association’s refuting news reports that the Jenson case hurts CPS services.http://familyrightsassociation.com/news/archive/2003/aug/29th_up.html** Having trouble locating the specific Salt Lake City Tribune articles with out paying fees. Also, these cases are often removed from public view to protect CPS. However is a copy of a letter to the editor regarding the article that clearly stated the Utah atty general ordered the Texas Hospital NOT to treat Parker, but to turn him in.http://familyrightsassociation.com/news/archive/2003/sept/oxymoron_and_full_of_holes.htmReno Woman:*Left out names and dates to be non-specific for liable since I saw this clip on KTVN Channel 11 Reno News http://www.ktvn.com/On approximately October 3, 2003.A Letter to the Editor of the Reno Gazette Journal will appear however from me with in the next few days.Commercial by ‘4 a Child’Seen on Channel 36 Nickelodeon- Nick at NightApp. October 4 at 10:30pm