Where is the Outrage for OUR Kids?

Where is the Outrage for OUR Kids?

http://prairieguy.wordpress.com/2007...-for-our-kids/

Yesterday (8/20/07) I was watching CNN’S program, “The Situation Room.�
One segment of the program is, “The Cafferty Files.� It is a segment
where correspondent Jack Cafferty describes a situation and then asks a
question for viewers to respond to via Email. He then reads some of the
responses towards the end of each hour of the program.

One of his segments yesterday dealt with the “Michael Vick Case and his
decision to plead guilty to his recent indictment in regards to dog
fighting. Jack’s question was, “What should be Vick’s punishment?�

I sat in total anger as I listened to Cafferty go on and on about his
anger, his outrage and how he was appalled that someone would hold these
dog fights and when a dog lost it would be killed either by drowning,
hanging, electrocution or shot. One could almost see Cafferty’s bulging
veins of anger in his temples and he continued to rage about the subject
before finally asking the question.

The response from the public was as anger filled as Cafferty’s rant. The
suggested punishment ranged from prison to things I cannot write in this
blog.

Of course the media has been following this story from the start. People
have responded many times in the same manner as Cafferty. When Vick
first appeared in court PETA as well as many others demonstrated outside
the court hurling insults and many expletives Vick’s way as he entered
the courtroom.

Bear in mind I am an animal lover. What Vick did is absolutely
appalling, sickening and reprehensible and he should be punished, along
with his co-defendants, to the fullest extent of the law.

However as I watched Cafferty and then listened to the Emails being read
I had to ask the question; “Where is the Outrage for Our Kids?�

Where is the outrage from Cafferty and the public when a child is
abused, neglected or killed by parents that are suppose to provide them
shelter, nurturing and love?

Where is the outrage of Cafferty and the public when in case after case
those responsible for the above actions are never punished yet alone
ever charged?

Where is the outrage from Cafferty and the public when our child welfare
system continues to fail the youth put under their care, who may suffer
as much abuse, neglect or death as with their biological parents, in a
supposed system of temporary foster care? Over 12 million youth, over
the years, have graduated from our foster care system.

Where is the outrage from Cafferty and the public when there are more
than half a million children and youth in the U.S. foster care system
today, a 90% increase since 1987 but only 170,000 licensed foster homes
are available?

Where is the outrage of Cafferty when 120,000 youths have had their
parents parental rights terminated and are eligible for adoption but
continues to languish within the system as “legal orphans?�

Where is the outrage from Cafferty and the public when 20,000 youths
each year, who may have spent years within the system experiencing
numerous unwarranted moves, emotional, physical or mental damage,
suddenly reaches the age of 18 and ages out of the system whether they
have the tools necessary to make it on their own or not?

It appears that Cafferty and we as a society in general get more
outraged when an animal is abused, neglected or killed than we do when a
child suffers the same fate!

Dogs and other animals are our pets and yes they should be properly
cared for and we should be appalled when actions by Vick or others happen.

Children suffering the same fate deserve so much more. These children
are OUR children, whether they are of our flesh and blood or not. What
happens to them will determine the future of our society as they are our
future.

Every child deserves to receive stability, nurturing, shelter/food and
love. We should ALL BE OUTRAGED when we know even ONE CHILD does not
receive what they are entitled to but rather are abused, neglected or
even killed. The outrage should not last just for a day or two when a
story may be in the headlines but should be everyday as long as ONE
CHILD suffers! “Children in foster care, like all our children, deserve
the opportunity for a bright future,� said Jerry Stermer, president of
Voices for Illinois Children. “We all share responsibility for making
sure these children - who are removed from their families through no
fault of their own - have the love and support they need to succeed in
life.�

A few pieces of information that really bring home the point:

A recent study has found that 12-18 months after leaving foster ca

30% of the nation’s homeless are former foster children.
27% of the males and 10% of the females had been incarcerated
33% were receiving public assistance
37% had not finished high school
2% receive a college degree
50% were unemployed
*Casey Family Programs National Center for Resource Family Support

Children in foster care are three to six times more likely than children
not in care to have emotional, behavioral and developmental problems,
including conduct disorders, depression, difficulties in school and
impaired social relationships. Some experts estimate that about 30% of
the children in care have marked or severe emotional problems. Various
studies have indicated that children and young people in foster care
tend to have limited education and job skills, perform poorly in school
compared to children who are not in foster care, lag behind in their
education by at least one year, and have lower educational attainment
than the general population.
*Casey Family Programs National Center for Resource Family Support

80 percent of prison inmates have been through the foster care system.
*National Association of Social Workers

Foster youth do have the potential for greatness; just because they are
a foster kid doesn’t mean they are a lost cause!

To have the above results outrage such as Cafferty’s and the public’s
over the Vick case MUST BE directed towards those who abuse, neglect or
kill our children as well as those who are given the responsibility to
care for those of our children who suffer these atrocities. Those
responsible for such actions must be held accountable!

Foster youth are our kids. They are our neighbors, our children’s
schoolmates, and our family members. They are part of our communities,
and they need their communities to stand up, be outraged and be involved
in helping them reach their potential and grow up into successful
adults, who in turn make significant contributions to their communities.

As a person who grew up in foster care, survived and prospered despite
the system I know what confronts youth who are abused or neglected
whether by their biological parents or the system themselves who are
charged with their care.

If nothing changes… by the year 2020:

Nearly 14 million more reported cases of child abuse and neglect will be
confirmed;

22,500 children will die of abuse or neglect, most before their fifth
birthday;

An additional 9,000,000 children will spend some time in foster care

300,000 more children will age out of our foster care system unprepared
to become productive members of our socety

99,000 former foster youth, who aged out of the system, will experience
homelessness.

Somewhere out there in America– right now, today — there is a child
abused, neglected or in foster care staring up at the ceiling or off
into the distance thinking they are worthless because the people around
them don’t have the sense to know that they are worthy:

Worthy of being loved.
Worthy of being cared for.
Worth of being protected.
Worth of being sheltered from harm.
Worthy of being allowed toreach their fullest potential.

We MUST change this thinking; We’ve got to do it for this OUR child, our
society and our future!

Each of us MUST be outraged, motivated and caring individuals willing to
contribute to our local child welfare system as well as reforming it- if
not as adoptive or foster parents, perhaps as mentors, tutors or
advocates. In this way, we can all take our share of responsibility in
ensuring the lifetime success of these often-forgotten and voiceless
young people.

Let’s get OUTRAGED!

http://www.larrya.us (web site)

UPDATE 8/22/07

An E mail has been sent to Jack Cafferty with a copy of this blog entry.
It will be intersting if he will give me the courtesy of a reply or may
address the issue of OUR KIDS in one of his commentaries/questions on
the Situation Room. I will update this entry if he does or does not!






CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CIVIL RIGHTS ON A
DAILY BASIS THEN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NSA / CIA
WIRETAPPING PROGRAM....

CPS Does not protect children...
It is sickening how many children are subject to abuse, neglect and even
killed at the hands of Child Protective Services.

every parent should read this .pdf from
connecticut dcf watch...

http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com/8x11.pdf

http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com

Number of Cases per 100,000 children in the US
These numbers come from The National Center on
Child Abuse and Neglect in Washington. (NCCAN)
Recent numbers have increased significantly for CPS

*Perpetrators of Maltreatment*

Physical Abuse CPS 160, Parents 59
Sexual Abuse CPS 112, Parents 13
Neglect CPS 410, Parents 241
Medical Neglect CPS 14 Parents 12
Fatalities CPS 6.4, Parents 1.5

CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES, HAPPILY DESTROYING THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT
FAMILIES YEARLY NATIONWIDE AND COMING TO YOU'RE HOME SOON...


BE SURE TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR CANDIDATES STANDS ON THE ISSUE OF
REFORMING OR ABOLISHING CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES ("MAKE YOUR CANDIDATES
TAKE A STAND ON THIS ISSUE.") THEN REMEMBER TO VOTE ACCORDINGLY IF THEY
ARE "FAMILY UNFRIENDLY" IN THE NEXT ELECTION...