God Bless America
Names have been changed to protect the innocent. And just to be clear, that means that "George Bush" really means "George Bush." Everything is absolutely true.
I am distraught. It happened unexpectedly and quickly and I am still processing my thoughts on this.
I made a quick trip to the grocery store this morning before breakfast and ran into Cindy, a foster parent that I know. I was the Guardian Ad Litem to Cindy's niece Thelma while Thelma's mom dealt with a pretty serious methamphetamine problem. Thelma was out of her mom's house for years and then went back to her mom and then her mom relapsed and she had to be taken away from her mom again and went to her aunt's. Mom went back to treatment for a second time, and Thelma was returned to her mom again. Things have gone really, really well for them. It's been about three years now and Thelma's mom has married a nice man and they have a one year old baby. I see Thelma fairly regularly since she actually goes to my kids' school. And I see Cindy at the grocery store and she usually comes over to give me a short update.
Thelma is the only child of a meth user that I know of that has ever been successfully returned to her mom. And frankly, I have thought of this family as one of the few families that I have been involved with that was truly successful in juvenile court.
I saw Cindy this morning and we waved at each other. Cindy then made a beeline for me and her face was wrinkling as she approached me. I felt my concern begin to rise up.
"How are things going?" I asked. "I saw Thelma and her mom at Fun Night a month ago and they looked really good."
"Thelma's mom got deployed to Iraq for a year," Patty said.
"Oh no!" I said.
"Yeah. So we have Thelma back again." She laughed an uncomfortable, high pitched laugh. "No one's dealing with this very well. Thelma's mom commented that she wasn't there for Thelma at one year of age and now she is going to miss her second child at that age too."
I have been on the verge of tears since I left the grocery store this morning. I am really trying to understand this. So she kicks meth and mothers her child and gets married and has another baby and now she is being sent away from her family. What's the point? I mean the real point. There isn't one that is acceptable to me.
"Isn't there some time of exception that could be made for her?" Bill asked when we talked about this over coffee.
There's not. I mean, this is one family out of thousands that are in similar situations. We are taking mothers and fathers away from their children so that they can potentially die and even if they live they are not there for their kids on a daily basis and other family has to pick up that responsibility. I think this child and her baby sister are permanently damaged by this separation from their mother. For what? For George Bush's War on Terror.
My favorite part of Fahrenheit 9/11 was Michael Moore asking the very basic question to politicians who support the war in Iraq, why not sign your kid up? I mean, if you support this war and think it is a good thing, then why not encourage your child to join the Army? Why not take care of your grand children so that your daughter can go to Iraq to "fight terror." It just won't happen. Because this war is a giant mess and no one wants their own children to go to Iraq. That's why we target poor people with few options to get them to join the military. George Bush has two healthy daughters who would be wonderful assets to the U.S. Military. You'd think that he would encourage that career option for them. Think of the parades and attention!
I thought of little Thelma and wished there was something I could do for her. Her stapdad and her aunt and uncle and grandma all live here in town and I know that she is loved and taken care of. Thelma's baby sister is likewise loved and taken care of. But dammit. They should have their mommy. A year is too long to go without your mom.
I am distraught. It happened unexpectedly and quickly and I am still processing my thoughts on this.
I made a quick trip to the grocery store this morning before breakfast and ran into Cindy, a foster parent that I know. I was the Guardian Ad Litem to Cindy's niece Thelma while Thelma's mom dealt with a pretty serious methamphetamine problem. Thelma was out of her mom's house for years and then went back to her mom and then her mom relapsed and she had to be taken away from her mom again and went to her aunt's. Mom went back to treatment for a second time, and Thelma was returned to her mom again. Things have gone really, really well for them. It's been about three years now and Thelma's mom has married a nice man and they have a one year old baby. I see Thelma fairly regularly since she actually goes to my kids' school. And I see Cindy at the grocery store and she usually comes over to give me a short update.
Thelma is the only child of a meth user that I know of that has ever been successfully returned to her mom. And frankly, I have thought of this family as one of the few families that I have been involved with that was truly successful in juvenile court.
I saw Cindy this morning and we waved at each other. Cindy then made a beeline for me and her face was wrinkling as she approached me. I felt my concern begin to rise up.
"How are things going?" I asked. "I saw Thelma and her mom at Fun Night a month ago and they looked really good."
"Thelma's mom got deployed to Iraq for a year," Patty said.
"Oh no!" I said.
"Yeah. So we have Thelma back again." She laughed an uncomfortable, high pitched laugh. "No one's dealing with this very well. Thelma's mom commented that she wasn't there for Thelma at one year of age and now she is going to miss her second child at that age too."
I have been on the verge of tears since I left the grocery store this morning. I am really trying to understand this. So she kicks meth and mothers her child and gets married and has another baby and now she is being sent away from her family. What's the point? I mean the real point. There isn't one that is acceptable to me.
"Isn't there some time of exception that could be made for her?" Bill asked when we talked about this over coffee.
There's not. I mean, this is one family out of thousands that are in similar situations. We are taking mothers and fathers away from their children so that they can potentially die and even if they live they are not there for their kids on a daily basis and other family has to pick up that responsibility. I think this child and her baby sister are permanently damaged by this separation from their mother. For what? For George Bush's War on Terror.
My favorite part of Fahrenheit 9/11 was Michael Moore asking the very basic question to politicians who support the war in Iraq, why not sign your kid up? I mean, if you support this war and think it is a good thing, then why not encourage your child to join the Army? Why not take care of your grand children so that your daughter can go to Iraq to "fight terror." It just won't happen. Because this war is a giant mess and no one wants their own children to go to Iraq. That's why we target poor people with few options to get them to join the military. George Bush has two healthy daughters who would be wonderful assets to the U.S. Military. You'd think that he would encourage that career option for them. Think of the parades and attention!
I thought of little Thelma and wished there was something I could do for her. Her stapdad and her aunt and uncle and grandma all live here in town and I know that she is loved and taken care of. Thelma's baby sister is likewise loved and taken care of. But dammit. They should have their mommy. A year is too long to go without your mom.
posted by Lea at 7:07 AM
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