Calling on Congress to Do the Right Thing

I am writing as your constituent in the 11th Congressional district of Virginia. I oppose H.R.2883 - Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act

While this bill may seem to so many members of Congress as one which should be taken for granted as a "no-brainer" due to the length of time these laws have been in place; I am here to simply ask not only the representatives of Virginia but ALL members of Congress to read over the highlights of what these laws empower agencies such the C.P.S to accomplish.

Perhaps you all have known what powers they possess and perhaps you do not. I am certainly no politician, however, I AM a concerned parent foremost, and a concerned citizen of the State of Virginia and this once great nation that hundreds of millions of people call home.

It may seem to members of Congress after details are found about who I am and exactly what I am involved in that I am nothing but a jaded man who feels dumped on by "the system". This initial perception is not an unexpected reaction.

I do have 100's of people who, if were in the same room, could and would convince you otherwise. Being profiled is nothing new to me. I ask you all to please not look at me as one person but to look at me as a man who represents the voices of millions of parents and children across this nation. Now, from the past, and in the future forward.

In 1974, CAPTA was signed into law. Expediously I might add. If I were an older man and knew what this act entailed back then; I likely would have taken great action in getting the details of its powers assimilated into a large message to every parent in America, written in plain english and plastered all over newspapers, magazines, television, and shouted the message in the streets.

Noone whom I represent would tell any member of Congress that laws protecting children need not be in place. However, I can guarantee you that if each and every citizen of the U.S were aware of exactly what C.P.S, D.F.S and the family courts are capable of; Not ONE person would agree to it. Save the C.P.S & D.F.S employees themselves.

Perhaps I am just stating the obvious and the ladies and gentlemen of Congress have full knowledge and details of what goes on in C.P.S investigations. Or maybe you just assume that you do. While my particular case is but one example, there are literally millions of instances over time where children have been taken from their parents. Permanently.

One could argue that there has been many cases in C.P.S since 1974 and the numbers only appear staggering. Broken down on an annual basis, while I do not know the exact statistics; I can say they are still staggering.

The supposed goal of C.P.S and D.F.S is mandated as "Full reunification of the family whenever possible." If the ladies and gentlemen of Congress were to read my blog I promise there would be some who either thought I was drastically exaggerating or downright lieing. I can promise you all that some of you would want to look into the matter more deeply to see what is true and what is not. My blog: http://stormcalling.blogspot.com/ tells the REAL story of what happens on a daily basis in our country.

This is not a publicity stunt nor am I using this platform as free advertisement. I am like many of the members of Congress in that I do have an agenda. My particular agenda is one of a personal nature that truly rivals even those of President Obama. Bold statement? Many would say yes. But I ask you; What issues are more important than our children? How about our god-given right, our responsibility to nurture, educate, protect and love them?

Even the prison system goes to grave measures, expense, and risk in trying to rehabilitate even the most hardened of criminals. That being said, why does a system, an act named CAPTA whose outer shell appears so dire and fundamental, allow for the travesties of justice that occur EVERY DAY against children & their parents?

Again, maybe I appear an extremist. Especially in an election year, who would want to rock the boat in such a way as to go against what is deemed normal in modern society?

Maybe you all have already made up your minds. Maybe my words fall on deaf ears. I ask you all to please not allow this to happen. Take a look at my story. It is a story that serves not only my desires and agenda. It is one which affects the very fiber of what the word "Family" stands for.

What good is a family without its children? What purpose does it serve to strive to improve the lives of our loved ones when our loved ones have to live in fear that they could be taken from us, their parents? The parents whom will care for them and have a personal stake in doing so. A personal stake of blood or adoptive relation, of basing their relationship or marraige through making any and all sacrifices to keep our children safe. To raise them better than we were. To try and improve them in ways that we all wished we had improved ourselves in our youth.

Once again, noone is saying that laws should not be in place to protect our children. What everyone is saying is to not only oppose this bill, but to remove CAPTA as a whole. Permanently. Then strive to build a new act. One that serves the interests of the parents, children, and the families of today. One that removes the grossly overexpressed powers of agencies such as the C.P.S. One that publicly educates parents on what can, should, and will be done when their actions are put into question.

When an agency has the power to walk into someones house, bark ridiculous expectations at parents such as not having a couple dishes in the sink, a few items of clothing next to the washer, or saying that it is too taxing on children to make them clean their own room; They need to be stopped. Yes this happens. Far more than any of you might realize.

Do we all not have enough problems, responsibilities, and overall worries and concerns to address on a daily basis without having to worry about our children being taken from us for any reason C.P.S deems fit?

Our country has obvious financial, infrastructure, human interests, foreign relations, employment, and countless other issues to address. Noone should expect perfection. Noone is perfect. Nor is ANY institution or anything else comprised of human beings.

On that note, even murderers are given grace and the opportunity to make things right and become rehabilitated. Billions of FEDERAL dollars are spent on the C.P.S system annually. It is broken down from state-to-state and county-to-county. What most fail to realize, many times through no fault of their own, is that these large sums of money are being spent in ways which deeply wound the hearts and minds of parents and children every day.

More than enough money is already available for these agencies to give each case far more personal attention than it already does. Unique cases and instances exist that deserve and need this personal attention. This attention needs to be used on every case in a truthful and reasonable manner.

C.P.S Social Workers have financial incentive to lie, exaggerate, deliberately misquote and take out of context the occurances which they are paid to investigate. Lies are made about how much money is received for every child adopted out to strangers. Most times needlessly.

The problem is viewed as a whole and the tired line of "best interests of the children" is shamelessly abused. Taxpayers' money is spent in effort of getting more reward paid out for making a mockery of the institution that supports it.

The issue needs to be addressed now. Not later. It is one that could very well save a large portion of taxpayer money than is spent on it already. I have many ideas as viable options that would keep children with the ones who truly love them.

The truth is here >> http://stormcalling.blogspot.com/

Best Regards,
Shawn Moore


By Christopher Storm
-aka- "The Stormcaller"