Thursday March 5, 2009, 3:12 am
Noted and signed. Thank you Tom.

Thursday March 5, 2009, 5:16 am
Signed,# 1,240 and noted with thanks Tom.

Thursday March 5, 2009, 6:52 am
Protect the future.Noted and signed.

Thursday March 5, 2009, 8:19 am
Gail, thank you for signing "Protect Children from Chronic Neglect"

Noted and signed with thanks Tom.

Thursday March 5, 2009, 9:18 am
Oh, so true, Tom, thanks again.

Thursday March 5, 2009, 1:35 pm
Noted and signed.

Thursday March 5, 2009, 2:17 pm

I will always take action to protect innocence.

Bless you, Tom, for promoting this!

Thursday March 5, 2009, 3:44 pm
Noted and signed. Thank you Tom! Thank you Charles for forwarding! :)

Thursday March 5, 2009, 4:08 pm
Signed and noted. Thank you Tom for all you do and thank you Charles for bringing Toms stories to my attention.

Thursday March 5, 2009, 6:04 pm
Signed,#140 and noted with thanks Tom.

Thursday March 5, 2009, 7:34 pm
Noted signed and sent.

Thursday March 5, 2009, 10:10 pm
DONE...

Thursday March 5, 2009, 11:12 pm
Noted and signed dearst Tom:)
Love, Black Dalia:)

Friday March 6, 2009, 12:57 am

Thank you for the work you put into finding and posting these
petition links for us. Absolutely above and beyond!

Friday March 6, 2009, 1:55 am
Thank you for this wonderful and very necessary petition link. Signed & noted

Friday March 6, 2009, 3:21 am
signed and noted

Friday March 6, 2009, 5:56 am
SIGNED AND NOTED

Friday March 6, 2009, 6:02 am
I read every single comment on this petition and it seems to me that this petition only refers to neglect by parents. It doesn't include any neglect by any other person. Should this petition reflect All neglect by All people? Why do people try to only punish one group of people as in this petition? It should be punishment for all people that neglect not just a a group,race or class! This petition is not well written!! THIS PETITION SHOULD INCLUDE ALL THAT ABUSE CHILDREN!!! I will sign it when it has CORRECTIONS made to it!! PROTECT THE CONSTITUTION!!

Friday March 6, 2009, 6:21 am
It should not only include animals and children Felicita...It should also include punishment for the misguided people who perpetrate violence on the 'smallies'...No?...

"We signed “Protect Children from Chronic Neglect” # 1,346":...Thank you for your input Tom

Friday March 6, 2009, 6:55 am

LOCKING UP CHILDREN FOR CA$H!!! JUDGES MAKING BIG MONEY!!! (IS THIS CHILD NEGLECT?)

US Politics & Gov't (tags: dishonesty, corruption, abuse, americans, elections, government, media, republicans, democrats, terrorism, crime, constitution, congress, cover-up, Govtfearmongering, politics )

Felicita
[Online] - 2 minutes ago - youtube.com
NEGLECTING CHILDREN!!

Friday March 6, 2009, 7:02 am
Thank you Tom..
Thank you!
You already signed this petition at 5:07 am PST, Feb 27, 2009.
Noted..

Friday March 6, 2009, 7:04 am
Felicita..Neglect and abuse to any child..is just that..regardless of who is being neglectful or abusive..

Friday March 6, 2009, 7:31 am
# 1,357

Friday March 6, 2009, 10:27 am

Actually, this is a very broadly written petition that is referencing child neglect
whether by parent or caregiver. The American Humane Association's intent is
to create a National Initiative which would address a host of issues here,
including, but not limited to, identification and remedies, regardless of those
perpetrating neglect. ( "Caregiver" in the sense used here, includes state
in it's broadest definition.)

Thank you again Tom.

Friday March 6, 2009, 10:33 am
Marian..Exactly..And I feel it is a good petition..anything that will help to ensure all children are cared for as they should be..is a very good thing in my book..

Friday March 6, 2009, 2:38 pm
Noted & signed

Friday March 6, 2009, 6:56 pm
hello
comments are very interesting. i'm not sure what the AHA is considering "neglect. this is how federal law defines neglect "Neglect is frequently defined in terms of deprivation of adequate food, clothing, shelter, medical care, or supervision." see http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/statutes/define.cfm
using the laws definition of neglect there is no other way to look at it other than federal and state laws have made it a crime for a parent to be poor. "neglect" is a very very broad word and can be used by workers given this authority to manipulate another persons life.

Friday March 6, 2009, 11:40 pm
Neglect is more powerful, in terms of harm, then any other kind of abuse for producing anger and violent behavior. All other forms of abuse, such as sexual abuse, verbal abuse, physical abuse, and emotional abuse are all VERY DAMAGING, but not as damaging as neglect.

Saturday March 7, 2009, 12:03 am

Not defining neglect hasn't protected the poor.

Thank you again Tom.

Saturday March 7, 2009, 12:43 am
Don't get me wrong I am not saying true child abuse should ever be overlooked
.
What is going on with child services though is another story. These Court cases are secret so the public can't scrutinize these cases. A child can be taken from their mother based on "he said, she said" testimony in court... the state does not have to prove beyond a resonable doubt that neglect took place.

This violates every right we have under the United States Constitution.

What federal and state laws basically say is... if your poor, your beliefs/values are different than the majority of society then you are not fit/cannot have children... thats called eugenics and the end results are horrific.

Saturday March 7, 2009, 8:21 am
Again I have to say..the only rights I am concerned about..are the rights that children should have..because far too often their rights are ignored..
A child should be cared for in every sense of the word CARE..Being poor is not a crime..however if a parent/caretaker is so poor that their child/children are made to suffer in any way from it..Is that fair to the child..
Are their cases that have been unfair..absolutely..Are changes needed in laws and in the whole of many systems..Yes..but..sadly I have heard many parents say it is my right to have as many children as I see fit..yet clearly they can not take care of them..and the children suffer from this selfish right that so many think they have..
This is about a "child's rights..not the parents and or any caretakers..

I have seen many poor parents who even though poor..do take care and good care of their children..I have also seen those that are unjustly accused..or even rightly accused..and they will stand and fight to make things right for the sake of the children..

Too many..too often abuse their parental rights..and it should stop..Just because one is a parent/caretaker does not give them any right to harm/hurt a child in any way..whatsoever..

Saturday March 7, 2009, 10:47 am
Neglect in the U.S. today is a work ethic. Working parents, both of them, are forced to spend 8-10 hours a day out of the home. Where are the children? Usually in the home and the oldest is in charge or a relative or neighbor watches them. Wealthier people use paid services, but the absence of the parent, the biological parent or primary object to the child is not with the child.

This is a plague upon our children and the motive is survival, but the guiding force is materialism. Wanting more is the nature of capitalism, more profit, more control, more power, more profits and it grows like a cyclic cancer. We have ignored our children to earn a living-for our children, but that neglects our children!

Maybe we need to rethink the work ethic. Maybe the rich executives and owners should take a little more instead of 1000's of times more than the workers make and the workers should make a LOT more so they can work less and be at home with their kids. Ya think? Nahhh I want the top 2% of the population to control 98% of the the wealth in the U.S., as it is today. That's much better than dealing with Corrupt Capitalism and the greed and avarice that drive the corporate model and create a few very wealthy and a lot of people that live hand to mouth and can't be with their kids... Socialistic Capitalism anybody? Read about Sweeden, England, Canada, France, Germany, or many other socially responsible and regulated capitalist societies.

Saturday March 7, 2009, 10:48 am
I believe one of the rights of a child guaranteed by the Constitution is the right to be with their mother or father without interference from the government. To take a child away unjustly causes more damage to that child than we could possibly imagine.

We already have laws that protect people (children and adults), criminal laws... if real abuse is taking place it needs to be put into a public court of law so that we, the citizens can assess what evidence our government is using to take away another citizens (child and parent) Constitutional Freedoms. These child welfare laws are basically secret laws and courts, there is no reason for them other than to allow elected officals to give out hard earned taxpayer money to programs and there pet projects which is nothing more than an attempt to make people conform to societies beliefs and ideas at the present moment. The programs that take our money leave no room for citizens to live there lives free of government interference and to believe/value what they, the family choose to.

Saturday March 7, 2009, 11:25 am
Town..I absolutely agree a child should be with their natural parent..providing the parent is a good one..Are you saying a child should be with their caretaker/parent..regardless of the care or protection they are deserved..

Laws are constantly changing..and that is a good thing..for instance.. a new law aimed at protecting children from abuse and neglect just recently into effect..
The new law sponsored by Senator John DeFrancisco.. applied to children in residential facilities and programs operated or licensed by the state..

Sadly..there still is not enough laws to protect children..and I hope that will change soon..

Child welfare laws are no secret..I'm not sure where you are getting that info from..
Just a few reference on those laws and policies..
http://www.childwelfare.com/Child%20Welfare%20Law.htm

http://www.abanet.org/child/legalrep-4.pdf

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/j2ee/programs/cb/laws_policies/laws/cwpm/index.jsp

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/laws_policies/index.htm

https://www.cwla.org/childwelfare/fglaws.pdf

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ssw/projects/cwinfonet/cwlaws.htm

As for obtaining public Court records..visit any law library..all you need is a docket # and you can search those records..

When you talk about some silly attempt to make people conform to societies beliefs..in regards to children..Let me ask you then.. just what are your beliefs as far as protecting a child/children..
What rights for children are you so opposed to..And when you say "real abuse" that sounds as if you have your own definition of what abuse/neglect is..

Can you explain..

Saturday March 7, 2009, 1:06 pm
I misspoke, the laws are not secret however the juvenile courts are. In my state you absolutely cannot go to a courthouse, law library and access a termination of parental rights, there is absolutely no way of finding out what policies and procedures were used to take a parent and child's right away from each other.

I just posted a story about the kansas judge who is still denying the papers access to a childs welfare records....the child was adopted and has been missing from they're home for 10 years.

The United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights are the protections given to our children... The Constitution is Good enough for Adults and Children, there is no reason to somehow give children a different set of rights.

Real Abuse-- when a jury of the accused decides a crime has taken place.

The word neglect is subjective. It shouldn't be used in secret courts to enforce the states definition of morality on the citizenship.

Persons accused of Crimes in the US have the Right to a Public Trial by a Jury of their Peers.

The laws may be constantly changing however when they change these laws still Must comply with our Constition and child welfare laws do not.

In the US just because a State says "You are neglecting your child" doesn't mean its so unless that citizen who is being accused of a crime is given the right to a fair and impartial trial before a jury of their peers...
then declared guiltly by that jury.

Thats the way it works anything else is excess waste of taxpayer money and a violation of citizens, adult and child, Constitutional Rights.

Saturday March 7, 2009, 2:32 pm
Juvenile records are protected under the law..However that is only for the juvenile's own protection..If you are the parent of that child..of course you have access to his/her records..As would any parent have access to their child's records..As for the policies and procedures..I just listed a few links above that anyone can access to be clear on what they are..All neglect and or abuse proceedings are governed by Article 10 of the Family Court Act..and are heard exclusively in Family Court in any state..and as a parent/caretaker you have complete access to those records..

And..also from that news article..
"Butler County District Judge Mike Ward ruled that since no "official determination" has been made that Adam Herrman is dead, the records would remain closed. If a homicide charge is filed, and there are allegations of child abuse, there would be a duty to disclose, Ward said."

No charges nor allegations were filed..

You say "The Constitution is Good enough for Adults and Children, there is no reason to somehow give children a different set of rights."

Well..I am pretty sure most if not all..would disagree with you on that..to say it is good enough when considering the sad reality of child neglect and abuse and death in this the United States alone....and how children themselves have no means of protecting themselves from the harm they encounter at the hands of the ones who abuse them..

You say "Real Abuse-- when a jury of the accused decides a crime has taken place."

So if there is no jury..then that determines a child is not really abused..That is rediculous..Besides..You are aware of how often juries can be biased and or simply wrong and fail terribly in serving true justice..aren't you..OJ comes to mind for me..and there are many more..

Again you say.."The laws may be constantly changing however when they change these laws still Must comply with our Constition and child welfare laws do not."

Wow..You have heard of legal amendments to the constitution..haven't you..or are you saying you only agree when they serve you personally..

If a child's legal right to not be neglected and or abused..infringe on anyone's well that is just too bad..

And as a taxpayer..I am more than happy and willing to pay whatever it costs to protect a child..and would never see it as a violation of my right..nor ever as a waste in anything that is protecting children..

Seriously..I am not sure why you feel as you do on this issue..though you certainly have every right to your own opinion here..but again.. thankfully most disagree with you..

Hope everyone who sees it will sign the petition..Good luck with it Tom..and thank you again..

Saturday March 7, 2009, 2:59 pm
"Article 10 of the Family Court Act"... this is not an amendment to the constitution of the United States.

Maybe parents do have access to the state social service accussations against them and maybe they don't. The Public can't know because family court procedures are not open to the public.

I'm not one to take my governments word that its doing the right thing. I want to see Proof that it is not violating anothers constitutional rights.

I don't claim the judgement of 12 jurers are perfect...I do believe that 12 citizens deciding to take another citizens freedoms away is much much better than a state worker, acting on behalf of the government, deciding that citizen is guilty.

Children can lose the right to their parents based on a state workers word and a summary judgement of a judge. The courts have decided that child abuse and neglect are CIVIL OFFENSES... and therefore the accussed is not entitled to the luxury of a jury.

To lose one's child because of a Civil offense is extreme and unusual punishment.

Saturday March 7, 2009, 3:37 pm
Oh my..this is getting silly now..

First ..I never said that Article 10 of the Family Court Act was an amendment to the constitution..It is a law to the "Family Court Act" I thought that was pretty clear in my above statement..

You say.."Maybe parents do have access to the state social service accussations against them and maybe they don't. The Public can't know because family court procedures are not open to the public."

What would ever make you think as just a "bystander" and not the legal parent or caretaker..or even someone who perhaps close to any case enough to be given the docket # that you would or should have ANY right whatsoever.. to the personal court proceeding and or records of someone else..Are you serious..

You may not be one who takes the word of anything or anyone..However that doesn't give you a right to demand personal court records of this nature..That in itself clearly would be a violation of one's constitutional rights..Wow that is so hypocritical of you..

I can say this..our system is far from perfect..but I have yet to see a case ever.. where no neglect..no abuse was ever done and a parent/caretaker had lost their rights..and they stood right up and fought..and had not been vindicated..

Well if you or anyone think is is extreme and unusual punishment to lose a child due to a civil offense..I suggest you talk to a child who has been neglected and or abused..but I guess you don't consider that to a child it is indeed extreme and unusual punishment..

That is completely about as insensitive and absurd thinking in my opinion..

Saturday March 7, 2009, 3:58 pm
"However that doesn't give you a right to demand personal court records of this nature..That in itself clearly would be a violation of one's constitutional rights..Wow that is so hypocritical of you."

But you see the public does have a right to demand to see what the government is doing to us. And this is the authority by which we can demand an accounting

United States Constitution:

Amendment 5 - Trial and Punishment, Compensation for Takings. Ratified 12/15/1791.

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.


Amendment 6 - Right to Speedy Trial, Confrontation of Witnesses. Ratified 12/15/1791.

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.


Amendment 7 - Trial by Jury in Civil Cases. Ratified 12/15/1791.

In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.


Amendment 8 - Cruel and Unusual Punishment. Ratified 12/15/1791.

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Saturday March 7, 2009, 4:11 pm
Sorry forgot to add

I could never be insensitive to abuse that is suffered by others, I'm a survivor myself.

Peace
Town

Saturday March 7, 2009, 11:53 pm
So, child abuse is OK when parents have to work? Day care or lock key kids is OK? Those are classic examples of NEGLECT.

Shouldn't we rethink our Corporate American work ethic. The only people that benefit from both parents working are the rich and powerful owners of corporations. Our children are neglected for their huge bonuses and greed instead of paying workers much more and no bonuses and a fair wage for executives and owners. Fair is fair and today's Corrupt Corporate Capitalism in the U.S. is not fair.