Hi All! Hope everyone had a good weekend! I myself just got back from a women's retreat with my church sisters and it was such a blessing! You know, and while I am sure all of you have already come to this conclusion, I think I figured out why the case wreckers et al are destroying our beloved families. Everyday each of us see children who are in desperate need of some type of intervention and yet they remain with or are returned to their families for the abuse and neglect to continue presumably until they themselves escape it and by all the headlines in the national news, it is usually through their commiting attrocities on those who have abused them. How many children end up killing their families, their principles, their priests, fellow students, co-workers, innocents of every shape and size, etc. because they were abused and no one stepped in to stop it? Conversly, how many of our children are taken from loving homes where there are family members who would sacrifice anything to take in their loved ones and yet they are not permitted to do so? Well, my light bulb moment gave me a clear vision of why these things are happening. Our grandchildren are not abused, they do not have any serious difficulties, deformities, challenges, etc. They are four normal, loving, cute, smart, precocious, beautiful. caring, intelligent, have I said gorgeous yet? Well, you get the picture - and your loved ones are just like ours. They left our families in the blessed condition above, and the abuse and neglect has NOW begun in their little lives! They now feel abandoned, unwanted, etc. by the families that they so desperately want to return to and spend their lives with. But, because of their ordinary, age-appropriate behaviors and traits, because they were brought up with manners and the ability to love and care for other living things, they are prized possessions for anyone who wants a ready-made family that comes complete with a monthly bonus! No one wants children that are abused, need special attention, are possibly going to inflict harm or embarrasment on their families and communities! That would be too hard! My God, then they would be earning those bonuses every month, they would have to spend that money on actually taking care of the children instead of putting it toward that new speed boat or recreational vehicle, or new home, or trip to the Bahamas while the kids stay with the nanny (also afforded by the monthly bonus). Sure, they are still taking the newborns who are born to moms with substances in their systems - which I happen to think is an invasion of privacy unless the mom consents to the testing - because they are babies and they are easily adoptable (their problems if any won't show up until after the adoption is final and off of DSS case roles) and they have an instant case of abuse against the parent that most anyone will find proof enough to terminate rights. But even with this, there aren't enough babies to go around so they have to find children who are just as easily adoptable so they come after ours at a rate that is increasing every month. People, it is time to abolish this system! Look at all the stories that have popped up in our groups within just the last month that tell this very story! The only way our counties and case wreckers etc., can continue to get their budgets is to INCREASE the number of adoptions per fiscal year and the only way to do that is to bring in the children who don't need to be fixed! And if they never take in the children who need the help, then their work loads are cut way down. You bring them in, do a little paperwork and a search for a new family, and boom - the file can be signed off on, a cake can be placed in the breakroom for another successful adoption/monthly bonus, and everyone is happy! And yes, as one poster recently stated, we have let this happen! Partly because as Americans we did not want to believe that this is now the custom, not the exception and partly because it has fallen on deaf ears for so long when we have complained that we do not know individually how to stop it. We cannot let this continue, for the simple fact that it will escalate by definition in the current laws! More and more families are having to live on below poverty incomes, more and more parents are having to work full-time in order to try to pay the minimum bills, and hence, more and more of our precious children are going to be picked up at school by DSS, DCF, whoever because mom and dad were a few minutes late to pick them up because the boss wasn't done talking. Or they will be picked up at the hospital because the doctors think the child is being abused because they fell off the backyard jungle gym and broke their arm. Marches have been held on Washington for many years for a number of different causes. They have brought National attention to the matters that they are marching for and in some instances, have changed the situation at every level of government. We need to do something NOW! I for one am not willing to keep posting here, to write Dr. Phil which I have done, write to Katie Couric which I have done, write to my legislators and other government officials which I have done ad nauseum because they do not see me and can easily ignore my pleas when all they have is a piece of paper with a bunch of words and exclamation points and tear stains! Demonstrating in front of the local offices is not enough because your county does not get embarrased when my county has a demonstration and visa versa. We have got to come together as a community or enraged, angry, desperate yet for the most part law-abiding citizens and bring this to the attention of our entire country at one time. It will be difficult to ignore the many pictures of innocent children on posters broadcast across the country by the news media, it will be nearly impossible to argue the point of 'in the child's best interest' when there are thousands, perhaps millions of normal, innocent children being loved from afar by banners, quilts, t-shirts, etc. on the White House lawn or at the Lincoln Memorial or wherever. You can all think I am just ranting and raving or venting, or whatever, but honestly, has anything we have done up to now worked? Many of us cannot afford an attorney but could somehow get to D.C. if we wanted to bad enough! I am tired of writing and getting sympathy and much appreciated advice and giving the same. Yes, as a hurting community we need support and advice and a shoulder to cry on, but what we all need is for these people to get out of our lives and the lives of our fellow citizens who have yet to get that knock on the door or smack across the face. We have got to stand together as one hurting, fed-up, fired-up, educated, willing to take a road trip, bunch of loving realtives who demand change and the return of our family members. You guys can take it from here, you know where I am, but I cannot take any of this sitting down (typing) any longer. At this point, I have nothing to lose but my self-respect and possibly the future respect of my family and particularly my grandchildren when they someday ask me why I didn't come get them - save them - protect them! I am going to march - who is willing to come with me and when? jusnanale28