Miami Herald Investigational Series of DCF (legal, drugs, how much, crime)

[AnnieA]

Innocents lost: A Miami Herald I-Team Investigation | MiamiHerald.com

This is a thorough and damning investigation of Florida's children and the people who should be protecting them, parents, aware citizens and the state. They have been failed by all. I have not read the whole series as of today but I will and I will contact the Herald and tell them how much I appreciate this investigation being done. A must read for all who truly care about the welfare of our most innocent human being.

Drugs are what is killing this country and we are going to sit back and let it happen. The gangs and drug dealers are getting a free ride with our current administration and now we want to make pot legal !!!!! I wonder how many politicians and entreprenuers (sp) will benefit from that if it is passed. A good video is vote2.org on the perils of voting yes on Admendment 2.

[ellemint]

The very fact that you felt compelled to post this in the True Crime forum tells me something. Surely this is a political and social issue, not a criminal one.

I wonder what would happen if the U.S. waged a war on poverty with all the funds and zeal going into the war on drugs?
The American people give lip service to valuing "family" and children, but seem to be quite hostile to families in need.

In reality, states, especially conservative states like Florida, don't want to pay for the services it requires to help neglected and abused children, and their families---especially mental health services.

If services for children and families received even a fraction of the funds spent on the useless war on drugs things might improve for these neglected children. Or if addicted parents received treatment and support, instead of being sent to prison, things might improve. But we'd rather punish these "bad" people, fracture their families even further, and make the lives of suffering children even worse.

The folks in Child Protective Services are understaffed, over-worked, and not given enough power to act when they see problems.

[AnnieA]

I beg your pardon. I thought killing or abusing or neglecting children was a crime. Are you suggesting these drug addled and alcoholic thugs should not be punished for the above acts of crime.

We have become a country that is drowning under our drug addictions. We make choices in life. I made the choice once to quit smoking and I loved to smoke and had been doing so for 35 years. It was my drug of choice. I made a choice to no longer drink to excess because it wasn't good for my children to see, even in a social situation. One of my children, middle aged adult, has made the choice to go to rehab and become a recovering alcholic. Another child, again middle aged, made a choice many years ago to quit smoking pot and doing coke, after he lost his wife and children. He is now a successful, financially stable adult. But he made a choice. Life is about choices.

Alcoholism runs in my family, as well as, other addictions. One nephew has been to rehab 7 times and is still a user. He had every opportunity and support to get his act together.

I didn't, and none of my children, except the one who went to rehab, have any outside help.

I have seen too many children with burns all over their bodies, broken bones, broken bodies, black eyes, hair yanked out, finger nails pulled off, emaciated bodies, to quibble about which forum this horror is posted in. And I have little sympathy for their drug addicted "mothers" and sperm donors that do this to these kids.

I guess I should have posted a story of a child that had already been abused or killed. Then a few might have felt that was worthy of discussing.