[zarodinu]

For the third time in the last six years a couple in our church had their infant taken away from them by the state of Oregon's "Child Protection Services."  Each time, the couple had a bad past and were homeless in the past, but they had cleaned up their act and had dedicated their whole lives to caring for the baby.  In this case the dad had a great job, they had a good apartment, good health care and all was well.  Three days after the baby was born, not even home from the hospital, CPS took the baby away.   The last time it happened, the mother went into a terrible depression and disappeared, using drugs again.  The father worked and waited with CPS for two years until they told him that they just wouldn't give the baby back because it was "too damaging for the baby to be moved to a new place".

CPS are dangerous people, I heard some horror stories about these reptiles.  They are the only government agency I know of that operates based on rumor and suspicion and presumes guilt until proof of innocence.  Any finding of guilt is going to be with you forever, there is no clean page or statute of limitations with CPS.  Granted there are some scumbags out there that need to have their kids taken, but this agency has way, way too much power and seems to be operating outside of the standard law and justice system.  As always,  the worst tyranny is done not out of outright malice but for the greater good.   

[Bondo]

The Greater Good

[jdc]

Yeah, I'm a supporter of the idea that government can be a force of good but I'm even more a supporter that the we need to set a very high bar of due process for the government to intervene in our lives against our will (not including taxes). It seems unless they have proof of actively negligent or abusive treatment of the child, there isn't good reason to take the child away. Hope they are able to resolve things through the legal process.

Curious, why do you think the gov't should not be held to high level of due process when it comes to taxes?  It is one area where the burden of proof is already on the guilty instead of the prosecutor.  I don't see why the IRS should not have to show the same burden of proof when it comes to due process.

[Bondo]

Well, if you mean IRS audits or something I would agree, but taxation as a generality is one of THE essential functions of government. It shouldn't be held to some weird standard of due process in order to prove that it should be able to collect taxes.

[Clovis8]

My mother went in for minor, over night, shoulder surgery and now she is on a ventilator in ICU. They are saying everything will be fine but this is pretty weird.

[saltine]

I'm so sorry, Clovis.  Keep us informed.

[ferris]

My mother went in for minor, over night, shoulder surgery and now she is on a ventilator in ICU. They are saying everything will be fine but this is pretty weird.

OMG I'm very sorry to hear this!  Is she in town or back East?  (I don't remember if you've mentioned this in the past)  I do hope things get better.  Have you heard any details yet?  Was the "minor surgery" cancer related?  Did things go south do to a medical mistake?  (Sorry - you're probably asking yourslef all the same things right now - and it's probably way too soon to tell)

Please let us know how it goes...

[Clovis8]

It was just rotator cuff repair but it sounds like combination of undiagnosed sleep apnea, a bit of pneumonia, and all the surgical drugs combined to labour her breathing. They are confident everything will be fine but still surreal.

[ferris]

It was just rotator cuff repair but it sounds like combination of undiagnosed sleep apnea, a bit of pneumonia, and all the surgical drugs combined to labour her breathing. They are confident everything will be fine but still surreal.

scary to be sure

[oneaprilday]

How awful, Clovis - I'm so sorry. Sounds like things are a bit better now (?), but I'll be thinking of you and hoping for a quick recovery for your mom. Keep us posted.