If you were the judge in this case, would you return these kids to their parents?
Guardian Urges Against Return of Caged Kids
NORWALK, Ohio – A court-appointed guardian for 11 children taken from the adoptive parents who kept some of them in cages testified yesterday that she has believed for months the youngsters shouldn’t be returned to the couple.
Margaret Kern said during a custody hearing for the children in Huron County Juvenile Court that Michael and Sharen Gravelle have not demonstrated a willingness to admit problems with their parenting style, which she said included harsh punishments and a tendency to isolate the youngsters.
“Parenting style?”
County officials removed the youngsters, ages 1 to 15, after finding several wood-and-wire cages in the Gravelles’ Clarksfield Township home. The Gravelles and a therapist who treated the children, Elaine Thompson, have said the enclosures, rigged with alarms, were needed to protect the children from one another and to stop them from roaming the house at night and urinating on mattresses and walls.
For those who think caging kids is a good idea:
There are several children in my sub-division that should be kept in cages. And a few that should be beaten regularly. The dog down the road that they throw rocks at would agree with me. But their parents are never actually home, so a harsh beating may endear me to them as a father figure, and I would rather avoid that. I’ll settle for the satisfaction of watching the older bullies beat them up at the bus stop across the street from my house.
jason,
for someone who write with a liberal slant… that’s very right wing man! that’s funny… although true many times. when people around me complain about kids acting up, i like to remind them that they should be mad at the parents.
raising kids is like raising dogs – they learn their parameters and act accordingly. also some parents are like dogs but that is another post.
chris vaughn
http://chrisvaughn.org
Eleven kids in cages? Sounds like a puppy mill!
This must be a joke. Even looking at the web site, I still can’t believe its true. I think the owners of this babycage.net need to be in a cage with a hampster drinking bottle attached.
chris
Sticking up for the dog, my friend, sticking up for the dog.
(It’s ok, the dog doesn’t vote republican. 🙂
how could they be allowed to adopt 11 children. That’s the first problem.
I have read before about this case. The children locked into cages were, for the most part, severely emotionally handicapped. At night, when they couldn’t be monitored, they would be enclosed in their “caged” beds. Many of the children were destructive, to themselves and others.
The parents had hired a licensed Social Worker to help in the raising and counseling of the children. If these children were still in state custody, they would probably be strapped into their beds at night or locked into cells to prevent their destructive behavior. To tolerate children with these problems takes a strong willed person. To care for them much more.
The Social Worker has also been charged.
***
During a juvenile court hearing in December, Ms. Thompson[the licensed therapest] testified that she had diagnosed five of the Gravelle children with reactive attachment disorder, a condition marked by an inability to bond with caretakers.
…
Jo Johnson, an investigator for the Huron County Department of Job and Family Services, testified during the December hearing that the agency had received a report in 2003 that the couple were caging their children but had been unable to verify the information at that time.
Toledo Blade, March 01, 2006
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060301/NEWS02/603010357
The prosecutor has declined to charge anyone from Family Services, even though they knew in 2003. If the Social Worker makes a plea agreement with the prosecutor then the parents loose their defense. If the Social Worker doesn’t make a deal then she will have her testimony used against her in her case.
I don’t think we have heard the last about this case. This case looks bad on the surface and even worse below the surface. Maybe the DA is up for re-election.
Wow. Another thread that demonstrates the lack of humor among the left.
Raising kids is like raising liberals: Eventually they learn with experience. Until then they’ll speak without knowledge… to an annoying extent.
totaly insane
Who needs a cage when you have grape flavored dimetapp?
cages? leashes work better.
Childen will act like animals if treated like animals.Where Does HUMANity exist anymore?Arn`t we all humans?Children were created in Gods image .We all were.This treating our offspring as animals does`nt say much for our parents these days.Maybe it should be the other way around “Parents in Cages.”Like our legall system were taught to lock people in cags and tie one in restaints.Where does the problem stem?Guess our legal system has to BLAME!Were told to respect the Laws.What an outrage.How can we learn to respect our fellowbeings or our GOV.when were all victims of being “Caged”.Lets all stop and think and stand up for HUMAN rights……….The Freedom of Speech
Wow…That’s just…wow. This seriously calls sanity of ceretain individuals into question. I mean, were the parents ever locked in cages at night? Huh? Or beaten? Or just treated like they were nothing?
Baby cages? Idiots. Absolute idiots people would have to be to create something like that. God, I seriosly shiver in my home knowing that there are people who would knowingly and willingly lock a child in a cage. I’m actually against animals being in too small cages, but children? I think these people have forgotten what makes them human.