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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Not Here!

Recently it has made local and national news that a 200 lbs. 3rd grader was removed from his family's home at the request of Children's Services, which was granted by a juvenile court judge.  The reason for this horrendous act was because the boy COULD POSSIBLY develop health issues like hypertension IN THE FUTURE.  The argument is that the boy is in IMMEDIATE DANGER.  The last time I checked the definition of immediate, there were a few words missing that were used in this violation of a family's rights.... could possibly, and in the future.  Do I like to see kids, teen agers, and adults so heavy that they cannot walk up a flight of stairs, let alone enjoy life?  No, that's far from what my ideal physical health utopia would look like.  However, I do not think a level of unelected bureaucrats (Children Services) should be able to lobby a judge to do anything, especially remove a child from a family environment that is absent of drug/alcohol abuse, sexual/physical abuse, or other rampant crime.  The child, while heavy, seemed to be well adjusted, participating in many programs at school, along with being an honor student.  By the way, the 3rd graders 16 year old brother, tall and skinny... doesn't strike me as the Clumps where the entire family has resigned to chronic overeating.  At no time during this report has there been any indication that the boy has had any test done to review any systemic issues, like thyroid issues.  That sounds like a logical next step, but no, we would rather knock on some body's door and drag their kid out of the house.

So, where does this slippery slope end?  I am going pose a few questions in an effort to make the point that government needs to be put back on the leash that the Founding Fathers put it on.  Its not a long stretch to say that now the parents cannot be obese, as this is setting a bad example for the kids, at which time, the children need to be taken from their family because their parents are overweight.  In that case, I would lose my kids, as I currently fall into the medical category of "morbidly obese."  I could argue that we try to monitor our eating habits where we have vegetables at almost every meal, candy and cookies are kept at a minimum, there is no Pepsi or Coke in the fridge, and we encourage fruits for snacks.  I also exercise a minimum of 30 minutes a day, often times taking one of the girls on a bike ride with me, or encouraging them to join me in non-weightlifting workouts.  But alas, I am a bit chubby, but don't come knockin' on my door demanding to take my children.  It would not be hard to now make the argument that my kids need to go into foster care because they might be outside playing on a sunny day and I forgot to put sun screen on them... it must be my master plan to give my kids skin cancer, gotta take 'em away!  At what point does it stop?  This is why our Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution in the manner they did, in attempt to stop the creation of an over reaching, self imposing, police state government.  Please, America, stand up for yourself.  Call or write your elected officials.  Get to know where those people stand on issues, find the people who want to put that dog back on its chain, before we turn into Socialist/Communist Europe West.  Stand up for yourself before doing so will get you jailed.  Exercise your rights, as is the body, the more you exercise, the healthier your rights.