In case you missed it.
Monday's post got a pretty decent response and I do thank all of you that donated, but there's still miles to go.
This whole deal has turned out to be much more time consuming and expensive that most of us figured on.
There's been trip after trip from Florida to Tennessee for court hearings and lawyer appointments, all of which cost money for gas, rooms, meals. etc. The reason for all those trips is because for some ungodly reason the State of Tennessee decided that it's better for the child to remain in the family of the fucked up baby daddy in Tennessee instead of letting her go home to Florida with BCE and Gretchen who actually care for her. I mean, what difference does it make which State she's in as long as she's in a loving home with folks that actually put her needs and welfare first?
Fuck man, if I was the judge the hearing might've lasted all of five minutes. I would've addressed the biological parents with something along the lines of, "Y'all are some fucked up people. You should be shot but I'm banishing you two to Portland Oregon instead. The baby stays. Get the fuck out of my courtroom." Then I'd have asked BCE and Wifey, "You folks got a car seat? Some toys to keep her amused on the ride home? Money for ice cream?" and that would've been fucking it. How hard would that have been?
Unfortunately, I'm not the judge.
The first attorney they hired to represent them in Tennessee didn't do shit. Nothing. So they fired him and hired an Aggressive Female Attorney (AFA) to represent them. Even she was shocked at what the first lawyer didn't do. That cost more money. If she's a very good attorney, the cost goes up even more.
Then in an effort to appease the court with that out-of-state bullshit and also to save on traveling expenses, they picked up and moved to Tennessee, temporarily at the moment. I don't need to tell a single one of you how expensive moving is between moving truck rentals, the first and last month's rent, security deposit, getting the utilities turned on and the cost of furnishings. It adds up very quickly. We're talking several thousand bucks here.
What I'm getting at is Big Country and Gretchen have dug in and stacked magazines, ready for the fight no matter how long it's going to take and how much it's going to cost.
We can help. A few bucks out of our budget isn't going to kill us but it can help to save that child. She deserves better than becoming a ward of the State or living with relatives that really don't give a shit about her.
If you'd like to donate, you can do so HERE. If you're not in a good spot and can't help monetarily, a kind thought and a prayer would be most appreciated.
God Bless Gretchen & Big Country. I pray for that little girl, and the both of you.
ReplyDeleteGloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto.
Sicut erat in principo, et nunc, et semper,
et in saecula saeclorum. Amen.
Amen and Amen
DeleteThere are many complexities in child welfare law and the deck is stacked against out of state relatives. Some of the barriers are set by federal law and policy which most states embrace so that they can get Title 4e money to run their programs. There is also an interstate compact which guides out of state placement. Add all this to the lawyers and case workers who have opinions about whether big country is the best placement. For what its worth, I’ve actually met big country and I’m rooting for him.
ReplyDeleteJust managed to kick loose some greenbacks to contribute what I can. They need and deserve all the support we can provide.
ReplyDelete