Durham, NC (TLS). And the shame of Durham continues as the co-conspirators in the Nifong-Mangum Hoax circle the wagons, denying any culpability, not even as much as acknowledging mistakes in the entire fiasco.
The Durham Police Department had ample opportunity to cleanse itself in its own internal investigation into the affair, only to return with a statement of denials and the insistence that it had done absolutely nothing wrong.
Can't you just see the halos?
The Department's failure to confess and repent, and thus salvage what little integrity may remain within its dens of corruption, has led to calls for totally independent examinations and a much more candid assessment of what went wrong. The Liberty Sphere believes that such an independent investigation is long overdue.
Our concern, however, runs much deeper than just with the Durham Police Department, for we are convinced that Durham is but a microcosm of a much broader culture of corruption that exists in North Carolina state government. We have sounded the alarm many times about such corruption, for example, within the North Carolina Department of Social Services and its heavy-handed, gestapo-like tactics with innocent citizens.
We will leave that matter to our ongoing investigations into DSS. For now, the focus is on Durham. Perhaps if a concerted effort is made to clean up the police department, city government, the judiciary, and the local Democratic Party, then this would be one gigantic first step toward further reform in other areas.
We can only hope.
Liestoppers has a detailed examination of the nature of the corruption within the Durham Police Department with regard to the Nifong-Mangum Hoax. In spite of a scathing assessment from the North Carolina Attorney-General and others who have observed this scandal from afar, the local co-conspirators are indeed circling the wagons, fabricating stories, and outright lying to the public concerning their conduct in the affair.
Thus, the shame of Durham only deepens.
Read the Liestoppers report here:
http://liestoppers.blogspot.com/2007/05/playing-stupid.html
Showing posts with label DSS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DSS. Show all posts
Monday, May 28, 2007
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Suspicions High Over Polk County DSS in N.C.
Columbus, NC (TLS). One thing you can say about the mountain folk of North Carolina other than the fact that they are some of most hospitable, good-hearted people on earth is that they don't take kindly to outsiders meddling in their business. And that goes for individuals who work in government agencies that tend to believe that they are the watchdogs of the behavior of private citizens.
A perfect example of this phenomenon is the case of Joyce Painter, a resident of the North Carolina mountain town of Columbus. Painter thought she was minding her own business, raising her 7-year-old son as best she could, when along comes 'Big Brother' to tell her that because her son is 'too fat' she is therefore a sorry Mother.
'Big Brother' in this case is the North Carolina Department of Social Services, which utilizes 'anonymous tips' to justify going after private citizens, usually with regard to cases of suspected child abuse. The Polk County Department of Social Services received such a tip concerning Ms. Painter, except in this case it was not about child abuse but about the weight of her son.
Considered 'morbidly obese' by medical definition, the Painter boy had at one time topped the scales at 254 pounds, despite being taken by his Mother on numerous occasions to see physicians about what to do to correct the problem.
Ms. Painter had placed her son on numerous eating programs recommended by various physicians, all to no avail. She insists that she fed her son only those foods prescribed by the physicians.
In spite of Ms. Painter's obvious concern about her son's health, DSS officials moved in and implicated Ms. Painter with innuendo concerning possible 'child neglect,' 'child endangerment,' or other such terms, all designed to place the blame for the boy's obesity squarely at the feet of his Mother.
Yet DSS had NO medical history of the boy and ordered none. How, for example, do they know that the boy does not have a hidden medical problem that contributes to the weight gain? Does his thyroid gland function normally? What about his digestive system? Does his digestive system function in such a manner that food is digested along a normal continuum?
Studies published in various medical journals indicate that persons who have what is called a 'slow rate of digestion,' that is, food tends to stay in the stomach for much longer periods of time before being emptied into the small intestine, tend to gain weight.
Has the boy ever been checked for this? If not, why?
It would seem that if DSS were actually doing its job rather than conducting a smear campaign against an overweight boy's Mother, it would want to know about potential medical problems that cause this kind of weight gain.
Yet so far, not a single indication has been made public that DSS has checked into these possibilities.
Rather, DSS decided to aggressively pursue Ms. Painter as an 'unfit Mother.'
But this is not the end of the story. DSS in its almighty wisdom decided that the Painter boy needed to have knee surgery at Duke University in Durham...several hours away from the Painter home. A mere 30 minutes to the north, however, is Asheville, North Carolina, a nice medium-sized city with several top-notched medical facilities that routinely do the type of surgery DSS claims the boy needs.
Rather than allow the boy to have the surgery closest to home, DSS instead decided to seize the child, remove him from his Mother, and place him in foster care--so that he could then have knee surgery in Durham.
On Monday a Judge in Columbus put DSS in its place by giving custody back to Ms. Painter, stating in essence that DSS did not have the authority or the proper rationale for removing the boy from his home.
Needless to say, this entire episode has the entirety of Polk County in an uproar. It is clear that DSS Social Workers are attempting to make an example of Painter and her son, but for what reason? At this point it is clear the boy has become nothing more than a football being passed between his Mother and DSS. DSS, however, has been called on a technical foul. In fact, DSS should not even be in the middle of this at all.
This is only the tip of the iceberg. There are rumblings among folks out and about that this is not the first time DSS has used heavy-handed, gestapo-like tactics in dealing with social service issues. And these folk are still in an uproar over the fact that DSS went to Ms. Painter's local grocery story to 'check up on her buying habits.'
A DSS official went to the local Ingle's Supermarket in Columbus to ask employees if Ms. Painter had been buying junk food and other treats for her son.
Store employees were so outraged over this that they immediately contacted a local TV News station and reported the actions of DSS officials who came to them to snoop on Painter's buying habits.
It is time we started to snoop into the Polk County Department of Social Services. Obviously something is terribly amiss in this department. Taxpayers do not pay the salaries of these persons to act as 'Big Brother' or to browbeat citizens who have overweight children. Employees of DSS are supposed to be public servants who act only at the pleasure of the citizens who pay their salaries.
Once they step out of that role and begin to act as if they have more power and authority than our Constitution allows, then drastic action needs to be taken to reign them in. If there ever were a government agency that needs to be reigned in, it is the Polk County Department of Social Services.
An immediate top-to-bottom investigation is in order. And if North Carolina won't do it, then perhaps the Federal Government will.
We as citizens CANNOT allow renegade organizations like DSS to run roughshod over the rights of individual citizens.
The Liberty Sphere intends to use every legal means within its power to expose the gross corruption, over-zealousness, and outright gestapo tactics of the Polk County Department of Social Services. Their reign of terror in North Carolina needs to be stopped.
A perfect example of this phenomenon is the case of Joyce Painter, a resident of the North Carolina mountain town of Columbus. Painter thought she was minding her own business, raising her 7-year-old son as best she could, when along comes 'Big Brother' to tell her that because her son is 'too fat' she is therefore a sorry Mother.
'Big Brother' in this case is the North Carolina Department of Social Services, which utilizes 'anonymous tips' to justify going after private citizens, usually with regard to cases of suspected child abuse. The Polk County Department of Social Services received such a tip concerning Ms. Painter, except in this case it was not about child abuse but about the weight of her son.
Considered 'morbidly obese' by medical definition, the Painter boy had at one time topped the scales at 254 pounds, despite being taken by his Mother on numerous occasions to see physicians about what to do to correct the problem.
Ms. Painter had placed her son on numerous eating programs recommended by various physicians, all to no avail. She insists that she fed her son only those foods prescribed by the physicians.
In spite of Ms. Painter's obvious concern about her son's health, DSS officials moved in and implicated Ms. Painter with innuendo concerning possible 'child neglect,' 'child endangerment,' or other such terms, all designed to place the blame for the boy's obesity squarely at the feet of his Mother.
Yet DSS had NO medical history of the boy and ordered none. How, for example, do they know that the boy does not have a hidden medical problem that contributes to the weight gain? Does his thyroid gland function normally? What about his digestive system? Does his digestive system function in such a manner that food is digested along a normal continuum?
Studies published in various medical journals indicate that persons who have what is called a 'slow rate of digestion,' that is, food tends to stay in the stomach for much longer periods of time before being emptied into the small intestine, tend to gain weight.
Has the boy ever been checked for this? If not, why?
It would seem that if DSS were actually doing its job rather than conducting a smear campaign against an overweight boy's Mother, it would want to know about potential medical problems that cause this kind of weight gain.
Yet so far, not a single indication has been made public that DSS has checked into these possibilities.
Rather, DSS decided to aggressively pursue Ms. Painter as an 'unfit Mother.'
But this is not the end of the story. DSS in its almighty wisdom decided that the Painter boy needed to have knee surgery at Duke University in Durham...several hours away from the Painter home. A mere 30 minutes to the north, however, is Asheville, North Carolina, a nice medium-sized city with several top-notched medical facilities that routinely do the type of surgery DSS claims the boy needs.
Rather than allow the boy to have the surgery closest to home, DSS instead decided to seize the child, remove him from his Mother, and place him in foster care--so that he could then have knee surgery in Durham.
On Monday a Judge in Columbus put DSS in its place by giving custody back to Ms. Painter, stating in essence that DSS did not have the authority or the proper rationale for removing the boy from his home.
Needless to say, this entire episode has the entirety of Polk County in an uproar. It is clear that DSS Social Workers are attempting to make an example of Painter and her son, but for what reason? At this point it is clear the boy has become nothing more than a football being passed between his Mother and DSS. DSS, however, has been called on a technical foul. In fact, DSS should not even be in the middle of this at all.
This is only the tip of the iceberg. There are rumblings among folks out and about that this is not the first time DSS has used heavy-handed, gestapo-like tactics in dealing with social service issues. And these folk are still in an uproar over the fact that DSS went to Ms. Painter's local grocery story to 'check up on her buying habits.'
A DSS official went to the local Ingle's Supermarket in Columbus to ask employees if Ms. Painter had been buying junk food and other treats for her son.
Store employees were so outraged over this that they immediately contacted a local TV News station and reported the actions of DSS officials who came to them to snoop on Painter's buying habits.
It is time we started to snoop into the Polk County Department of Social Services. Obviously something is terribly amiss in this department. Taxpayers do not pay the salaries of these persons to act as 'Big Brother' or to browbeat citizens who have overweight children. Employees of DSS are supposed to be public servants who act only at the pleasure of the citizens who pay their salaries.
Once they step out of that role and begin to act as if they have more power and authority than our Constitution allows, then drastic action needs to be taken to reign them in. If there ever were a government agency that needs to be reigned in, it is the Polk County Department of Social Services.
An immediate top-to-bottom investigation is in order. And if North Carolina won't do it, then perhaps the Federal Government will.
We as citizens CANNOT allow renegade organizations like DSS to run roughshod over the rights of individual citizens.
The Liberty Sphere intends to use every legal means within its power to expose the gross corruption, over-zealousness, and outright gestapo tactics of the Polk County Department of Social Services. Their reign of terror in North Carolina needs to be stopped.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Court Returns Overweight N.C. Boy to Mother
Columbus, NC (TLS). The overweight North Carolina boy who was seized by the Department of Social Services has been returned to the physical custody of his mother by the order of the Court.
Joyce Painter had her day in Court today to request that her son be returned to her after DSS officials seized the boy last week and placed him in foster care.
The ongoing dispute between Painter and DSS began when Social Workers, operating on an anonymous tip, began investigating the Painter home concerning the boy's eating habits. At one point the 7-year-old boy weighed 254 pounds.
The dispute was brought to a head last week when Social Workers insisted that the boy needed knee surgery and should be taken to Duke University. Painter maintained that doctors closer to home could perform any procedure that was needed.
At this point DSS seized the boy, removed him from his Mother, and placed him in foster care.
The outrage of citizens over this gross misuse of government power must have reached the ears of the Judge in this case, who promptly slammed the tactics of DSS by returning the boy to his Mother. Although DSS still has legal custody of the boy, he will remain in his Mother's care until a hearing in June to determine permanent legal custody.
It is The Liberty Sphere's opinion that this is only the first step in what the Court should do. DSS should be investigated for the gross misuse of power and overstepping their legal and ethical boundaries in removing a child from his Mother for no overwhelmingly pressing reason.
In fact, it appears that Social Workers in the Polk County Department of DSS are punishing Mrs. Painter for daring to defy their omniscient, omnipotent decisions concerning her son. They had threatened to remove the child months ago due to 'obesity.' Apparently they were met with resistance over that one, so they seized upon the surgery ruse to justify removing the child from his Mother.
The fact that this case has produced outrage among local citizens in Polk County is significant. The Judge slapped DSS on the wrist today by returning the boy to his Mother. But he needs to go much further.
Until DSS is fully investigated, it will operate under a dark cloud of corruption, misuse of power, gestapo tactics, and bullying.
Joyce Painter had her day in Court today to request that her son be returned to her after DSS officials seized the boy last week and placed him in foster care.
The ongoing dispute between Painter and DSS began when Social Workers, operating on an anonymous tip, began investigating the Painter home concerning the boy's eating habits. At one point the 7-year-old boy weighed 254 pounds.
The dispute was brought to a head last week when Social Workers insisted that the boy needed knee surgery and should be taken to Duke University. Painter maintained that doctors closer to home could perform any procedure that was needed.
At this point DSS seized the boy, removed him from his Mother, and placed him in foster care.
The outrage of citizens over this gross misuse of government power must have reached the ears of the Judge in this case, who promptly slammed the tactics of DSS by returning the boy to his Mother. Although DSS still has legal custody of the boy, he will remain in his Mother's care until a hearing in June to determine permanent legal custody.
It is The Liberty Sphere's opinion that this is only the first step in what the Court should do. DSS should be investigated for the gross misuse of power and overstepping their legal and ethical boundaries in removing a child from his Mother for no overwhelmingly pressing reason.
In fact, it appears that Social Workers in the Polk County Department of DSS are punishing Mrs. Painter for daring to defy their omniscient, omnipotent decisions concerning her son. They had threatened to remove the child months ago due to 'obesity.' Apparently they were met with resistance over that one, so they seized upon the surgery ruse to justify removing the child from his Mother.
The fact that this case has produced outrage among local citizens in Polk County is significant. The Judge slapped DSS on the wrist today by returning the boy to his Mother. But he needs to go much further.
Until DSS is fully investigated, it will operate under a dark cloud of corruption, misuse of power, gestapo tactics, and bullying.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Update on Overweight North Carolina Boy
Columbus, NC (TLS). Joyce Painter, the mother of the overweight boy who was seized by the North Carolina Department of Social Services, states that she has a court hearing scheduled for Monday morning in an attempt to regain custody of her son.
Painter's nightmare resulted from being investigated by DSS due to her son's weight. The boy is 7 years old and weighs 250 pounds.
Despite Painter's documented consultation with numerous physicians concerning her son's obesity, DSS officials decided to go aggressive. In the weeks prior to his being snatched from his Mother by government officials, the boy had lost 14 pounds in a special program for obese children at Duke University.
In spite of the progress, DSS officials proceeded to seize the boy, remove him from the home, and then 'ask around' about Mrs. Painter's food choices at the local grocery store.
Outraged store employees contacted the news media about the tactics of DSS officials. Yet thus far, no amount of public outrage about this case has been enough to move DSS one inch away from their heavy-handed, gestapo tactics.
My friends, if the government Gestapo can seize a child because they deem him to be 'too fat,' then no parent in North Carolina is safe from the outrageous intrusion of DSS.
What will be next? Removing a child from a home because grandpa comes over once a week and smokes a cigar during his visit?
Give me a break. This stuff is WAY over the top.
Painter's nightmare resulted from being investigated by DSS due to her son's weight. The boy is 7 years old and weighs 250 pounds.
Despite Painter's documented consultation with numerous physicians concerning her son's obesity, DSS officials decided to go aggressive. In the weeks prior to his being snatched from his Mother by government officials, the boy had lost 14 pounds in a special program for obese children at Duke University.
In spite of the progress, DSS officials proceeded to seize the boy, remove him from the home, and then 'ask around' about Mrs. Painter's food choices at the local grocery store.
Outraged store employees contacted the news media about the tactics of DSS officials. Yet thus far, no amount of public outrage about this case has been enough to move DSS one inch away from their heavy-handed, gestapo tactics.
My friends, if the government Gestapo can seize a child because they deem him to be 'too fat,' then no parent in North Carolina is safe from the outrageous intrusion of DSS.
What will be next? Removing a child from a home because grandpa comes over once a week and smokes a cigar during his visit?
Give me a break. This stuff is WAY over the top.
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