Tony and Melissa Wescott adopted a child with serious emotional problems in his family history, but they had no idea the information disclosed was only the tip of an iceberg big enough to sink another Titanic. Their 11 year old son tried to burn the house down. Not long afterwards, hidden weapons were discovered in his room, along with a post-written note saying, “I’m sorry you had to die.”
The child has been confined to a psychiatric hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma for over a year now, but the Wescotts cannot afford keeping him there much longer. They love the boy and want to be able to help him. Unfortunately, this love is also tempered with a chilling fear for their lives, along with the lives of friends and neighbors.
And so, unusual as it sounds,Tony and Melissa petitioned the state of Oklahoma to take the child back. Local authorities have refused and instead encouraged the adoptive parents to be more understanding of their son’s horrific, abusive background and consequent, understandable actions.
With all due sensitivity to the many sincere, heart felt opinions about what should be done in a situation such as this, I am going to hold the position that since I have not shared their experience, the Wescotts should be taken at their word when they insist they tried everything and no longer know what to do. Presumably, only loving people would willfully parent a known problem child in the first place, but I certainly don’t understand the entire situation, neither do I need to. I cannot read any body’s mind, so I will instead give them the benefit of the doubt. The state of Oklahoma ought to do the same. They either need to indefinitely fund some kind of extended therapy/protection, or do as requested; re-assume custody.
Oh, Mr. and Mrs. Wescott, before I go, there is one piece of practical advise I can offer if you can’t get any more cooperation from the local authorities. Spank the kid. I don’t mean beat him. Just spank him. Make it a gentle swat. Do it once and let it be known that you did it. Child Protective Services will remove the lad from your custody faster than you can say “bureaucracy!” Hopefully, they won’t also throw you in jail.
You see, many of today’s state officials worry less about murder threats and more about a disciplinary motivated action. Such is the upside down world we live in today.
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