Legally Kidnapped

I have been caught in a torrent of emotions. I’ve fluctuated between despair, depression, and rage. Somehow in the midst of it all I’ve managed to hang onto hope like never before. I’ve believed in the impossible. I’ve dreamed a thousand dreams I never ventured to dream before. 

I have cried out at injustice, screamed and railed against a system that could care less about me or my loved ones. I’ve relived the sound of my son’s screams after he and his brother were ripped from their classrooms. 

This week my heart was torn again as I received news that my youngest son was taken to the emergency room. Knowing my little guy was in pain and knowing I could not comfort him was a soul seering pain I can not adequately explain. 

Attending visits with them once a week is what I hold onto. I cherish every smile, word, and embrace. We color, paint and put on puppet shows. We share snacks and for that hour I am lifted again. 

It is the moment they call five minutes until the end that once again the anger and pain sets in deep. It is the 6 days in between those visitatons that I wonder if they are safe. I hold my breath until I see them again. I turn blue with worry and stories of children who never make it home haunt my mind.

I try to keep it together but the wound is great and the grief of losing the most precious part of my life is a torment I will never quite recover from. I constantly come across other women and men who have had their children ” legally kidnapped,” and I wonder how we continue to allow this to take place in a country we call free. 

You see freedom is but an illusion here. It is a lie we’ve swallowed down for years, but it has always left a bitter taste in my mouth.

• The truth is the adoption industry is a lucrative business. People are profiting daily and we are standing by silent. Child Protective Services has become far too powerful and they have entirely too much authority within the family unit.
• They are using falsehoods and lies to tear apart families. 
• The Juvenile Court System is often responsible for assisting in the removal of children from their homes.
• Many of these children are abused and neglected in the foster care system.
• The mission statement of the CPS Agency involves keeping families together, yet this is not the case.
• In some states money and incentives are offered for the removal and placement of children (quota).

This agency is in desperate need of investigation and reform. I personally know of numerous cases that should be revisited. Many of these families are afraid to speak out for fear of retaliation. I have experienced an onslaught of harassment and the web goes deep. I encourage readers and those effected personally to contact legislators, speak to the ACLU and any media source who will listen. 

One voice alone may not be enough to bring about neccesary change, but an army of voices can!

Written and Photographed by: Tiffany Jackson

*If you have a story to share, feel free to email me at …

elucid.communications@gmail.com