In other bad news about kids, Venable LLC on behalf of Baltimore’s foster children has asked a federal court to hold the city accountable for "failing to reform its foster care system as promised" in 1988.
... the 1984 lawsuit alleged that pervasive abuse existed within the Baltimore foster care system, including improper placement of children, substandard health care and sporadic caseworker visits.Bummer stat: according to advocates, there are 55% fewer foster homes for children than there were six years ago.
Update: More on MD's foster-care nightmare from the Sun's Lynn Anderson.
Interesting Q raised by this NY Mag piece, "Saving Justin Berry" (remember him?): should it be legal for journalists to download child pornography in the course of reporting a story?
6 comments:
I went to the community relations meeting at the Southwestern District this evening where Pat Jessamy was the guest speaker, and I was pretty appalled by what I heard. She gave a decent talk at first, but once people began asking her questions she just seemed to start spewing bullshit and talk in circles. Her responses to Anna Sowers questions were particularly bad. Several ASAs were there as well though, and they all seemed like a pretty sharp bunch, certainly far more impressive than their boss.
You mean the Southeastern District, and yes, Jessamy's answers were pathetic.
Whoops, yeah, I'm geographically confused.
In all fairness...to answer your journalism/child porn question:
I was doing research for a blog post on child pornography and sexual abuse last year (which I couldn't stomach...so I never wrote it)and came across some really vile images. So yes, I think if that's the focus of the article, it's a necessary evil (emphasis on the "evil"). On the flip side, I filed an online report with the FBI. It was...around 2 in the morning, and someone called me back literally five minutes after I clicked "Send". Apparently I had some explaining to do... but it turned out okay in the end.
Outside of the conversation I had with the FBI agent who called me, I've never spoken of that night...the things I saw...as a mother and as a woman...it really messed me up. I can still see some of the images in my mind, and frankly anyone who would be turned on by such images deserves nothing short of torture.
so journalists can get a dispensation from the FBI? I didn't know!
No no no! I didn't get a dispensation. I think they were just glad that I reported it. I was so messed up about the whole thing, I could barely talk to the guy on the phone. I think he understood that I wasn't really a perv looking for kiddie porn. Otherwise why would I call the FBI on myself? LOL.
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