I just learned that someone once tried to CPS me away from my family...

Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share (MPSIMS)
#1

It was during 2000. I was ten.

Apparently, my father was having a feud with a friend named Bill Kaufman. Bill Kaufman was a strong leftist. Their friendship had often involved political discussion.

Around this time, my father was having a major falling out with Bill Kaufman. My dad was simply left: this guy was nuts. He was so politically riled up that he began posting defamatory comments in online political message boards, calling my father a Fascist, a Nazi, the whole book, basically. He had lost all sense of friendship and morals. This guy was low.

He wasn’t popular on online message boards. Everyone hated him, but he persisted in posting his raving lunacy, both in general and about how my father was a craven Nazi. One person, whom my dad knew personally, worked at the University of Columbia, and did not like Bill Kaufman either. He had made some posts online, disagreeing with Mr. Kaufman. In return, Mr. Kaufman had called Columbia University in an attempt to get his online opponent fired from his job, saying that he was using his work computer to make posts in an online forum. I mean, this guy was really, really low.

At age ten, my family had just begun homeschooling me. I had talked to Bill on the phone a few times (he was very friendly to me; in fact, way too friendly, in retrospect. Who calls their friend’s house to talk to their ten year old son?). Mr. Kaufman was of the opinion that my family was abusing me by homeschooling me (homeschooling was, for the record, the best thing my family ever did for my education).

My father just told me that my father’s friend, who had called to talk to a then very young and naive me (what he called to say or ask, I truly have no memory), had been threatening my parents that he would call CPS because they were abusing me (homeschooling me). He was quite serious about this.

Of course, none of this happened. But I just found out this about fifteen minutes ago. I had known that some bad stuff had been going on between my family (esp. my father) and his now ex-friend, but I had no idea that he had been, say, attempting to get me removed from my family.

I’m kind of in shock.

Joey

#2

FrantzJ meet the chicken of exeter whose parents neglected to tell her one of her ovaries had been removed. I don’t think my parents kept anything from me. But, then again, I wouldn’t know, would I?

#3

Well, FrantzJ, it’s actually very hard to get a child taken away permanently, as most Judges are quite familar with the idea that the courts are sometimes used for revenge. Also, good evidence of abuse must be provided. And if you could read, write & do math at a level appropriate for your age, it wouldn’t work.

But you don’t seem to understand much about Government & Law; perhaps you really haven’t gotten a good education.

#4

Um Bosda, he’s 15 or 16 years old. :rolleyes:

#5

I don’t see anyplace where ** FrantzJ** said “I was almost taken away from my family by CPS!”–all he said was that someone tried to have CPS take him away from his family, and that, while nothing actually happened, it was still kind of shocking that anybody would even attempt such a thing.

#6

That’s . . . um, wow. That’s really rich.

#7

I’ll bet you’re in shock, Joey, what a bizarre thing to have happened to your family!

Your father must feel that you’re old enough to understand the situation and I think it’s good that he’s told you. Clearly this Mr Kaufman is a bit of a nutter and it’s unfortunate for you that you were made the target of his manifesto.

#8

Ah, Excalibre! Haven’t seen you (out of the Pit) in ages. :rolleyes:

#9

Can someone tell me what “CPS” stands for? Thanks.

#10

Child Protective Services.

#11

To expand on Ogre’s response, CPS are the people who investigate reports of child abuse, child neglect, child molestation, and anything else of that ilk. If they find that a child is being mistreated by their parents/guardians, they can have the child put into foster care.

As for Bill Kaufman, I consider people who try to frame others like that to be the lowest form of humanity. Lower even than murderers and pedophiles; at least those guys do their own dirty work.

#12

We had neighbors that called CPS on every family with small children, at one time or another. If you were too loud at night, CPS got called. If your child left a mess on the sidewalk, CPS got called. If you were curt with the neighbor, CPS got called.

You get the idea.
Saddest part, the woman was a preschool teacher. Gads.

FrantzJ, what shocking news! I’m glad everything worked out OK!

#13

Joey, at least you’ve learned an important lesson: some adults are crazy.

#14

It happened to me. My aunt (my fathers sister) called CPS based on the fact that I supposedly looked malnourished and wasn’t eating, and the same of my sister because was she was just a really small kid, and she thought we were being abused. We were like 3 and 2 years old respectively. My aunt and my mom had some issues apparently, that of which I don’t know the details, but it was basically a revenge stunt. CPS came by and saw nothing out of the ordinary and declared that we were healthy and nothing was going on. I never did get to know my dads side of the family much because my dad and his immediate family didn’t speak for over 10 years because of this (his immediately family was taking my aunts side), until my dads mom died. It’s been a family drama ever since. But it comes down to my dads side of the familiy being a bunch of ignorant selfish assholes.

So yeah, it does happen.

#15

Don’t mind him, FrantzJ.

#16

Are you referring to Bill Kaufman or Bosda?

#17

For the record, CPS can’t remove a child from a household. Only a judge can do that. CPS investigates and makes recommendations. A judge makes the decision. This kid was in no danger even if we take everything he says at face value.

#18

Which is what I meant.

:smack:

#19

The deep irony here is this:

When I read posts, I generally gloss over the poster’s name, read the post, and then (if there was something said that draws me in) I go back and see who posted it.

I felt your “haven’t gotten a good education” comment, while accurate, seems a bit jerkish. So much so that my immediate thought was “Ah, probably an Excalibre post”.