Foster Kids Uncaged
MATT DILLON: I guess you could call me an architect--it's just a job really, a way to keep me moving. My real passion is my hobby.
CAMERON DIAZ: What's that?
I work with retards.
I beg your pardon?
You know...(flaps lips with fingers) the guys who ride the short bus.
Isn't that a little politically incorrect?
The hell with that. No one's gonna tell me who I can and can't work with.
No, I mean
--There's this one kid, we call him Mongo on account of he's a mongoloid. He got out of his cage once and--
--He's in a cage?!
See, the humor there is anyone who knew something about the mentally handicapped would never think of keeping retarded children in cages. Apparently, however, one Ohio family didn't find the idea so preposterous.
The Boston Globe reports that 11 children were recently removed from an adoptive family in Wakeman, OH (pop. 1,000) that was keeping 8 of them in cages. Michael Gravelle, 56, and Sharen Gravelle, 57, told police that the children, some with mental disorders, "needed to be protected from each other," and that a psychiatrist had told them it was a good idea.
A doctor consulted in August by county officials had a different take: "I said, 'No, I couldn't imagine any situation in which children should be kept in cages,' said Gregory Keck, director of the Attachment and Bonding Center of Ohio."
At night, authorities say, eight of the children were confined in 3 1/2-foot-tall wooden cages stacked in bedrooms on the second floor. The cages were painted in bright, primary colors, with some rigged with alarms that would send a signal to the downstairs when a cage door was opened..."The sheriff and I stood there for a few minutes and just kind of stared at what we were seeing. We were speechless," [county sheriff's Lt. Randy] Sommers said.
The residents of Wakemen apparently thought the caged youngsters seemed well enough--"Those kids were dressed better than some of the kids who live in Cleveland"-- and never saw good reason to be concerned.
Said neighbor Leah Hunter: "They looked OK. They hardly ever wore shoes but I'm a country girl and for me that's normal."
Fair enough.
CAMERON DIAZ: What's that?
I work with retards.
I beg your pardon?
You know...(flaps lips with fingers) the guys who ride the short bus.
Isn't that a little politically incorrect?
The hell with that. No one's gonna tell me who I can and can't work with.
No, I mean
--There's this one kid, we call him Mongo on account of he's a mongoloid. He got out of his cage once and--
--He's in a cage?!
--There's Something About Mary
See, the humor there is anyone who knew something about the mentally handicapped would never think of keeping retarded children in cages. Apparently, however, one Ohio family didn't find the idea so preposterous.
The Boston Globe reports that 11 children were recently removed from an adoptive family in Wakeman, OH (pop. 1,000) that was keeping 8 of them in cages. Michael Gravelle, 56, and Sharen Gravelle, 57, told police that the children, some with mental disorders, "needed to be protected from each other," and that a psychiatrist had told them it was a good idea. A doctor consulted in August by county officials had a different take: "I said, 'No, I couldn't imagine any situation in which children should be kept in cages,' said Gregory Keck, director of the Attachment and Bonding Center of Ohio."
At night, authorities say, eight of the children were confined in 3 1/2-foot-tall wooden cages stacked in bedrooms on the second floor. The cages were painted in bright, primary colors, with some rigged with alarms that would send a signal to the downstairs when a cage door was opened..."The sheriff and I stood there for a few minutes and just kind of stared at what we were seeing. We were speechless," [county sheriff's Lt. Randy] Sommers said.
The residents of Wakemen apparently thought the caged youngsters seemed well enough--"Those kids were dressed better than some of the kids who live in Cleveland"-- and never saw good reason to be concerned.
Said neighbor Leah Hunter: "They looked OK. They hardly ever wore shoes but I'm a country girl and for me that's normal."
Fair enough.
posted by Luke @ 8:22 PM
2 Comments:
At 8:35 PM ,
Anonymous said...
It's National Preparedness Month: Are You Ready?
It's National Preparedness Month: Are You Ready? The cruel and fickle hand of Mother Nature has dealt a mighty blow to the Gulf Coast, ironically ushering in September, also known as National Preparedness ...
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At 3:48 PM ,
Will said...
Luke, you should look into adding the "word verification" setting on blogger to prevent these spam comments. Aside from that, I am glad we both referenced American Gladiators within the same month on our blogs.
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