Unless or until someone is taking foster children into their home because of their parents illegal choices, they can’t convince me that they are truly concerned about children being separated from their parents. I have first hand understanding of being away from a parent in prison and have worked with many ladies that were unable to raise their children because they broke the law.

I was separated from my dad for 16 years before he finally died in prison for his illegal choices. This is life. There are laws. As believers we are to abide by the laws of the land unless they force us to sin and also hold others accountable to do the same.

Many of the people that are in prison believed they were doing the crime that they did to survive or to have a better life. Their children get separated from them. It’s hard on the families. Really hard.

The foster care system is in desperate need for people to take in children that are separated from their parents and Christians as a whole are not stepping up. I was a single mother living in poverty and they trained and accredited me as a foster parent and placed children in our home when I was only 25 years old. I took in several children over several years. I stopped when I realized that Forrest was being influenced negatively.

The American foster care system is desperate for help. Children are kept in group homes across the United States. Our system is taxed and have their hands full taking care of the children of American citizen’s that are breaking the law as it is. As far as I can tell there is very little outrage about the desperately needed prison reform. Many many parents that need rehabilitation from drugs, not prison time, spend their life in prison, and their children continue to suffer.

There is no country that has open boarders that allow people to just pour in at will. People that are harping on our system, as if the current laws are inhuman, are making their opinions based on exactly what the media wants them to. Hyped up sensationalism.

I haven’t watched the news but I’ve read enough statuses on facebook to have an idea of what is going on. What I am seeing is strategy to flip people on a political issue, strategy to put pressure on people to change their viewpoint on a political issue, strategy to manipulate people into being afraid to stand by their convictions publicly because they are afraid to appear callous towards innocent children.

I would rather be thought callous than not say anything and join in with the masses on this issue. It hits too close to home. I’ve seen too many codependent people make excuses for their behavior while convincing themselves they are just being helpful so no one has to suffer. No one is the better off for it.

I’ve been the child and I’ve been the parent. I was actually taken to jail pregnant. Women have babies in prison and they are not able to nurse their own off-spring. Where is the outrage about this? There are consequences to actions. Parental responsibility is a weighty thing.

It’s too easy to feel good about oneself (and appear caring to others) by lamenting and praying over the issues publicly that the media says if we are good people we should be outraged about.

Wake up.

And this is not about policy for me or that I do or do not believe there needs to be reform. It’s a call to think about the timing of these pictures and this story coming out. Encouragement to not just allow yourself to be herded in whatever direction media is leading. It’s strategy. The timing is strategic. I just don’t like people trying to brainwash me and I don’t like seeing well meaning people being brainwashed. I’m seeing prophetic people that I respect jumping on the band wagon with this one.