Time For Adoption

I have said it for 11 years and it still valid today, Our Court System is a JOKE! The treatment of young Black boys is criminal and from the schoolyard to the prison yard is a system that is in place and has been there for many years.  The Facts are straightforward, for 11 years we have to raise Zion as he is our son and we had done this without any help from anyone as we got him before he was placed into the care of DCFS.

Now the fight for him was never about what was best for Zion (as it is not the case today), it was about the fact that he was not going to be just another number. Every adverse action on the part of Joyce she was awarded for it at it was always a liberal non-Black person deciding on this young black boy life. I can tell you that Attorney Gotzh spent 5 min max with Zion and since he personally does not like having visited at the movies, he feels that it need to be changed.

What do we know for sure, the Judge has told Joyce not to text Zion, she does, not to talk with him about the case and she does this also, not to come with anyone during her time with him, and she does this. Now Attorney Gotzh knows about all this; he knows that Joyce does not have a place to live, he knows that each time she stood before the Judge she has lied about where she works.

So, what does he do, tells me that he does not think that overnight visits need to be in place right now. However, the visits need to be somewhere else besides the movies. Now I have to work out these visits I have to work it out with the local police dept, I have to get him there, and I have to wait, and I ask myself why? 

I did a check on the Attorney, and I can say what I read was and is very accurate, he does not care about the client his job is to do as less work as he can, and the funny thing is that is a lot of attorneys.  He does not see any more or less in Zion than a little black child; he does not look at him as what if he was his son? I used to say that criminal attorney needs to spend a night in jail as they will understand what the people they work for have to deal with.

It is one thing that this attorney does not know about me, and that is the fact that he can not bully me or use words to get me to do anything.  I made it as clear as I can, I will drop Zion off and I will sit there and wait, and I am doing this under objections. He will not be able to toss any blame back at me, as we all know that is what he would do, he is going to ask me to convince him that she is going to do something, and I tossed that right back and said convince me she is not!

I had to make this salad to give it away to get the stress off as you all see in FL the 1st defense is they are or were mentally ill; well Joyce is, and she has a history to fall back on, and she can walk away off that. I am not going to let them do it, and I will not let this be just another little black boy, I ask him to name me one thing he knows to be the truth about Joyce as she has lied about everything except her name.

You file a motion with the court, but you need good reasons as to why the visitation needs to be modified. Not just because you do not like it, but instead if it is negatively affecting the children.If a judge grants the motion, the matter will be reconsidered, and a new judgment will be issued. 

Once the reconsideration is over, there are other options for contesting a decision which is believed to be unfair or unreasonable, including filing an appeal. The options available depend on the court where the case was tried, and the nature of the case and people should be aware that continuing to pursue a case can be a costly choice.

Filing legal motions requires filling out paperwork appropriately. It can be helpful to have a motion for reconsideration prepared by a lawyer or paralegal who can ensure that the document is in order. In addition, a lawyer can provide advice about how to frame the motion and can offer opinions on other legal options which could be pursued instead of or in addition to filing a motion for reconsideration, given the circumstances of the case and the court.

(735 ILCS 5/2-502) (from Ch. 110, par. 2-502)

    Sec. 2-502. Guardians for minors. Guardianships for minors shall be governed by Section 11-13 of the "Probate Act of 1975", as amended.

(Source: P.A. 82-280.)

NEW GAL

It has been 11 years, and we still have Zion, and he is in grade 6^th  this year. He still sees his egg giver every other sat for 2 hours. She is 28 now, and since she the time she was age out of DCFS 7 years ago she has been from house to house. Since she no longer receives any money under this system, she looks for other ways to make money.

When times get hard, she will use the courts to try and get Zion back as that is her only lifeline.  We still do not look for anything from her or want anything of her, and at this point, we are still just trying to live it day by day and make it through all her crazy actions.

I have been working to get my life back, and two classes away from working on my dissertation; as I want to go back into teaching one in the hope to reach one. My fight now is once more with the court systems as I’m trying to get the last verbal motion in this case dismisses.   

I hope still one day get a pardon by the governor for that domestic case; as this is the only way I can remove the last pain that I have in my heart. I do not know what this new GAL is going to do. However, I am ready for whatever he comes with. He told me that she does not have a place to live. Yet, I do not know what he will do to help her.  

Why?

Why is so many Africans American placed into Special Education?  I would love to have someone give me a reason why this is so? Does it have to do with lack of properly funding their schools? Or is it due to a lack of quality teachers?  Or does it have to do with the issues where African American students are not giving the basic in early primary schools? Once more I would love to have some input into why this is so.

African Ameriacn Students in Specian Education Classes

Why is so many Africans American Students placed into Special Education Classes?  I would love to have someone give me a reason why this is so? Does it have to do with lack of properly funding their schools? Or is it due to a lack of quality teachers?  Or does it have to do with the issues where African American students are not giving the basic in early primary schools? Once more I would love to have some input into why this is so.

I'm Not OJ!

I look into the heart of a (wo) man and ask why anyone would want to help. After all when one hears the words Domestic Battery; the first thing that comes to mind is stories like OJ Simpson and how he was to have beat his wife or girlfriend like a rag doll. How some over power man comes down with force on some woman with the force that out weight the avenge woman 4 to 1. And trust me this is the thought that came to my mind also before March 7th 2008.
I want to go deep into what happen to me but I know I have to make it fast and keep is quick as I will loose you after the first page or sooner. I will start off with a fact I did not hit anyone one on March 7th 2008 or any women in my life! I don’t beat on women and I have never done such in my 44 years on this earth. In that 44 years I have put my hands on a women twice and both were in High School; once to shake a girl whom kept slapping me and the 2nd time was to hold a girl back from kicking me. But both of these times I took the high road and that was to detain and not do any type of pain.

I was charge with hitting my 3rd cousin on 3/7/08 and the detail to this case can be found in the court papers and police report (08600291101). I will do my best to sum up what happen and make it fast and to the point. I had a woman in my house that lost it and wanted to attack my family and I did all that I could to hold her back. I grab her arms and held onto her and the weight of this action made us both fall to the hard wood floor in my house and once on the floor I held onto and requested that my family to call the police.
Now while waiting on the Cook County Sheriff to show up I let her go and she rain out the house (she was an 18 year old ward of the state). After about 15 minute later and many drive bys I step outside to stop the Cook County Sheriff car and let him know that he kept passing my house as we were the ones that call. Now; after the officer ask me 4 question he spent the next 20 minute talking to my daughter and wife and left the house saying he would go too the group home where she was living and if she had not been medical that day he would take her to jail for domestic batter.
Well 30 minutes pass and the same Cook County Sheriff officer came back to my house and took me to jail; as he stated to me since I was the only man in the house and he got a different story from her I was going too jail and on March 7th 2008 at 6:50 PM I was lock up in Markham IL and that was the last time I saw my family and life till April 17th 2008. Now during my time in Cook County Jail I had the mistrust of having my family hire me an attorney whom knew little if anything about criminal law. He was so bad that when he came to see me in lock up he wanted to know from me what was going to be our defenses. Now I told him that it was going to be NOT GUILTY as I did nothing.

Now I was told by this lawyer that if I took the point of Not Guilty it was going to cost more then what I had paid him so far and I told him Ok as long as he got me back to my family. My next court date was March 17th 2008 and I wanted to have my trail that day and told my lawyer that I wanted he to plea me Not Guilty and request a trail that day. Now this lawyer talk to my wife and a friend of mines that were in court on 3/17/08 and told them that I had a FBI number and if I fight the case I would do more time if found guilty and I would have to sit in Cook County for months.

Now my family just wanted me to get out and I wanted to get out too; I was mental and physical broke down and when my lawyer told me that he could plea me guilty and I could get out and then with draw my plea as I had 30 days to do this. I told him NO! I did not do it and I wanted to fight the case; he said that he would try to get me a trail that day but I should take the plea and then withdraw it once I was out. Now like a dumb scare fool when the Judge said I could not go too trail that day I let the lawyer plea me guilty.

Now seconds after the plea I broke down and beg the lawyer to go back out and withdraw the plea and I would just sit in jail and fight and to my shock this did not happen and since I had a out of date issue to deal with I had to sit in the Cook County Jail for 20 more days and then Crown Point IN up till April 17th 2008. During this time I did my best to have someone, anyone withdraws my guilty plea. I had my wife and a good friend go to the Markham court house to file the paper work and they both were told (learn later this was not true) that they could not do it for me; I had to do it my self or have a lawyer do it.

The record will show that I made so many calls to the public defenders office in Cook County trying to get someone anyone to with draw that guilty plea up too the last day and was not able to get it done. On April 17th I got out of Lake County Jail and I personal took the paper work into Markham Couth house to with draw my plea and this was done on April 18th 2008 31 days after I made the plea and one day too late. The State said I had miss the mark by one day and that my Motion should not be granted and from this action I got some help from the Cook County Public Defender Office and they fought a good case but I lost all my appeals because of One Day.

Now I have been told that the wrong appeals were did and I know that somewhere there is something that I could have done or some law that I could have use and to tell you the truth I feel that the Judge wants my case to come back too her as she like each and ever person that has read the case knows that I did not do it; but her hands are tied.

Now I know you will read this and say that this is just another jail house story from someone that did the crime and now wants a pass and I don’t want a pass I have done all that I can to get this case before a Judge I have sued my Cousin to get these facts before a judge and I have done all that I can think of doing and to this date my actions have not got what I want and that is to clear my name and honor and record.

I hope that you are able to look into my soul and in this case and if it’s anything you can do to help me or point me to a case that I can use or tell me what I need to do I will. I know how to write motions and if I have to fight this fight on my own then I will.

I know that time is not on my side and I know that justice does not always swing fair and I know this first hand. Some will asks how a Collage Education man can let presser turn him into a convicted Domestic battery; and all I can say that any man or woman will bend under the right force and I broke down and gave in.

I personal feel that I should have never been charge under those words of domestic battery in the first case; and if I was going to be charge with anything it should have been battery. When the word Domestic was put in place it brings chills to spine of many and this word has turn my life inside out as I have lost my Job over this and it has kept me from getting a new one; I would have a better chance of having a life if I was charge with murder then Domestic Battery.

Inclosing I hope and pry that you can find the time to look over my case and offer any words that you can to help and I’m sorry for making this so long and I wish I was able to make it short; however I have lived the last 4 years with this cloud over me and I just want to let the sunlight in.

CAR GATE!

Car Gate; where has the time gone; it has been 4 ½ years since we started this journey to give a child a chance at life and there has been so many up and down along the way and in the end as I look back over all the years I have to say that so far the pain that my family has had to go though has been worth it just to look into Zion eyes and see life in him.
Well a lot has happen since my last blog; the GAL in the case was going to come down on the side of doing what was in the best for Zion; that he should stay in our care. So after being made aware of this information that lawyers that have been working for Joyce for the past 3 years felt that it was best to withdraw her motion to have Zion returned to her. After all it would have done more bad then good to have a trail and have to deal with the fall out of losing for a 2nd time
It wild that it took 2 years for this motion to be withdrawn since it should have never been filed to start with as it was no basic for it. However, in the probate court it seems that you can file a motion for anything, and it was up to us to fight it.
I look back at whom lost and who won; well to me Zion won; before the motion was file Joyce was getting over nights about every weekend and over the last 2 years this was drop from overnight to 3 day visit on Sunday from 8 am to 5 PM. And it seem that this will become ever other Sunday from 8 am to 5 PM unsupervised or supervise after her last issue with stolen cars.
How did we get to this point; well it all has to do with the love of and need for a car. As you can recalled Joyce was arrested for being in a stolen Car last year in 2010 and she only avoided jail for this by doing what she does best and that was giving another middle age black man tears and charm, and who know what else.
This has work for Joyce over the years; she would cry on key and flirt on a dime.
And like most middle age men with this sickness for very young women, they want to become as I will call it Caption Save a HO! This has trend has seem to only work only on middle age black Policemen for some reason; and I have to wonder how many young women have been able to avoid trouble by giving a good cry and said story or more to get out of trouble.
Well during the month of November Joyce was once more got her hands on a car. We personal know about 4 different cars that Joyce would pick up or drop off Zion during the months of November and December of 2010. And I should not use the term pick up or drop off with a smile; after all what Joyce would do is drive these cars and park a couple of block down from the Chicago Heights Police station and then ride the bus the rest of the way and then ride it back to where she would park the car.
Joyce was doing this a lot thinking we did not know; and one Sunday in December she got busted as on this day she park down from the building that I have off of Halsted in the Heights. So on my way to the building one Sunday morning I notice this woman walking in the street pulling a child and I said to my self; that looks like Zion being drag down the street and when I drove up close it was.
When Joyce notices my truck she dash into a car and speed off; I did my best to get the plate number on the car. However, Joyce was trying to keep me from getting it so she cut across traffic and I notice that Zion was not in a car with out a car seat and I stop the chase. Joyce has told so many stories about this day over the last 2 months. At first Joyce did not say anything, she just got lost for a couple of days. She needed time to come up with her 1st story and then we have been told some many stories from that point.
We were first told nothing and then we were told yes Joyce was in a car by herself. Then we were told that Joyce was on the bus and she got a phone call from someone who was going to give her a ride home; so she got off the bus and walk about 3 blocks with Zion to a car that just happen to have a car seat in it. As we were told Joyce just happen to have left it in the car that past Friday; just in case Joyce was able to get a ride home on Sunday!
Now this past week we have been giving a different story and we were giving a name to the person that gave Joyce a ride. And the strange things about this was I did not see anyone in the car with Joyce but Zion and Joyce was driving the car, so I guess this other person was made of glass as I saw right thought them.
Let me quote the words from Joyce lawyer about what happen on this day. (“As I recall, the Guardian raised similar concerns about transportation after the November 21 visit, alleging that Joyce took Zion home in a vehicle without a booster seat. Joyce admitted then that she and Zion got off of a bus to catch a ride with her friend Leslie following the visitation pick-up. However, Joyce maintained that she placed Zion in a booster seat while being transported in Leslie's car. Joyce met with Karen on December 1 to discuss the issue and, the following day, Joyce produced bank statements verifying the purchase of a booster seat.”)
Well after this the lawyers in this case talk about Joyce having supervised visit and this was turn down by Joyce lawyers because they said it was going to be too much of a hardship on Joyce to do. They pointed out the fact that Joyce had no way of getting to the place to see Zion; as she has to take too many bus; as she did not have a car.
I was able to get the tags numbers on that car Joyce was driving later; as Joyce and John (her live and die boy friend) came to child support court in it. They tried to hide it from me and I was still able to find it; and get the tag number (475 M 932) it had some IL tempo tags on it. However Joyce is still saying that she did not have a car and she did not drive a car.
So we kept playing the car gate games for the past four months. Joyce would park these cars and get on the bus and once more she was busted doing this. This time Joyce called to ask us about the pick up time for Zion and it was 7:30 am when she called. Joyce was told that the pick up was at 8 am, and we were wonder how could Joyce be at home when she called and make it in time for a 8 am pick up; so I drove to her apt and just waited.
Joyce got off the bus and picked up Zion and got back on the bus and I got a called to let me know that she was on her way home. Well to my shock I did not see a bus come; however I saw a purple car pull up and Joyce once more was driving and she did not have Zion in a car seat.
I was not able to get the plate number on this car without driving into the parking lot of her apt. So I called a good friend of mines to come, so I could use his car to drive into the apt complex where Joyce lives and he could take a picture of the car and see if it had a car seat. He got the picture of the tags number and the car did not have a car seat in it.
I had the tags on this car check out and they were coming back to a Joyce Washington; but they were saying that they should be on a Ford Taurus; and that was a Saturn. So once more I forward this information to the Gal and our lawyer and once more it was passed onto Joyce lawyers. The GAL wanted to know about this car and once more car gate keeps going on and in the well verse words of in Joyce lawyers; “JOYCE DOES NOT HAVE A CAR!” (“Joyce reported that she did not transport Zion in a vehicle following last Sunday's pick up, nor did she use a car to drop him off to the Guardian later that evening. Joyce indicated that she has been taking the bus to pick-up and drop off Zion for visitation. She denies that she got off the bus and into another vehicle. Joyce advised that she has not transported Zion in a car for pick-up or drop-off since the visit that occurred on November 21 of last year. Joyce denies that she currently owns or uses a car, and specifically denies that she has been using a vehicle to pick up or drop off Zion.”)
Now once more Joyce is saying that she does not own a car; even if the plate numbers come back in her name. So after this denied we had to pay once more to have the plates check out by a outside neuter source, Joyce lawyers were are saying why would Joyce lie about this after all they felt that Joyce somewhat admit to having Zion in a car in November; she just does not admit to being the driver in that car.
Now the records come back and it turns out like we knew that the owner of this car was Joyce and on November the 24th of last year the record shows that Joyce has had a loan on this car, Now this is during the time she got off the bus to get a ride with a friend who happen to have her car seat in it. If Joyce owns a car then it seems to me that her car seat would be in her car; but that just me.
Now Joyce own a car during the time it was talk about having Joyce do supervise visit with Zion; but her lawyer talked about how much of a hardship it was going to be on Joyce after all she could not get there since she was riding the bus.
Well this was just another issue of some many that we had to deal with over the past four years. So after Joyce lawyer were shown picture of the car; and they were shown proof from the state of IL office about this car; once more they can’t get in touch with Joyce. As you see each and ever time Joyce does something it hard for her lawyer to get in touch with her. When she was using drugs with Zion and when she was beating on Zion she drop off the map. And when they would final talk with Joyce she would lie about what happen. Then and only then after the proof was put in her face she will talk some truth; as with the beating on Zion; Joyce told the GAL that she hit Zion on his back and she scrape his face; but it was to save his life or stop him from walking into the street: now if a child is walking into the street do you hit their back to push them out into the street or pull them back?.
This past Sunday on February 13th 2011 was the last visit under the motion and once more I got a feeling to drive to Joyce apt. As you see I have spent the last 15 years dealing with High School and young adults and I know how they think. And I knew that since Joyce lawyer had not talk with her she did not know they knew about the car and she was going to be in that car and like clock work she got into the car and drove it to pick up Zion.
Once more Joyce parks the car and got onto the bus and rode about 3 blocks down to the Chicago Heights Police station. However this time when she got there she was told about her action and she was told that she was not going to get Zion.
Now Joyce put on a real show in the parking lot of the Chicago Heights Police station she would not let us drive out; she kept jumping in front of the van and cursing up a storm. I was force to have the Chicago Heights Police come out.
Now once the police came we let them know about what was going on and we also told them that we were not going to turn Zion over to Joyce as she was not stable and she was in a car and did not drive it to the station so we could see it like the court order told her to do.
Now there were two police office that came; one who knew the law and another one who wanted to be the law. The one that knew the law stated that this was a civil issue and we would have to go to back to court about it and we could go. The other one said he wanted to see the order that said she has to show us a car and car seat if she is driving and we could not go anywhere!
Now during this time Joyce denied over and over that she was in a car; she said that she does not own a car and she took the bus. Now the office who wanted to be the law told us that we all would have to come into the station and to bring Zion in because the desk sergeant wanted to see him and us. On our way in I told them that we were not going to hand over Zion to her and she was in a car and if they force us to give Zion to her they were going to be responsible for him (as we all can recalled this is the same police force that turn over a child to a man that was drunk and he drove off and killed the child!)
So we were place into one room inside the police station and Joyce was in another. We could over hear the police talking to Joyce and like clock work we could tell that the tears came out and then Joyce was giving them the sad stories (lies) about how her mother left her; how she was a ward of the state and how she was some poor child who had a child at 16. And how we use our money to take her child (now Joyce is the one that had a 4 team law firm working for her these past 3 years; that cost us the tax payer about 60k) and she was just this poor little victim.
Now, when the police ask Joyce about this car and they ask her did she drive a car there or park a car; Joyce once more said that she does not own a car; nor did she drive a car and this kept up as the time pass. And we had to sit in this room unable to leave during this time; basic we were being held.
The Officer that knew the law had still been out looking for the car as he knew she was not telling the truth. So about one hour later he found the car park in wal-marts parking lot and it had some 16 year old girl in it waiting for Joyce to come back and she did not have a DL to drive off.
At that point Joyce tears and story change and it was yes she has a car now and she lied about it because she was scare and she did not want her car taking from her. She said we were going to use our money (she must not know that we have spent all our money fighting to keep Zion safe) to take her car from her.
Once more she was trying to say I was the bad persons who has made her life hell, I have been stalking her; I came into her dreams and told her to lie (that was a joke). She told this middle age black police office that each and ever time she tries to do right I do something to make her do wrong.
Now this desk sergeant happen to be another middle age black man who took this bait hook line and sinker and he must had fell in love; because he came out to tell us a thing or two. He told us that we have been doing Joyce wrong; how we have not been helping Joyce to get Zion back. How we have use are money to take her child and how we were going to give her Zion and she was going to get her visit with him that day. I asked about the car and he told me that he had checked it out and she had a reason for not telling the truth to us the courts and lawyers.
This sergeant and I have a talk and he told me about how Joyce was a victim of age (she was too young to know right from wrong) and how when she was arrest the last time for having a stolen car; she did not know it was stolen and she was young and that how come she did not know to get paper work on the car. But he did not know that she was smart to fake some paper work to show the courts and I did not tell him; he had his mind made up on her.
This fool; as that what he was to me, talked to me about Joyce like he had been talking to some nun that he has know all his life. He talked to us about how Joyce lives by her self (yes she has because we as tax payer have been paying her rent and bills) and how life is so hard on her and everyone deserved a 2nd or 3rd chance in life. And he tops it off by saying the most important person in all this is Zion! And to him it was best for him to be with Joyce after all she is his mother.
Now this fool of a man with a gun had just meet Joyce that day and he wanted to tell us he was not taking sides; however he was going to give her Zion for that day; but he is not taking sides. And if he had not had that gun then he would not have got Zion from us.
We had no choice but to turn Zion over to him; as I have been thought this before and I know at the end of the day I was not going to do anything but loose (i.e. my life or freedom).
When you go up against any man who is thinks with his little head and not his big one, then he would do anything. And I did not want to find myself in jail over this like before; I just told him that he was going to be responsible for Zion on that day and he told me that he was not, we were after all we were his guardian.
After all these games with these car it has come out this time that Joyce has a car and she has had one all this time. We personal don’t know why she has been hiding this car or any of them; and we will never get the truth. We know that the court will get some story soon that I'm sure Joyce has already came up or was giving too her. Once more this issue will go UN check if Joyce is never made to be held responsible for her action and it just another never ending story in my families life TRYING TO SAVE THE LIFE OF ONE BLACK CHILD!

4 Years in Hell with Cook County Probate Courts!

The case of trying to save one black child has reached the final stage of a lengthy 4 years process: In less than a month, this four years custody battle with Joyce Washington will be finalized. On November 8th and 9th we are going to have a two-day trail to decide whether or not the biological mother, Joyce Washington, will be regaining custody of Zion.In my soul, I can’t see how Joyce will be able to get him back. However; I know when you take a chance in court, it can go either way. On one hand, it seems that the Courts would say that a child should go back to its biologic mother and it’s not important whether she can take care of the child or not. Some people would say that we have a lot of children with mothers who can’t take care of them! And most importantly to them, by taking the child from the birth mother leads to children not knowing their parents. And the government caters doings this heavily within the “black communities” which causes a breakdown in many families. Thus, the states take cares of the children of these mothers whose ability to render care to their offspring is insufficient. But this is the norm as it’s began a line of children who become adults supported by a states welfare systems Now, let’s look at how the State of Illinois Statues governs this issue: “We are a Child- First- State which clearly favors the best interest of the children when placing them back with their biological parents. These laws have a list of issues that must be resolved before a child can be placed with its biological parents: A parent must be financially and mentally capable of rendering suitable care to a child before gaining full custody of them once the state has been force to step in to care for these children. This is how Joyce became a ward of the state till her 21st birthday; and what also lead to us getting Zion place with us; in one cases you had a mother who felt that they could take care of their child as long as the state let her and in the other you had a mother who did not want a child and was force to have it. Personally, I had been looking forward to the day, which will bring closure to this overdue matter. I personal fill that Zion’s life will be destroyed if he is uprooted from our home and forced into a life that has no future. In one case you had a mother who did her best to make a way for her child and in the other you have mother who want a child to make a way for her self. We have too many children (Blacks) who are living on the street struggling their way through life. We are living in a time that is not like any other; times are hard and our children need more than the basics to make it in today’s times. And I can tell you that if Zion is forced into the hands of Joyce Washington, it will be giving him a free one way ticket into the “Department of Corrections”!Yes this is a Fact! Some people will say why am I making such a strong statement about Joyce and her inability to render proper care for Zion? Well, Joyce hasn't shown that she is capable of taking care of a child like a mother should be! She has constantly misled the State of Illinois Child Custody Unit to believe that she is fully capable of raising a child! Again it’s true that Joyce has kept a place to live for the past two years, but this was done at the expense of the American tax payers, who were paying 100% of her living expenses: rent, lights, phone, food; and all other living needs down to her personal hygiene.

Well, as of September 22, 2010 everything ceased because of her age; Joyce turned 21, and her free ride came to an end. Now, Joyce was forced to pay rent for the duration of this year and her life on a Subway salary that I have been told amounts to $500 a month. Joyce will be force to face some of the same hardships that most of the American people have dealt with recently. Joyce actions or non actions in life have made her a prime candidate for a local homeless shelter because of her inability to survive under the harsh circumstances that lie ahead in her life; now do we want Zion to live this life with her?

Joyce has lived for Joyce for the past 4 years and she has done this on her own. However; Zion is a 4 year old boy that lives for his family. And this street life is a life that he might be force to grow up in; if he is force from the only home he knows back into the world of Joyce.

Would school be a major issue for Zion under a Joyce? I have to say no it will not. Joyce will not take the time to get up and make sure that Zion makes it to school everyday she will not push Zion to do good in middle school so that High School will be just as easy and a stepping stone to Collage and then on to some type of 2nd degree so that he can grown up to be a strong Black man that brings something to this world; and not one that looks to take something from others.

The things that I talk about are not things that we all see everyday on the streets of Chicago; I see the little black boys who walk the streets with no hope; I look at all the little boys of color that fill the jails cells of Cook County and it is fact not fiction that we have more black boys going to Jail then Collage and I have fought all these years to make sure that this is not the life for any of my 3 boys including Zion;

I have been fighting for them and have giving up a lot for them; so that they can have life better then mine. As parents we should all work for a better life for our children; I want mines to be better then me; I want mines to get a better education then me and at this point they will need to get a PHD or JD to do better them me.

I have four children that love school and they understand the reason that they are going and this include Zion. He knows at the age of 4 something that Joyce does not know at 21; and that’s without school he can’t get the things in life that he loves. We have place into him this seed and we have been nurturing that seed all these 4 years. I’m not a fool; I know that if Joyce gets her hands on Zion it will be so easy for all that we have done for him to die under the darkness that life would bring to him living with Joyce.

A lot of us grew up in homes where our elder did not go to High school; let along collage and this could have been a burden on our out come; however it was a different time then and our elder wanted us to reach goals that they could only dream about. This is something that is missing from a lot of our young parents now days; we have a large number of “ I don’t care” parents now days; and they don’t care if there child goes to school or those who go have non involved parents who don’t care what they are doing while they are at school.

On November 8th Joyce will have to prove to the court that she can take care of Zion; she will have to prove to the court that her life has change since the 2008 court date when the Judge gave us legal guardianship of Zion. At that Point Joyce was living in a group home and the state of IL was taking care of her and in that 2 years time she move from the group home into a apt that was still being paid for by the state; so she moved from one group home to another in my view; and she needs to go out and show that she can make a life for her self on her before this court place Zion into her care.

This case is one that on it’s face seem like a hand downs; and I could read the tea leaves and say that we should see 2010 come to a end with Zion still at the only home that he knows; however reading tea leaves is something that I can’t take a chance in doing. I feel that just like in 2008 Zion has a strong GAL this time around who wants to see what is in the best interest of Zion in 2010 and I hope that some of you can make sure that she keeps her focus on Zion and not this faux thinking that it’s better to place a child back with a biologic parent who can’t and won't take care of them; then leave them in a home where they see the people in that home as there one and only family.

Inclosing if you are not able to make it out on November 8th and would like to send the GAL a letter about this case I can give you her name or address if you Email me at Riv1906@aol.com . If you have ever meet Zion and talk with this 4 year old about family he would tell you about his mother that pick him up from school and helps him with his homework and gives him love; he would talk about his big brothers that get him up for school and helps get him dress and he wants to get big like his big brothers and how he love to chase; jump and play with one. He will talk about his big sister Stacie that is going to Collage that drives him to school some days and how she takes him to Chucky Cheese when he does good in school and how she puts him our of her room when he goes thought her stuff but he still loves her. If you talk to Zion about Grandma he will talk to you about how he goes to MS to see his and how she takes him to Wal-Mart and buy him things and how he just love going to her house and playing out side and how much she loves him and this is my wife mother. And Grandfather to him is my dad; this is the person that comes over and gives his brother; sister and him money. And last he has his daddy; not any type of dad; but a great one that he calls “my dad” that give him what he wants and needs and had taught him how to fish and play baseball and takes him to the games. When Zion wants something and mom will not get it for him; he likes to say he is going to ask his dad and most of the time he gets his way with; but when he knows he has done bad he does not want anyone to tell his dad as this will make his dad sad

Well; as I stated in the start of this letter you cannot tell what will happen when you deal with the courts. I just found out today 10/18 that our November 8th court date has been cancel and we are going to have to wait till sometime in 2011 to bring this case to an end. My family life is once more place on hold and it seems to me that this life for my family will once more be place on hold. And if I’m told once more that Joyce is Zion mother and that gives her a right to bring hell to her life; I will just lose it! If this right of being a mother is so important then how was the state able to take Joyce from her mother; how is it that DCFS can take children from their homes with just a hint of abuse; and when Joyce abuse Zion we are told then she has no rights.