Author Archives: jackperspectives

I took a long time to decide to begin this blog because I was afraid that I would very quickly run out of things to say. For the past two weeks or so, since the last post, that’s an issue … Continue reading →

Earlier in the week there was a thought provoking letter in the NY Times. Professor Dena Davis insists that in countries with less than full democracies, the mindset is that President Obama could not only have stopped the Koran burning … Continue reading →

I was reminded last week of a belief I hold that held me in good stead when my kids were younger and taking all things to the extremes that they did.  There were times when some one or another of … Continue reading →

Years ago, after a serious back operation, my son Gilbert got very very sick. It was touch and go for a while and it was very scary.  I remember calling my aunt from the hospital every day…. I was 33 … Continue reading →

Obviously, readers are interested in knowing what has happened with the eleven year old – call him Ted – whom I’ve written about this week. The latest report I have is that he is very very angry and he is … Continue reading →

Tomorrow afternoon, I have to be part of a team of people that tells an eleven year old that his parents are surrendering their rights to him (legally severing their parental connection).  This is not something that I have ever … Continue reading →

Yes. Looking at that title on paper now, it’s the right title. The execution of this part of the surrender plan felt very much like an execution, period. As someone pointed out to me later, all that was missing was … Continue reading →

I am on my way shortly to a meeting where a pre-teen child is to be told by his long term adoptive parents that they are giving up their parental rights to him. I am willing to bet – almost … Continue reading →

Television writers get so much wrong about foster care, adoption, and “natural” parents (see “Dexter” on Showtime), that it is a joy to see when they get it right. Forest Whitaker’s character, Sam Cooper, got it very right in Tuesday’s … Continue reading →

[I spent some serious time last week writing an entry for this blog, but forgot to give it a title – required – and off to the non-blogisphere it went never to be retrieved. I couldn’t bear to try to … Continue reading →