April 21, 2009 by Kent Smotherman
Posted in
I'm not saying I come close to condoning what NY lawyer Primoff did by ordering her kids out of the car and driving off, but I'm sure we are all familiar with the response from the state - barring her from seeing her children. Condemn her actions and get her help, but barring her from seeing her children is simply abuse of power, in my opinion.
We've all been to the point of extreme frustration with our kids at times. How many of us have said or done things as a result that we regret, and even apologize later to our kids for? Now imagine feeling that way but not being allowed contact with your kids. I would be utterly despondent, so I can really feel sorrow for what Primoff may be going through right now.
As an attorney I accumulated
As an attorney I accumulated a lot of stress and frustration while working on some federal court procedures and I couldn't help bringing them home. I have spilled some of it on my children and was very sorry for that. I apologized and they understood that I did not mean anything by it. This things happen, they are to be blamed but not to the extent where someone can lose the right to see his children.
Exactly
That's a good point - far too often the state intervenes in very inapproriate ways. To quote one of my favorite movies, Pirates of the Caribbean, "Punished we were, disproportionate to our crimes!"
Primoff
And again, while we may all have our own opinions about what we would do, or what she should have done (all third-party opinions that are not as relevant as Primoff's relationship decisions for her own children), there is an argument to be made about threatening and not following through.
Child development experts have long expressed dismay about how parents will make idle threats with children, not follow through with them, and then wonder why their children don't take them seriously. Parents are not given play-by-play books for raising children, and the Supreme Court has been clear about the lines that must be drawn between a parent's right to raise their children (even if questionable and even if others don't agree) vs the right of the state to interfere ONLY when a child is in imminent danger.
This system is out of control, and CPS has been allowed to begin down the slippery slope with families and children.
Order modified so Primoff can have contact with her kids
I guess this shows what you can get the system to do when you are an attorney yourself.