"Psycho-Travel" - Chapter Two - "Brooklyn, Social Work in the City"

The Brooklyn Family Court was a real chamber of horrors. The legal formulation of the popular seventies was a neglect petition. " If a judge granted the request of the social agency for a two-year continuation, the parents have visitation rights, but at the discretion of the agency.

For many parents, the availability of far more than actually visiting their interest in ensuring that the children. The children who are still at home, it has enough problems. From guilt, shame, or a combination of complex emotions, most of them would go to court and to do what they are not done for the past year or more - show a deep concern for the observance and their children in the placement. In most cases, the theatricality was held at the office of the social workers. On court day, many will not be displayed.

It was like witnessing a group of budding thespians to play the role of parents dedicated before the judges and the others, the process of child poverty in the five boroughs.

Lou was in court on a simple case today. James Joseph, a surly seventeen years old with few redeeming qualities to provide for the continuation. At least he would not have to witness all perverse theatrics on this occasion. The circumstances of his entry into the placement was exceptional. His own mother had decided to resolve a dispute with James in a less than motherly way. It seemed that James his caustic wit, the full-blast on Momma. He was good with words, certainly a better debater than his mother. However Momma has the last word on this day, if they are in their drawers, took a loaded thirty-eight, and continued to run after James' chin. According to the police of the incident, Momma's exact words were: "If you say another word jive-ass, James, I'm Gonna Blow Your fucking head off!"

Although James has not gone to church in years, he was convinced that day. Something in the eyes of his mother convinced him that could only complete silence him for his sixteenth birthday.

James was very upset at this apparent lack of maternal affection. He was right.

That night he went to the local police pedestrian zone and asked for protection from its gun-toting mom.

The powers of the City of New York later found that pulling a gun on thirty-eight the child was an act that neglects the welfare of the child, no matter how much of a smart-ass he can have. James had a station of the city of New York and Lou client.

Last week, Lou had the e-train at Nostrand Avenue in Brooklyn to visit Mrs. Joseph. She welcomed Lou and asked him to be inside. Helen Joseph had a chicken dinner for him.

Lou does not know what they are doing it. It proved to be harsh, if she spoke, at first, but then they always soften up after a while.

The apartment was typical of the Bedford-Stuyvessant neighborhood. There were holes in the floor, paint peeling from the walls, and roach bold enough to daytime symptoms. For these miserable conditions, the landlord was kind enough to hold a monthly rent is higher than that Lou's Mom paid for a clean and spacious six-room apartment in Queens in a beautiful environment.

Lou thought the conservatives who constantly complain about welfare fraud. "The poor are really nice life here," he thought to himself.

"" Now Ms. Joseph, James before the court next week on a two-year continuation. What are your feelings with James again at home? "He asked.

She looked at him, as her eyes began to tear." Do I have to turn it back? "She asked.

" Oh no! Not at all, "said Lou hopefully. After seeing what a real pain in the ass James could be that he was really concerned that Ms. James could kill him when James pushed her too far.

And make no mistake -- James could Piss Off the Pope. Six months earlier, a policeman had him in Rikers Iceland, not because he jumped a subway turnstile, but because of his hostile attitude and Superior. Normally, the police would be only one child to a quote before court, and that was all.

But James was indignant that the officer had him arrested. Finally, the policeman had heard enough and took him to jail.

James had done what he is best by they are the people angry at him. The police officer a reason to put him in prison.

It was the first time he had ever done so, on a subway fare-evader.

Would Mrs. James Joseph push back too far? Thank God they do not want him back home.

"Well, I do not want you to think I'm a bad Momma. I am well, my other two children, and I was good to James, too. But the child get angry. The older he is, the nastier they get, "she said.

That was beautiful. You did not want him back. Lou had visions of a New York Daily News headline:" Mother kills seventeen years old son - complete study of social Agency Calls on the Community Guide! "

Normally, he has worked hard to return the children in his care with their families. But a black thirty-eight under the chin? James once asked him:" My Momma is not so bad, most of the time, but they are a hell Gotta mood, if they are sour. "

" Ms. Joseph, "said Lou with his soothing voice," You go to work as usual. I will make sure everything in court. After that hearing, James is an adult, and there will be no more court dates, "he said.

Now, everything that remained was that the petition for a continuation of the mediation with the judge.

The waiting room was crowed with mothers and children. Lou was the only male adult in the room.

A large woman holding her children screaming and beat them. She had a big key, said: "God is the answer." In the interests of their children, hoping Lou that El Senor would only know that if their salvation really rested with her, they get into serious trouble.

Finally, James was the case. As the placement was undisputed, Lou went in two minutes.

Since he was already in Brooklyn, Lou decided by Marvin's house. Other than the reports of heroin and packaging costs thirty-two, Marvin made a great adjustment to the cost of living in the east of New York, Brooklyn.

The options were dismal. When Marvin was on the Street, he could be an addict.

Should he be convicted, a crime that he was a reformatory which would allow him to return "bigger and badder" than when he left.

Marvin's mother, Alice , was a friendly woman who was their best of five children. The brick house as a robbery to happen. Lou race of the four stairs and knocked on the door and announced themselves.

Alice opened the door, and Lou. A other special slumlord, he thought. There were holes in the living room floor. There was also some rodent traps in the area.

"hello Alice. It's nice to see," said Lou.

"Well, Lou, come on in. It's meaner than my landlord in the heart of the corridor," she said.

She led him into the kitchen. There were two seats. He could smell Fried Chicken. Lou thought, like the poor gave him more to eat and drink, as many middle-class Americans he knew. Because these people were, often even a fall during a visit to libation other as if they were all part of a perverse society fasting. When they visited, in the majority of a drink was all one could expect. They dined, Lou and inquired about their other children. After lunch, Lou has to work.

"Alice, we have something to work for Marvin. I see great problems in the future unless we do something quickly," he said.

They shook their heads sadly and quietly began to cry. "What can I do? It is too big for me to whip him more. Do not do no good with him anyway," she said.

Lou felt the time was spent on his proposal. "Alice, I do not want Marvin live in a reformatory, and I do not want him to heroin. If you have some papers petitions to the court that he had back in my agency, I can it on a work - study program contributed to the fact that some other guys like him, "said Lou.

He did not want to press them on this recommendation. Lou Saturday quietly and waited for them to speak.

She looked at him for a few seconds before she spoke. "Lou, you promise me that you boys in some kinda work-study?" she asked.

Lou assented.

"All right. Give me the papers. I hope I'm doing the right thing," she said.

"Do not worry Alice. You could save his life," said Lou.

"He may not be that the group home. Marvin say the food is good and the beautiful surroundings, but you have too many rules," she said.

"Well, Alice, I will do my best to make it better. You can visit him. But also because the heroin problem, I can not allow his weekend visit to you for some time. But I will You receive money booth to visit him in Queens, "said Lou.

"That's nice," she said.

It was a successful day. On the surface, everything he had done was separate mothers from their children, but in these cases, the decisions were not difficult.

Lou from the apartment and walked back towards the subway IND When he saw a pirate cabin, he would. The area looked like a robbery to happen. Some of the houses were uninhabited. The windows were blown are. It looked like a scene from post-WWII Berlin.

"What a shame," said Lou.

But that was nothing new for the "greatest nation in the world. He had time, a report by a commission, written at the turn of the century, that concluded that the animals in Hell's Kitchen, a notorious part of the New York West Side, enjoyed better housing than the people. A rough and brutal society with signs that things could get worse. With that happy thought, Lou's focus is at lunch.

He made his way back to Queens Boulevard and Continental Avenue in Forest Hills. Look at the elegant homes and skyscrapers, the width of the boulevards, it was hard to believe that he is in the same city like New York East. Lou enjoyed a chocolate egg cream and a sandwich.

He had one hour before his meeting with his next customer. Lou bought New York Times and ordered a coffee. The front page news was not good. Nixon was still talking about a secret plan to end the war.

It was time to leave. Lou went along the well-ordered streets of Forest Hills back to the office.

Tonight, he and Margot would visit a cocktail lounge and watch the moon landing with Johnny Ryan.

The sun shone brightly, it was a good day to be alive.

Lou kept on his recent talks with Margot. He had suggested that they both quit their jobs and spend five or six months on the island of Mallorca. It seemed quite ready to move. It was always clear that the city go crazy, it was hardly a surprise.

That night, they came to an agreement that both the thirty days in advance of their work. In little more than a month, they were on their way to Mallorca.

 

After securing a B.A. in sociology, Mr. Honer pursued his graduate studies at the City University of New York, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where he specialized in organizational theory and design. He has served as an instructor at Windward Community College in Hawaii, where he taught grant writing.

Editor and co-author: "Adult Education for the Homeless: from the Streets to Self-Sufficiency", Miller Freeman Inc. (San Francisco) 1999. This work presents innovative strategies for helping homeless persons develop basic skills.

Co-author: " California State Plan for Adult Education and Family Literacy-July 1, 1999-June 30th, 2004", November. 1998. Provided a social framework for addressing the status of adults with basic skills needs as a paid consultant to the California State Department of Education. During the period from 1994 to 2001, Mr. Honer was host and producer of Social Issues, a public affairs cable television program that was cablecast monthly in Sacramento and San Francisco. In the course of implementing many- employment, education, social service and health education programs, Mr. Honer worked with a wide range of minority populations. In 1990, he founded and co-chaired The Coalition for Equity for Minorities, a public policy group committed to social justice. His articles on social conditions have been published both in the United States and in Spain. He also conducted research on judicial corruption by New York City's five Mafia families for the New York State Joint Legislative Committee on Crime. The research resulted in the removal/resignation of two Supreme Court justices.

Bill brings a cross-cultural perspective to his writing as a result of his travels to 60 countries around the world. He currently lives with his wife in Costa Rica.

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