After spending a total of three hours over two days on hold this month, Janet Del Toro gave up. She wasn't trying to get through to the cable company or purchase goods over the phone. She was trying to report possible child abuse through the Texas Abuse/Neglect Hotline.
Eventually, Del Toro, a Kerrville-based sexual assault nurse examiner who was trying to file a report with the state about a child she had examined, resorted to filing electronically, through a state Web site reserved for professionals who have regular contact with children and are trained to recognize and report possible abuse.
By the time Del Toro waited the 45 minutes it took for the report to transmit, she was well past the 48-hour deadline child-care providers and other professionals have to report suspected child abuse to the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services.
....
The long hold times are more than an inconvenience. Child-care, medical providers and other professionals are required by law to report possible child abuse within 48 hours of noticing it. Missing the 48-hour deadline is a Class B misdemeanor and is punishable by 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine.
The hot line is the primary way for child-care professionals and the public to report suspected abuse against a child, elderly person or adult with a disability.
Wool said anyone who thinks the potential abuse victim might be in immediate danger should call local authorities. In cases where there's no immediate danger, Wool suggested calling the hot line during off-peak hours, from midnight to 6 a.m.
So, in summary, it is far better to deliberately ignore abuse than to attempt documenting and reporting it, since reporting it is nearly impossible and not reporting it is a crime. One can't help but wonder how effective these assclowns are at stopping abuse once it is reported if their avenues of communication are any indication of their professionalism.
9:10 AM
Monday, September 15, 2003 You'll Get My Yummy-Smelling Bodywash When You Pry It From My Cold, Dead Hands
I have stumbled across the manifesto of some nutcases that would appear to be singling out the sweet-smelling among us as the targets of their evil meddlings.
I recommend reading the document in its shrieking hysterical entirety, but here are some choice snippets:
Q: How can I tell if I’m “fragrance free”?
A: Check the labels on all of your personal care products, from the laundry room to the bathroom and shower to the bedroom. Look for “fragrance free” products to replace your scented ones. The only way to be absolutely sure is not to apply any personal care products, launder your clothing with unscented products, and avoid being around smoke and other people’s fragrances.
Don't apply any personal care products? This is an attack on my way of life. My personal care products are what define me as a person. Without them, I am nothing. The fragrance-free nuts wish to deny me my very existence! It also cannot be over-emphasized that the proper use of personal care products goes a long way toward preventing a person from smelling like a billy goat.
Q: What if I am already contaminated with terrible smells but I have to go somewhere that is Fragrance Free?
A: If you can, shower beforehand using baking soda instead of soap and shampoo. Baking soda effectively removes many odors. Change into clothing that has not been dry cleaned or laundered with scented products, especially fabric softeners, and has not been around smoke or fragrances. Rinse contaminated clothes with baking soda. Dry without additives. Wear a hat to contain residual odors from hair products. Wear an uncontaminated shirt over your other clothing. Depending on the event, these measures may be sufficient. Ask others present if your clothing, hair, etc. is a problem. Leave if you cause discomfort to others, or sense that your presence may be a problem. Remember: “An ounce of prevention!” Planning ahead to be free of scents is the easiest and best solution.
Terrible smells? Please.
Q: Why do we have to bother with being fragrance free?
A: Fragrance free is a civil rights issue. The federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guarantees disabled persons access to all public services and programs. This includes public meetings, events, and services such as education and library programs.
Q: How about natural fragrances? Are they ok?
A: No. People with asthma, allergies and MCS can react badly to natural substances as well as to synthetic ones. Most synthetic chemicals were originally copied from nature. Our cells contain receptors for thousands of different chemicals, and do not distinguish the slight differences between natural and synthetic chemicals. Once someone becomes sensitive to a type of chemical, that person may react to many similar chemicals, regardless of their origin.
In addition, products labeled as "natural" usually contain synthetic ingredients along with natural ones. And, as anyone with allergies knows, natural things do make certain people sick.
So the next logical step would be ridding the world of rose bushes, lest one stop to smell them and collapse into a convulsing heap? And forget about waking up and smelling the coffee.
Q: I wear fragranced products but no one ever complains, so I'm ok, right?
A: Wrong. There are many reasons why someone who is affected by your fragrance is silent. There is a strong taboo in our society against talking about how we smell. Many people avoid confrontation and making a fuss about their own needs in public. Your fragrance may have already affected someone so much that she or he has trouble speaking, thinking, taking action or even remaining awake and conscious. Many people with MCS simply stay home most of the time.
Finally, something I can agree with. Yes, please stay in your wretched filthy domicile. If you can't think, speak or take action if you catch a whiff of someone's antiperspirant, then just accept that you aren't going to be able to do these things outside the rancid environs of your home, which cannot contain furnishings, nor be composed of wood, brick, sheetrock, sticks, or plastics, due to your condition. Would a glass house be scent-free enough? Then it might be best to stop throwing stones.
