Below is a photograph from a Black Lives Matter protest in Portland, Oregon in 2014. We have been told one story about its meaning. I think this photo tells an entirely different story.
But before I get into that, first let me say that being the “cynical” type when it comes to examining human nature, thanks in large part to a distinctly “not normal” childhood and the ignorance of most “strangers” I encounter, I don’t follow the “politically correct” line if it is as odds with the facts. For example, I could not but note the media hypocrisy in the Trayvon Martin case; Martin grew up in a comfortable middle class home, yet he made a conscious choice to be a “gangsta,” suspended from school three times for defacing school property, selling drugs and discovered with jewelry that had been reported that very day stolen from a local residence. The school merely recorded it as “found property.”
Being suspended from school didn’t mean anything to Martin; to him it was probably a confirmation of his gangsta “cred.” His mother was never forthcoming with the truth about how it was impossible to control him and simply had enough of him, and when she sent him to live with her ex-husband, the latter didn’t warn her that he would likely find others like him to hang out with who were of no better “character.” This “boy” needed “correction” from professionals in the matter of juvenile law breaking, not school officials and a mother, both of whom simply kicked him out the door, hoping someone else would “fix” the problem without what he needed, which was probably time in juvenile hall.
Samford, Florida was a neighborhood struggling with crime from mostly “transient young black males,” according to a Reuters story at the time; local news reported the “chilling” episode of a Hispanic mother and her infant son hiding in a closet while she whispered to a 9-1-1 operator that two black males had broken into her apartment and conducting a search and seizure operation. Just two weeks before Martin showed up, George Zimmerman, who was a neighborhood “watch captain,” had called police about two black males who looking inside the windows of a darkened home. The police told him they would “take care of it”; the next day, the residents of that home reported that a laptop computer had been stolen.
Then another “transient” who had just arrived that day appeared to be scoping out apparently unoccupied residences; how it ended up was that Martin didn’t know that the man whose skull he was trying to crack open on the pavement also had a gun to defend himself with—which Zimmerman didn’t use until after people who heard his cries for help did nothing. If any “racism” was evident here, it was in the media’s dehumanizing and demonizing portrayal of Zimmerman, a “white” Hispanic, in contrast to “innocent child” who had chosen a life of crime.
So too do I see massive hypocrisy in the Gabby Petito case. As I pointed out in my “Trip of discovery” post last month, people have been conned by the media about what occurred here. Petito’s destructive behavior destroyed not just one life, but two lives and two families after the discovery of Brian Laundrie’s remains in Florida. Petito was probably suffering from the same mental illness as the Sky Metalwala’s killer/mother, Julia Biryukova. It was reported that her ex-husband and the boy’s father, Solomon Metalwala, sometimes was forced to eat his meals outside because of Biryukova’s obsessive “cleanliness” issues, which was diagnosed as obsessive compulsive disorder. Biryukova was hospitalized three times for mental health issues, including for having “dreams” of killing her children.
Yet at least there was some “effort” to treat Biryukova; there was apparently none to treat Petito’s, We are told that Petito’s parents were “hoping” that Laundrie would “take care of her,” which was just way a dishonest way of saying they wanted someone to take her out of their hands. It was a major mistake to go on a cross-country trip that everyone who knew of Petito’s “issues” should have warned against. Yet what have we been told by the media? They keep using that brief clip of Petito crying like a child in a police van; the complete one-hour police cam video tells a completely different story than the one “intended,” more like someone in “distress” because she doesn’t want to account for her own actions—perhaps because she can’t, which is one “symptom” of obsessive compulsive disorder. We told about a 9-1-1 call at odds with the police report which claims that Laundrie—rather than striking Petito—had his arms up defending himself from Petito’s blows; obviously, some people just see what they want to see for political reasons. In the end, Laundrie apparently committed suicide, and since there is no “justice” in that, charges against his parents are being considered.
While we are on the subject of hypocrisy, does anyone remember the Hart family case, and how that turned out? What I find found fascinating about this case was not the “outrage” it inspired—which it did not—but that it was just a “curiosity.” To refresh people’s memory if they are familiar with the case at all, A lesbian couple, Sarah and Jennifer Hart (Sarah was described as the “wife”), had adopted six black children, Hannah, Abigail, Sierra, Jeremiah, Devonte and Markis:
On the surface, this seemed an admirable, “progressive” action on their part (the Harts called it an “alternative family” unit.” The “beautiful” family was called the “Hart Tribe” by friends, but something was amiss. The “family” moved from Minnesota to Oregon, and then to Washington. These moves were all precipitated by allegations of child abuse—including the final one, in California.
At the crash site in Mendocino County, the overturned GMC Yukon that was found at the bottom of a cliff, the bodies of three children were outside the vehicle, and the two adult women inside; two more bodies were found later, and the remains of one boy, Devonte, has never been found, although he had been seen in the vehicle by witnesses. Toxicology reports stated that three of the four children tested had enough of the drug Diphenhydramine to render them unable to function; Sarah Hart was also found to have the drug in her system, while Jennifer Hart—who was the driver—was found to have an elevated amount of alcohol in her blood. According to the vehicle’s “black box,” apparently after the vehicle had been stopped on a dirt turnout, 70 feet from the edge of the cliff, it was then accelerated at 100 percent (meaning the accelerator was pressed all the way to the floor), although vehicle had only reached 20 MPH before it went over the cliff, falling 140 feet to bottom.
Mendocino County released its Hart inquest report in 2019, which is available on-line. Its “Final Summary of the Hart Investigation” states the following:
2011: Several Child Protection Services complaints in Minnesota. Sarah Hart arrested and sentenced to probation. Accusations of physical abuse and withholding food from children. \
2013: Oregon Child Protective Services opens investigation into family. Accusations of withholding food from children. A doctor’s evaluation determines kids are below average but acceptable. Case is closed in 2013.
2017: Hart Family purchases house in Woodland, WA. Neighbors report seeing white sedan and gold Yukon going to and from house but never see kids or parents outside. Neighbor say there is little or no contact with family.
2017: Neighbors say Hannah came to their house in middle of night in panic asking for help. Jennifer, Sarah and other kids show up looking for Hannah. Jennifer talks Hannah into coming home. Entire family returns at 6 AM the next morning to apologize. Explains that kids come from traumatic families and have mental health issues.
March 15, 2018: Devonte approaches neighbor in driveway asking for food. After getting food, he returns several times asking for more. Says parents punish kids by withholding food, sometimes days at a time. Asks neighbor to go to store to get a list of food and leave it in a box near the shared driveway on Friday (March 23). Asks neighbor not to call Law Enforcement because he doesn’t want family split up (similar fears of family split in prior CPS investigator notes).
March 23: Devonte returns to neighbors asking for food. They decide to call CPS. CPS arrives at house and sees gold Yukon SUV pull up to house. Does not see any people. CPS knocks on front and back doors with no answer. CPS leaves a card on the door and leave.
March 23: Sarah works a normal shift at Kohl’s from morning to early evening. Last time any witnesses report seeing her. Kohl’s security video shows Sarah leave work at 5:26 PM in her white sedan.
March 24: 2:53 AM, Sarah Hart’s co-worker at Kohl’s gets text saying Sarah is too sick to work that day as scheduled. Co-worker describes text as out of character for Sarah.
March 24: Neighbors report noticing the gold Yukon is not at the house. They also notice bricks from the wall are tipped over. Say unlike family to leave, have never been gone in the past.
March 25: 8:05 AM A female believed to be Jennifer Hart seen on video purchasing food at a Safeway in Fort Bragg, California.
March 26: CPS returns to Woodland house. Notices business card is missing from front door. Gold Yukon is also gone. Puts another card in the door and calls Clark County Sheriff’s Office for a welfare check. Sheriff Deputy arrives, but no answer at the door.
March 26: 1 PM Sarah’s co-worker calls CCSO for a welfare check, concerned she did not show up for work all weekend.
March 26: 3:30 PM Law Enforcement is alerted to vehicle crash in Mendocino County. A recovery effort begins.
March 27: Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office requests welfare check at the Woodland home after determining who crash victims were and children still missing. CCSO checks house, finds residence empty. Animals left behind (3 dogs missing).
March 29: CCSO serves search warrant on house attempting to locate missing children. House appears sterile. Little indication children lived in the home. A Laptop and I-pad are collected. Some financial information found. CCSO also interviews neighbors and co-workers.
March 30: Financial leads show no recent activity or anything over the weekend. No large cash withdrawals or unusual transactions.
April 12: CCSO does additional K-9 search of Hart property in Woodland, WA.
Some of the details of accusations of abuse when the “family” live in Alexandria, Minnesota included deprivation of food that forced the children to “rummage” through garbage cans and “stealing” food from other kids at school. The Washington Post had reported that school officials ceased notifying the Harts about this activity when they learned that the children were being punished, rather than given more food. A criminal complaint was lodged against Sarah Hart when one of their adopted daughters—six at the time—was found to have numerous bruises on her back and stomach; the girl stated that she had been “spanked,” but the Harts claimed that she had fallen down some stairs.
Sarah Hart eventually admitted that she had “let her anger get out of control” and was found guilty of “domestic” rather than “malicious” assault. But because the Hart women looked “normal” to investigators, they bought their story that it was the children who had “mental health” issues, and that their physical condition was due to being “crack babies.” Child welfare workers eventually closed the Minnesota case.
The Harts then moved to Oregon, where the withholding of food as “punishment” continued. Child welfare workers knew of the allegations in Minnesota, but looked the other way despite reports that the children were forced to lie with sleeping masks over their faces when they were suspected of taking food out of friend’s refrigerator. Oregon investigators eventually decided that despite seven reports of abuse, they did not believe further investigation was “warranted” because they were based on “insufficient data.” The Oregon investigators did note that the children were home-schooled and apparently did not have contact with any “outsiders,” and an “informant” reported that the kids were like “robots” and “deathly afraid” of Jennifer Hart—who on her Facebook page posted “happy” images of the children that were at odds with the reality.
After the move to Washington, the adopted daughter named Hannah tried to contact the neighbor in Woodland about food. The neighbor reported that he thought that the girl was so small and scrawny that she must be only 7-years-old, but later discovered she was actually 16. He also observed that she appeared to be missing front teeth, and was quite frightened of something.
What do we see here? A “progressive” white couple who see themselves as being morally superior? That they felt the children should be more “appreciative” of them? That they had some “unusual” methods of “punishment”? That the children were so afraid of them that they couldn’t do anything for fear of punishment? I mean, how else could they be punished, besides being permanently “grounded”—since they were otherwise never seen to leave the house. Sure, going to one’s room without supper isn’t “unusual” punishment, but days on end? Note too that nothing was found in the house that suggested that children lived there, meaning no toys or anything a juvenile would have to pass the time.
We will never know what exactly went on in that house, since no one in the “family” spoke about it, save when one of the children complained of deprivation to an “outsider” who decided to contact authorities. It appears that when things got too “hot,” the “family” simply packed-up moved to a new location to start “fresh.” It seems clear that Jennifer and Sarah Hart saw these children as objects to “mold” as they saw fit, not as individuals with their own particular wants and desires. In the end, with yet another “visit” from a child protective services agency—the third time in three states—the Harts apparently decided that in order to keep the family “together,” the only way to do it was to send all of them into the “next world.”
As for that photo at the top of the post? That is Devonte Hart. Are those tears actually a cry for help from the police officer, to get him away from his “parents”?
What we see in all three of these cases is denial and failure of responsibility leading to tragedy. In the Trayvon Martin case, his mother and school officials all were in denial about his criminal proclivities, and all they did was kick out the problem “child” to be someone else’s problem. He didn’t learn one single thing by being suspended from school; he might have learned something in a juvenile detention center, where he belonged. Instead, he was given chance after chance to “reform,” and he never did.
In the case of Gabby Petito, her serious mental health issues were apparently treated as nothing more than “eccentric,” but they were serious enough that her own parents couldn’t deal with her—thus their “hope” that Laundrie would “take care of her” for them, without once thinking about the effect it would have on his emotional stability. Had she received any mental health treatment, her behavior may have been mitigated, but for certain a mental health professional would have advised against a trip in an enclosed environment without any friends or family around to lend help in “calming” matters.
In the Hart case, the Texas adoption agency didn’t appear to do any “homework” as to the fitness of the Harts, which of course isn’t surprising being Texas. It is apparent that rather than seeing Jennifer and Sarah Hart as being abusive “parents,” child welfare service workers saw them as “good-hearted” people who were providing black kids with a “supportive” environment, and if they were punishing the kids, well, black kids need more punishment to stay “in line.” If deliberate malnourishment, physical punishment for seeking food, and barring playthings is part of that “supportive” environment, then denial and lack of responsibility on the part of those who should have known better and did not do anything are themselves culpable; doing something just “half-way” only led to tragic results.
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