“Who will Speak for Caylee Marie Anthony?”

“If children are not safe in their own home, then where can they be safe at?” And who will step up and speak out for them if they suspect abuse is occurring at the hands of one or both parents?

The jury for Casey Anthony delivered a “Not Guilty” verdict on the first three counts, which included “Murder, Manslaughter and Aggravated Child Abuse” but delivered a “Guilty Verdict” for counts 4, 5, 6, & 7, of “Providing False Information to a Law Enforcement Officer.”

How can you deliver a verdict on 4, 5, 6 & 7, if you didn’t acknowledge that a life was taken? So! What did she lie about if it wasn’t about the death of her child? And, how do you in good conscious separate the two?

The jurors found Casey “not guilty’ for aggravated child abuse, yet Caylee Marie is dead and will never come home again or have the opportunity to be adopted into a new family that would have loved, cared and nurtured her into maturity.

If Casey is “not guilty” of child abuse, when she gets out of jail, would she be able to tuck Caylee Marie in bed at night?

If Casey is “not guilty” of manslaughter can she tell Caylee Marie that hide and seek is over now and you can come out to grandma and grandpa.

If Casey is “not guilty’ of murder can she tell Caylee Marie to take the tape off her mouth and speak into the camera so that everyone will know that she is alright?

If Caylee Marie can’t do any of these things, then who took her right to play and grow, to discover boys and paint her nails, to experience her first kiss and later to go to her high school prom?

Who will speak for the forgotten little girl that somehow got lost in the legalities of the law and was not human enough to be an honorable mention in the eyes of the jurors?

What about the Children/Teachers during Fiscal Year 2010-2011?

•An estimated 9,158 Florida children would lose slots in the Federally
Funded “Head-Start Program” under the House Bill.

•The report projected that Florida would lose about $368 Million of its
current allotment of “Pell Grants” to help needy students pay for
college. Affecting about 565,000 students by denying or reducing
grants amount.

• Florida would lose $30.4 million of Special-Education Grants.

• $19.3 million For School Improvements, lost.
• $38.6 million to help K-12 Students, lost.
• $5.9 million for vocational and adult education, lost.
• $73.7 million for job training, lost.
• $29.6 million for public housing, lost.
• $9.6 million for Law Enforcement Grants, lost.
• Florida schools will lay off 2,000 teachers and
have fewer police, lost.

The Village will have to step up and represent during these crucial times. Parents, friends and associates will also have to, not just show up, but be willing participants in raising their children. We are living in the best of times and also in the worst of times. Things will not get easier but in fact become more challenging, so recognize it and continue to move ahead with a strategic plan of action.

Of course we need children! Adults need children
in their lives to listen to and care for, to keep
their imagination fresh and their hearts young
and to make the future a reality for
which they are willing to work.
Margaret Mead

Peter Thomas Senese – Parental Child Abduction Champion or Opportunist?

Death and children are two of most delicate and venerable times of any person’s life. Unfortunately there are some unscrupulous people that seek out others during this time to make their sell pitch too. I’m convince that in the beginning there were some issues between Mr. Senese and his now ex-wife. What started off as life for most people, turned into a dream of grandeur for Mr. Senese and somewhere along the way, his son became a means to an end, rather than a father trying to protect his son.

When a Florida Senate Committee considered a bill this spring to prevent parental child abductions, one of the witnesses in support of the measure was Peter Thomas Senese. Senese’s March 25 appearance was noted on a Tallahassee blog, Capitolsoup.com that also identified him as author of a “critically acclaimed book” on child abduction. The “critically acclaimed book” is self-published and has yet to go on sale.

The testimony of Senese, 44, and others proved persuasive enough that the bill, introduced by Rep. Darryl Rouson, a St. Petersburg Democrat, sailed through both houses and were signed into law May 12 by Gov. Charlie Christ.

It appears that there are many layers to Mr. Senese life story. Many people say they have been scammed by Senese, including a California father who says he was “profoundly devastated” when Senese reneged on a promise to help pay $30,000 toward the return of the man’s abducted children from the Philippines. “He’s a master con,” said John Lee Smith, a carpenter.

Smith and others say they suspect that Senese’s “impassioned” support of the Florida bill — as Senese called it in a press release — was largely motivated by a desire to get publicity for his book, Chasing the Cyclone: a Father’s Unending Love for His Son, and obtain funding for a movie based on the book.

Mr. Senese’s ex wife has stated that their son has lived his entire life in the United States, Canada, where he was born, and New Zealand, where his mother took him in 2006 with court permission, records show. Though there have been custody and visitation disputes, “Peter has totally blown it out of proportion into a story he could spin and create this whole child abduction thing,” she said. Remarried, she now lives in Los Angeles. She and Senese have joint custody of Tyler, and in March, Senese took the boy with him to Florida when he testified before the Senate Judicial Committee.

Mr. Senese appears to have a hidden agenda and motivating factors in seeking out and trying to help other parents, who are indeed concern for the safety of their child or children. I believe in the beginning, Mr. Senese motives were sincere, but somewhere along the way, he lost his focus, and money became his new motivating factor.

Mr. Senese seems to embellish everything that he is involved in, even if the truth is revealed later. My suggestion to anyone who is having family issues is to consult legal counsel and seek referrals from reputable agencies about groups that share their same concerns. I’m not saying to close yourself to other people that may be going through the same thing, but be aware of their motives and do your own investigation on them to find out if they are really who they proclaim to be. Hopefully, this will save you a lot of money and heartache in the future.