Some weeks ago, I sat down to draw the house where James and Birgitte and their five kids lived. What I came up with was an acceptable likeness of their house and farm, but there was a lot missing from that simple pencil drawing. It lacked all of the minute details that made this house a home. Drawings and paintings covered the house, books lined the walls. Trinkets and trucks told of maturing young ladies and active little boys. Pots and pans drying and ready for the next bake, the next meal. The large table that had room for everyone and more, where delicious homemade food and inspiring conversation were always found. My drawing lacked the horses that were loved as pets, goats getting milked and chickens out for their late afternoon scratch around. This house, this farm, was always my favorite place in Costa Rica. It captured the essence of life in the campo, of the real Pura Vida, of family harmony and productivity.
But all that is gone now. The family that cruised the hillsides on horseback has been blown apart. Their business is gone, their home empty, their fields provide them nothing now, their horses and goats given away, their dogs and cats with other families. The confidence and security that James and Birgitte's kids were growing up with was jolted and will take time to regain completely. If a family so benign could be so aggressively harassed, and the state so boldly disregard an opportunity to converse in law, then I am afraid that the bigger picture looks quite bleak for the rest of us. However, optimist that I am, I am very curious to see the pieces come together. Recent interest in this story has necessitated a pause, but James' magnifying glass will continue to examine the many details in this case. There is so much more.
4 comments:
I loved the solar system than James painted along the long back wall of the house for the children's science lessons, and also the murals that the kids painted of their horses and flowers and more. God, I miss them sooo much!
Connie
They brought all this on themselves. They are not better and beyond the law than anyone else. They are selfish and they are the cause of their daughters death by putting her in that situation. Cannot feel sorry for them anymore. I do have concern for the other children with parents like that and what will ever become of them without identification.
I miss them too, Connie. That solar system was pretty fantastic. So were all of the painted horses and chickens. Those kids were learning even when they weren’t sitting down for their lessons.
Regarding the other comment, you really seem invested in this. Since you are anonymous, what do you have to lose? Help us out. Point out the laws that negate the Constitutional articles which James and Birgitte cite in the affidavits and constructive notices. This is what they asked for from the start.
To the comment from anonymous,
Based on the facts that have been published in this blog including court papers, the portion of your comment "They are not better and beyond the law than anyone else," applies perfectly, with no doubt, to the health department officials, the representatives of the child protection agency (PANI) and the Judge!
It is clearly illustrated here, all you need to do is carefully read the case file and most importantly read the constitutional articles. Everything is there, plain and simple. Either you have a bias with this case or you simply do not have the mental capacity to process what it is clearly demonstrated with all of the documents presented here.
From one anonymous to another.
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