Stephen-

I am somewhat miffed at the way this story has been laid out in your article. Let me start by correcting your position of Erica Alphonse being “the worst example of African Americans”. The brother (s) who left her to raise 5 children on her own is “the worst example of African Americans”. I am a firm believer that “wherever you find a no good woman, there is a no good man who made her that way”.

I find it interesting that you would take this position, rather than report a more balanced perspective.
I am also amazed at how hard we can be on one another. You seem to have no mercy for Ms. Alphonse--- who at age 22 was all of what… 14 years old when she had her first child? A child having a child is by any account, victimization. I have a 14 year old daughter and understand the mindset of a female at that age. If my daughter were to come up pregnant at that age… it’s on me. I wonder how old Erica’s mother was when she gave birth to her… I digress.

Let’s take a moment to look at the psychological implications of the language in this article. In the beginning of the article you describe Erica as a “New Orleans Katrina Evacuee Mother”. WTF! Wow… what was the inference in this description? This sounds like the same type of language used by main stream media to blame Katrina victims for many of the negative statistics already prevalent in Houston. As if Negroes weren’t already stealing, killing, jacking and robbing prior to Katrina. The fact that Erica was displaced by Katrina lends more credibility to her case. There were many people from New Orleans scattered all over the country. The way you phrase it seems to be divisive, but I will say that I don’t believe that this was your intent. But, it does appear that the spirit of Willie Lynch whispered his way into this piece. I will also point out the fact that you referred to Erica Alphonse as a “dead beat mother, poor excuse for mother and human being, etc. while continuing to refer to Rhonda Tavey as a “sweet Christian lady”.

The irony is that Rhonda Tavey is one of the organizers of my daughter’s volleyball club. I have personally seen Rhonda interact with the children on several occasions and I can truly say that I believe that she cares a great deal for the kids. With this in mind, I am still left without enough information to make the assertions that were made in the article. One thing I can say is that I don’t appreciate the racist comments being made by Rhonda’s mother on Good Morning America. She stated “we gave those kids religion”. WTF!!! Isn’t that the same shit that slaves were told on the plantation? In other words, you were heathens before we saved you… again WTF!! I digress.

I will say that I have read the same information and listened to interviews of both parties. To say Erica Alphonse is a poor excuse for a mother and human being is a bit unfair when we really don’t know the full story. To identify her as being “one of the reasons why non-blacks (whites) harbor stereo types” is also unfair. The social and judicial policies that oppress black people--- reported in a biased way is why whites have negative stereotypes of black people. Let’s not help them do it.

It’s easy to stand outside of the situation and pass judgment on this woman. The reality is that 5 kids for anyone is a hell of a lot and we can’t say what we would do until placed in this situation. We can make all the assumptions we want, but one thing is for certain. Erica Alphonse asked Rhonda Tavey for her children, she refused and fled to another city with them. The law considers this behavior kidnapping. I am not in a position to judge either side. As I have said before, “but by the grace of God, there go I”.

With Brotherly Love

The “good Christian” will get off, but what is best for the children should trump all. Is it best for the children to go back to their mom or to the “good Christian”? If the mom truly abandoned her children, I believe that she should have to jump through some hoops before she regains custody of her kids. It seems that she is saying that with the help from her boyfriend/fiancé that she can now do her job of caring for her kids. What happens if the marriage does not work out which most don’t nowadays? I certainly don’t won’t the children to become wards of the state. You pointed out that behind a trifling woman there’s a trifling man but in this case where his her family? Where is her mom, grandmother, auntie . . .? These are the “good Christian” that raised many black children when mom and dad failed to do the job. I was raised by my grandmother, you where raised by your grandmother, and my wife was raised by her grand auntie. What this shows me is that not only were the kid’s abandoned by their mom (I don’t know about the father) but also by their extended family! I guess the “village” has stopped raising kids in black America .

After reading the article, I am left to believe that Erica Alphonse only cared about the money. Who leaves their children for 3 years?!? I understand that she was young, single, yadda yadda but that is no excuse to leave your babies. If I read correctly, she also stayed with Ms Tavey at one point. Why not continue to stay there with her children, get back on her feet and help with the raising of her children? I guess what I am trying to say, there are millions of single mothers that were misplaced after Katrina that struggled to make it but did not abandon their babies. I know because I lived in Houston at the time and witnessed it. I met many young women that lived in my apartment complex that were taking care of their children on their own. And you can blame the "poor excuse of a man or men that left her to raise five children" on her own but she still holds blame too because at what point does a 22 year old woman that had her first child at 14 say enough is enough and stop having babies that she can't take care of?

RE:
"It’s easy to stand outside of the situation and pass judgment on this woman. The reality is that 5 kids for anyone is a hell of a lot and we can’t say what we would do until placed in this situation. We can make all the assumptions we want, but one thing is for certain. Erica Alphonse asked Rhonda Tavey for her children, she refused and fled to another city with them. "

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It is easy for me to pass judgment on this poor excuse for a mother because I am a single mother. I would never under any circumstance leave my children to anyone let alone for 3 years regardless of what their father had to do with it. Why would any caring person give children back to someone who left their children for such an extended period of time? Obviously the woman didn't give the children back because she truly cared for them. I'm sorry that you would be so easy to just unload kids back to the person who abandoned them in the first place. Most people have a hard time taking on 1 child but to take on 5...that woman deserved a medal. Obviously the birth mother has not grown a heart in the 3 years she was absent, else she would be thanking the hero to her children, not locking them up. The children are most important here...look at the psychological impact this has had on the children...to have no good mother abandon them...then have another mother step in to care for them, only to have their no good mother come back to lock up the person who have cared for them in her absent...Lord. Poor kids-- I don't care how the article is worded...the fact remains...she abandoned her children, someone else stepped in and she had the lady locked up for caring about 5 black children who would probably be in foster care and separated a hero hadn't stepped in. I am utterly disgusted. Hopefully the biological mom will be locked up for abandonment and children will find stability with the mother who took care of them for 3 years.