[AKidsRight.Org] Family Law Reform, Civil Rights & Our Conscience as Parents

jmurtari@akidsright.org

Good People & People of Faith,

What makes something a Civil Right?  How can we say we have a right 
to nurture our own children? I found something on conscience
(as in "let your conscience be your guide") at the Vatican web
site. (Please, I'm not trying to convert anyone here.  If you have
studied ethics or morality you will have found similar ideas.)

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s1c1a6.htm

    1778. Conscience is a judgment of reason whereby the human person
    recognizes the moral quality of a concrete act that he is going to
    perform, is in the process of performing, or has already
    completed. In all he says and does, man is obliged to follow
    faithfully what he knows to be just and right....

    1782. Man has the right to act in conscience and in freedom so as
    personally to make moral decisions. "He must not be forced to act
    contrary to his conscience. Nor must he be prevented from acting
    according to his conscience...."

Most hear conscience as the nagging voice that stops us from doing
something 'bad' -- but more importantly, we should think of it as
wanting us to do what is 'good'.

For many, we describe the feeling we had when a Court Order stepped
between us & our kids -- as having our hearts ripped out.  Not just
one day, but each and every day.  Living with a personal anguish that
troubles us to the foundation of our being. Why?

A Court blocking a moral imperative, an obligation of conscience.
What of our duty as parents to love and nurture our children?  When we
talk about GREAT Civil Rights -- don't they all come from the same
foundation?  The freedom to follow and act according to our
conscience?

Our Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion, our Personal Liberty?
What of the Freedom to Love our Children?

How else can we feel when the "State" interjects itself as we strive
to fulfill the duty of conscience.  The positive acts we are 'obliged'
to perform?  Is it any wonder so many parents feel a pain that just
won't (and should not) go away?

Public 'policy' should NOT block duties of conscience.
-----------------------------------------------------
There is an important concept expressed above. No one should try to
stop you from acting in accord with conscience.  Allow someone else to
determine what is in "the best interest" of your child?  Allow public
laws to exist that are based more on 'the law of averages' than
individual justice?

Can we please stop looking for Scientific Studies that support equal
parenting?  We diminish ourselves and our GREAT right when we do that.
>From my past NonViolent Actions I have had the chance to spend quite a
bit of time in jail holding cells with other people who were just
arrested. I can tell you that 90% of them were exactly guilty of what
the police charged them with (if not worse acts).

Would you support a 'law' that said anyone charged with a crime should
just be convicted then & there?  Do we really want to run the risk of
letting these dangerous people hurt other innocents?  Let's not forget
OJ?  Better safe than sorry!

Why do have a presumption of innocence, require trials, and require a
unanimous jury verdict?  Because we are about to take someones
Freedom.  We are about to interfere with a GREAT right.  Should not
the same level of attention be required before we can't express the
love we have for our children?
http://www.AKidsRight.Org/approach.htm

Introspection & Our Response
----------------------------
Maybe a lot of you agree with the above?  Maybe it helps stir your
anger at the Judges, Lawyers, Social Workers, Politicians and (have I
forget one) former spouses that stepped between you and your kids.
That is the easy way and the wrong way.  Review those two paragraphs
again:

    "In all he says and does, man is obliged to follow faithfully what
    he knows to be just and right...."

What about that?  The Civil War ended in 1865 and 'freed' the slaves.
But what about the dehumanizing thing that was called 'segregation'.
It went on as public policy for almost 100 years.  What a tragedy.

Why? It would be easy to blame the "Whites" and the people in power.
But go back to that excerpt.

When a Black voluntarily walked to the back of the bus, peed in a
different bathroom, or drank out of a different water fountain -- some
would have failed to follow their conscience.  They would have known
how wrong the system was, how denigrating it was to them and their
families -- but still they did it. Segregation did not go away. Why go
along if their conscience told them it was wrong?

We know the answer to that one.  The 'system' is powerful, it can
throw you in jail, take your money, destroy your family.  We go along,
just like they did.  Why?

A Failure of Faith?
-------------------
Because we don't believe anything we do will matter.  Why should I
risk sitting in the front of the bus, when the Klan will visit me
tonight and burn my house down?  Better to wait....what can I do?  How
will that kind of sacrifice matter?  I'll so something safer....

Can we relate to that, can we see ourselves in the mirror?  We want
politicians to 'champion' our political causes because it is the
'right thing' -- but does our personal inaction speaks louder than our
words?  We want people who work in the 'system' to buck the system --
they have the same fears we do....

NonViolent Action
-----------------
Take the time to look at some of the historical material we have on
NonViolent Action, http://www.AKidsRight.Org/civil.htm -- especially
the material on Dr. Martin Luther King and segregation.  A Civil
Rights Act passed Congress when Blacks recognized their dignity as
human beings, and showed its GREAT value by their voluntary personal
sacrifice.  There actions changed the heart of the Nation.

It's been a long time since America has seen a grass roots Civil
Rights movement.  Before we see serious reform, it will need to see
another.  As parents we need to act in ways that will change the heart
of the Nation if we want to see a Family Rights Act passed. An Act
that will recognize & protect our ability to love and nurture our kids
-- just as our conscience calls for.

Your thoughts?
-- 
                                       John Murtari
____________________________________________________________________
Coordinator                            AKidsRight.Org
jmurtari@AKidsRight.Org                "A Kid's Right to BOTH parents"
Toll Free (877) 635-1968(x-211)        http://www.AKidsRight.Org/

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