From: John Murtari (jmurtari@akidsright.org)
Date: Sat Jan 13 2007 - 10:01:46 EST
Good People & People of Faith,
1. Think CPS powers bad - this will make it worse in New York.
2. CPS out of control - Kentucky Inspector General.
3. Boston Tea Party - some videos and names.
4. Support Reform in Wisconsin - a Doctor's prescription for change.
5. A word from the real - SPIDERMAN (he has a British accent)!
6. Your FEEDBACK
> A form of tyranny is bound to exist where a single person rules over
> people ... Without any form of accountability, and with a view to
> his own advantage rather than that of his subjects, for no free man
> will voluntarily endure such a system. -- Aristotle
The theme of this message is Civil Rights and what methods do we use
to achieve them. As a group we have a pretty clearly defined Goal and
Approach at http://www.AKidsRight.Org/approach.htm -- what's yours?
I met the leader of another group who had been through a brutal
divorce. They now had only ONE of THREE sons who was willing to see
them for Christmas. Here is their proposed program for reform:
Force separating parents to go to a three person mediation panel
consisting of: a trained mediator, a lawyer, and an accountant.
There goal would be a solution which met the 'best interest of
the Family', not just of the child.
If mediation failed, it would then go to binding arbitration by
one person who would also be trained to keep the 'best interest
of the Family' at heart.
If either parent was unhappy, they could then resort to the
Appeal process.
What do you think? This person thought it was a great
solution. Remove all the bias in the present system, change the focus
to the "family", and preserve family assets.
I thought it was no better than what we had now. My basic question
was, "What gives these people the right to decide what is best for you
and your family? Don't we have a basic right to be considered fit &
equal parents to our children? Aren't you just replacing a Judge with
an 'arbiter' -- what will make them any less bias? Without first
getting a criminal conviction by a jury of our peers -- why should any
family be subject to such government control?
http://www.AKidsRight.Org/civil_rights_essay.htm
An intelligent parent, a leader, who had been tortured by the present
system, but focusing on a solution that would just replace one set of
arbitrary tyrants for another? Your thoughts?
Oh, and I didn't mention above if they were a father or a mother --
should that matter?
1. Think CPS powers bad - this will make it worse!
---------------------------------------------------
Submitted by: "Greg Fischer" <perfect100@hotmail.com>
[The bills referenced below may have been withdrawn since the link
no longer works -- but the goal should concern us all. Ed.]
A10412 and S6543 ... would have the effect to give police powers to
Child Protective Services (CPS). Would drop "probable cause" and
other legal standards to nearly ZERO.
CPS has no real rules of evidence --- pure discretion. Now the middle
class parents will be one social worker away from having their entire
house tossed! (Even if they are away on vacation.)
http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A10412
"Relates to individuals who refuse to participate in an investigation
being conducted by child protective services; grants a twenty-four
hour notice to the individual for the meeting or home visit; defines
"blatant refusal"; declares that such refusal shall indicate a need
for a more thorough investigation and shall be grounds for issuing an
immediate warrant to enter such individual`s home to investigate the
safety and well-being of the child or children; mandates that such
immediate warrant occur after one instance of blatant refusal."
2. CPS out of control - Kentucky Inspector General.
--------------------------------------------------
Submitted by: "Connecticut DCF Watch" <ct.dcf.watch@snet.net>
Inspector Delivers Scathing Child Services Report
http://www.wlky.com/news/10723437/detail.html
FRANKFORT, KY. -- The Office of Inspector General in the Kentucky
Cabinet for Health and Family Services issued a scathing report of a
year-long investigation of child protective services in central
Kentucky.
The 61-page report is a summary of the OIG investigation and lists
several conclusions. Several instances of false documentation and
dishonesty by staff, including false signatures and omission or
supplementation of case records, have been reported to the Hardin
County, Ky., commonwealth's attorney. The OIG found several cases of
unprofessional conduct by staff and supervisors.
According to the report, regional managers abused their power,
neglected to follow the chain of command and stripped supervisors of
their authority, including case review. Some caseworkers exuded an
attitude of superiority with clients and held birth parents to higher,
often difficult-to-meet standards when determining whether to
recommend a child's parental rights be terminated, the report said.
CHFS Secretary Mark D. Birdwhistell said the report highlights several
areas his staff is already addressing. "We have reviewed the OIG's
report and are prepared to act on it," he said. "I find it troubling,
but not entirely surprising. It clearly points to longstanding
problems with decentralized management that lacked appropriate checks
and balances to protect the integrity of the system."
However, the report does not substantiate allegations in the KYA
report that Lincoln Trail staff expedited foster children's
termination of parental rights to speed up certain adoptions....
(rest of article at link above).
3. Boston Tea Party - some videos.
----------------------------------
Take the time to check out the videos on the following link. The
production quality is excellent, especially the Boston Tea Party. But
what about the content? Is this the direction we should be heading to
get our Civil Right to be parents recognized?
How about:
* Just look at the link below. All you mom's out there who have
* been hurt by the system. Do you 'like' a link to mensnewsdaily
* or the actions of fathers4justice. To the men, if the link below
* was to momsnewsdaily would you click and be ready to join
* ladies4justice?
* One of the videos is of a protester climbing the roof of a
* Judge's home? Is that how Civil Right's are won? Should the
* blacks fighting segregation in the South have climbed the roofs
* also? Point out how bad the white man was -- or do we change
* deeply routed biases by changing hearts from within - by our
* demonstrations of personal self sacrifice?
http://mensnewsdaily.com/2006/12/18/videos-fathers4justice-uk-and-us-demonstrations/
4. Support Reform in Wisconsin - a Doctor's prescription for change.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted by a member: Dr. Malcolm Hatfield, MD <hatfield@pol.net>
Read his story at: http://www.AKidsRight.Org/shame3.htm#hatfield
His letter to the editor published in the Racine Journal Times:
"The recent article concerning cuts in federal incentives for child
support enforcement gives the impression that this is a bad
thing. I disagree and so do thousands of disenfranchised parents
across Wisconsin. It is important to understand where the authority
for the State to enforce child support comes from. It was intended
to protect the State from the burden of supporting children whose
parent(s) had willfully abandoned their children. The Social
Security Act of 1935 was amended to include title IV-D. This Act
was intended to address the financial needs of these abandoned
children. Through what is known as 'legislative creep' this
program has been expanded to include all children of divorce,
whether the children are on welfare or not. The State has
unconstitutionally infringed on the natural guardianship right of
parents in millions of cases.
A solution to this problem is to presume that both fit parents are
entitled to equal placement of their children. Millions of
children, including my own daughter are growing up without the love
and guidance of a parent who has been run off or jailed by this
system. With equal placement both parents are responsible for their
children's well being and both parents are able to render support on
an equal basis. This would eliminate or severely reduce the need
for State intervention and expenditures.
Those State agencies whose budget depends on these federal
incentives will never agree to this solution because it is not in
their best interest to do so. They would have to cut their bloated
budgets and put bureaucrats out on the street where they belong."
5. A word from the real - SPIDERMAN (he has a British accent)!
-------------------------------------------------------------
David Chick <dave@leedsfc.fsnet.co.uk>, http://www.spidermandad.com/
[A real role model for many parents. Not specially trained or gifted,
but willing to accept arrest not from a violent or insulting act
against others -- but a demonstration of courage, faith, and love.
What is stopping us? ]
The mayor of London compares him to Osama bin Laden. He's been dubbed
a "menace" holding a city for "ransom," as well as a lunatic and an
extremist.
What has a middle-aged window washer named David Chick done to arouse
such anger? He loves his little daughter, from whom he's been forcibly
separated, and he had the courage to do something about it.
"[My daughter] is the most precious thing in my world. I was
there for the scans when she was still in the womb. I was there
for her birth. I fed her, bathed her, got up in the night with
her, cuddled her when she cried.
"Now I'm just another statistic--another dad who has no part in
his daughter's life. For me, it is a living bereavement."
Chick launched a world famous, traffic snarling, six day, one-man
protest atop a 150 foot high crane near the Tower Bridge in London in
November 2003. Dressed as Spiderman because he is his little
daughter's favorite comic book character, Chick had been to court 25
times and spent the equivalent of $30,000 in unsuccessful attempts to
get English courts to enforce his visitation rights.
Facing a prison sentence for his protest, Chick was acquitted by an
English jury, some of whom were reportedly moved to tears by his
testimony. In 2003, Chick came in second in the Evening Standard
London Personality of the Year contest and was the runner-up Political
Personality of the Year on a major English television station.
... read more at his web site, http://www.spidermanddad.com/
6. Your FEEDBACK
----------------
In response to: http://www.AKidsRight.Org/support_jm.htm
--- dad4justice@yahoo.com.au
> You are an inspiration to me, as I have done hard jail time since my
> war started just before the Twin Towers went down. We will win in
> the end mate, and we will retain our dignity . Our kids love us to
> bits, and they are ALL going to be proud of us all one day .
--- amfortas@aapt.net.au
> Thanks Teri for the great exposure you have given John and his
> protest. He is a model of acting on conviction. He is a model to us
> all of peaceful non-cooperation.
--- "Walter Keller" <wkeller@nokomisinc.com>
> I just wanted to write to encourage your quest against an unjust
> system that simply hurts children. I want to encourage you to
> continue your non-violent and positive campaign. Your courage and
> leadership is much needed. There are a lot of people who have been
> hurt who do not know how to properly channel their energy and I am
> hopeful that your example will help put them onto the right track.
> It is unfortunate that reasonable people can not understand the harm
> that is thrust upon the children of the nation.
--- Bryan Ferguson <bferg2003@yahoo.com>
> I was with you in spirit and appreciate what you are doing to help
> me get my parental rights. My son is going to be 4 next month and
> has seen me once (on his 3rd birthday, after I did my best Jim
> Rockford imitation to find out where he was going to be, then had my
> mother with me when I visited him at his daycare, so she could
> intercede with my son's mother). I have felt as thought I've been
> fighting for my rights on my own, but with your battle, though
> thousands of miles away, I don't feel so isolated.
--- terry.pitts@comcast.net
> Here in Georgia we have had some success in changing the state's
> child support laws. I was surprised to find myself standing on the
> capitol steps with a protest sign. I wouldn't have thought that as a
> middle aged white male republican professional that I'd be doing
> that. Of course, we go to great lengths to protect our children.
> I don't know that I would have had the strength to do what you
> did. You have brought a spotlight to the situation that a judge can
> set an irrational figure for child support and then jail someone who
> can't pay an economically unreasonable figure.
> Take care of yourself, your family, and keep up with the efforts. Do
> take time, though, to get your health back. It's much better for you
> to be a speaker than a martyr!
--- Bessie my14mema@yahoo.com
> Hi John, this is Bessie Hudgins from Three Sides to Every Story,
> Inc. I would like to tell you that I kept you in my prayers while
> you was in jail. I can not tell you how touched I was by what you
> did. My son and I have been fighting a corrupt system for over 18
> years and still continue today. We have not seen his children for
> over 6 years, but we keep fighting. I am glad you are out and
> getting back to your every day life. Full steam ahead my friend,
> and if there is anything Ic an do for you through my website and
> org. please do not hesitate to ask.
--- Bryant bcsvirtual.msg@juno.com
> I respect what you have done and are doing for our cause. It is VERY
> difficult to celebrate the holidaze without regular contact with
> "our" children. Most WOMEN are are beautiful both inside and out,
> but please remember there are also those she-devil's who are not;
> and who pump out illegitimate young victims and use them as
> "prostitutes" with the government acting like the "pimp"!
There are the occasional 'she-devils', but I also have to believe they
are balanced by an equal amount of 'he-devils'. We are parents and
want our God given right to be EQUAL parents recognized. I'm sure you
will agree, laying blame on one side or another isn't going to make
things better for us. The bitterness only destroys us.
--- Cheryl.Taylor@kellogg.com
> Did you ever get to meet Hilary Clinton? I lost custody of my 10
> year old son. My heart is broken every day. His father uses him as
> a pawn to hurt me. Even though his father has full custody, he
> still fights with me over 20 minutes!
> ... I miss my baby so much! He cries for me. I still can't believe
> that I never hurt my child, don't use drugs, have a great home for
> him with 2 siblings that live with us and the courts took him away
> from me. The main reason his father won custody is because he
> planned it for a year and managed to manipulate situations to his
> advantage. We just didn't get along with each other.
We are still working on Sen. Clinton and are making plans for a rally
outside here offices for this Spring. I'm so sorry to hear about your
situation and the attempts made to completely cut you out of your
child's life. It is easy to 'game' the system -- we should just be
equal parents.
--- George Kenner <fourtecman@yahoo.com>
> I could not be happier that your home and are soon to see your son.
> Your actions inspire me and I am currently in discussion with the
> Ca. Chapter President of Fathers for Justice.
> I am not the type of person to get dressed up or even risk arrest
> but we are developing a way to respond to a rumor that is running
> around in San Diego.
> I have found a web site that posts courthouse rumors and
> statements of people that have been abused by the courts. In fact
> I did not find it, I was sent a link to the site by Teri Stoddard.
> Sometime after Christmas this plan could go into effect. It is of
> course nonviolent and in fact could inspire attention to the
> cause. I may in fact ask that you endorse part of the action.
> I will be watching what you do relative to a meeting request with
> Hillary Clinton. I will join any letter writing request that you
> make.
--- Robert Stevens Unclefixer@hotmail.com
> Kept fighting John, the only way to beat these kidnapping and
> stealing bastards is to stand up to them. Any way we can! The God
> awful abuse John Murtari has suffered at the hands of an abusive
> system is testament to the love fathers actually have for their
> children. Going so far as to go on a hunger strike. I Just hope
> the "Terrorist" who run the family court system are paying
> attention. Because anytime someone is dedicated enough to suffer
> personally to advance their cause, then watch out. If the
> "Terrorist" ignore this message, then the next people to suffer may
> be them! Because if peaceful methods fail, then force will then,
> regrettably, be necessary. And the "terrorist" will lose, they are
> out numbered, out gunned and out financed. They are going to lose!
> It would be better if they simply conceded to the demands we are
> making ro reform. But I fear that they are too stupid, too arrogant
> and too selfish to get it. I fear, force will be necessary.
... Hopefully, our willingness to sacrifice for what we believe in
will bring reform.
--- Mike Little <mnlittle@prodigy.net>
> Good to hear from you John! I'm glad you didn't cave in and even
> happier that you survived! As a fellow former political prisoner of
> the United States of American, even though it was our respective
> states who wrongfully imprisoned us the federal government should
> have interceded to protect our constitutional rights, I do
> understand your feelings about having this done to you. It's wrong
> and the people doing it know it. As you know, they do it for the
> money. I'm very proud of you for finding a way to stand up to them.
> I only wish that I was closer so that I could have help you through
> the experience. Mike Little Fort Worth, Texas
--- dday226@msn.com "Reform for Who?"
> Are we really getting closer to reform? I had a hearing in front of
> John Allen again (hearings total 16 years now) and was told that my
> daughter's father could NOT pay the required amount of 100.00 per
> month because he was self-employed. Please note that although
> we do live in another state MY daughter has spent the last 10
> Christmas vacations and summer vacations in NY with her father's
> relatives.... Reform for whom?....certainly not the parents who work
> to support their children and must spend month after month, year
> after year trying to get a little more than 100.00 a month only to
> be told NO by a bias hearing examiner... I ask you again...reform
> for whom?
You ask a good question. The support system is a mess and before it
can be 'fixed' we first need to reform how we think of the rights of
parents to be with their children. Once we have real equality between
parents (and I'd welcome your thoughts on a draft Family Rights Act we
have, http://www.AKidsRIght.Org/act.htm) -- I think we can do a better
job with support.
--- Deborah Planet <dlp4010@aol.com>
> Prayers are with you from Marin County, Ca. I was now ordered after
> 12 1/2 years in court to once a year a 6 hour visit in Hawaii. No
> visit for 1 1/2 years at all because of trial which was only a
> motion.
--- ronaldneil@sbcglobal.net
> If you see the issue as political, I am sorry. We must focus outside
> the partisan box.
> When a President violates his oath of office it should be viewed as
> a crime and not overlooked by those who voted for him or, because he
> is a "Christian" or, because he has the support of a particular
> party or, because he supports certain issues that seem important at
> the time.
> Impeachment should be pursued because we must honor those who fought
> and died to maintain the rule of law in our Constitutional Republic.
> Also, Congress seems to care little about this issue. That is no
> reason for us to ignore a corrupt official who has violated his oath
> of office. Besides, Congress should follow our lead and not the
> other way around.
> So, please, support impeachment and send a message to our elected
> "leaders" that we are watching and we do not like what we see.
I quite agree that when an official does something wrong they should
be prosecuted/impeached as conditions permit. I do not agree that
should be the primary focus of our efforts on a Civil Rights issue
such as the ability to be recognized as fit & equal parents to our
children, http://www.AKidsRight.Org/approach.htm
We need to get that 'right' recognized and protected through
legislative changes as has been done in the past.
--- "Bill Ross" <billross-usa@cox.net>
> have never written to you in the past. I am a non-custodial parent
> who spent close to $200K in court trying to protect my rights, and
> the rights of my children to have their father participate in
> raising them (now grown- 19 and 20 years old).
It is amazing how much money you have to pay just to be a parent to
your kids! I'm glad to hear of your success. I know many people who
spend the money and still end up with almost no visits.
> My ex-wife was very litigious and took me to court 6 or 7 times
> trying to take time with the kids away since we divorced in 1990.
> This was entirely about her getting more child support instead of
> what was best for the children. Less time with dad equaled more
> money for her. Considering she made over $100K per year, this is
> quite appalling.
> Throughout the 90's, each time I went to court, I was granted more
> custody of the children (up to the judge recommending 50/50 custody
> in 1997), but the court system in California does not favor joint
> custody when the parents, "do not get along". In other words, all
> the custodial parent has to do is put up a stink and say they do not
> get a long with the other parent and custody is knocked down to
> 60/40.
Yes, it is the same here in NY. All it takes is ONE person to cause a
communication failure. I certainly feel that should NOT matter. You
have two fit parents and they can share joint legal custody. That way
both parents stay informed about what is going on with their children
and you alternate 'tie' breaker authority, perhaps on an annual basis.
You both have equal time, neither parent can change that over the
objection of the other.
> My current wife and I (I remarried in 96') are very strong
> Christians and are fortunate enough to have a child in our current
> marriage. Cari is currently 7 and is turning out to be wonderful.
> Her older brother and sister (Nicole and Daniel), on the other hand,
> are not as lucky. They are a mess from all the time, money and
> energy that was expending fighting over them in court. I debate in
> my own mind whether I did the right thing fighting for their rights
> and mine to be involved in their life. It's not that it wasn't
> right for them to have both parents equally involved. It's that the
> system did not support my efforts and made a total mess of my family
> through the process I had to go through to continue to be involved
> with them. Therefore, it probably wasn't worth all that we loss
> trying to make this happen.
Sorry to hear about what is going on with your older kids. I don't
have a doubt you did the right thing and I know some good families
that never went through a divorce, but are still having problems with
their kids as they became young adults and got involved with drugs and
alcohol. Sometimes it just happens no matter what you do. Hopefully
with you as a steady presence and example, they should 'settle down'
with time!
> John, hopefully you can see that I am a man with much experience
> with the issue of non-custodial parenting issues. I have been
> dealing with this since 1990. There is something I feel that is a
> very important way for you to gain support from politicians and
> communities for the campaign of rights for non-custodial parents.
> Please consider this...
> I recently worked for LA County and found a lot of interest from the
> LA Board of Supervisors in a particular topic. If I had taken time
> to pursue it, the initial feedback I received was that I would have
> gathered a very interested following from them. Here's what I
> presented...
> With 50% or more of marriages ending in divorce and 40% of kids
> being born today out of wedlock, there are a lot of kids being born
> into single parent homes. The statistics bare this out with very
> high incidents for teen pregnancy, teenage drug use, suicides,
> drop-outs, gang activity and other societal problems. Our
> communities spend millions of dollars for programs and law
> enforcement to curb the problems that are created by children being
> raised by single parents. There is a much simpler solution that is
> inexpensive and can have a much more effective at curbing these
> problems...
> Support good non-custodial parents who want to be involved with
> their children! Change the court system to provide proper civil
> rights and support non-custodial parents who want and need to be
> involved in their children's lives. The money that's spent on
> lawyers and inflated child support is better spent on providing
> non-custodial parents a better opportunity and more time to be
> involved with their children. Children who have both parents
> involved grow up to be better adults and don't contribute to adverse
> statistics. Court systems that decide to put energy into finding
> ways to encourage the involvement of non-custodial parents in
> children's lives will find a huge pay-off in all of our futures. I
> am sure you agree with this. I believe this is the way to get
> politicians and key people involved in our cause.
--
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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