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Your Petition/Picture/Feedback & Action for Reform (April 16)
From: John Murtari (jmurtari@AKidsRight.org)
This is a message from a mailing list, members@kids-right.org http://www.kids-right.org/ To unsubscribe from this list at anytime, send email to Majordomo@kids-right.org with the following 1 line in the BODY of the message (Subject is ignored). unsubscribe members ====================================================================== Good People, This message (sorry for the length!) contains information on: 1. Signature style planned for April 16th event. 2. Other Groups & your feedback from our prior message. 3. What did you do? 60 Minutes interested & the Discipline of Lent 1. Signature style planned for April 16th event. ------------------------------------------------ We welcome you to examine our plans for a peaceful walk in Syracuse, NY on April 16th. For details, and to see those participating so far, http://www.AKidsRight.Org/plan_syr.htm Here is the news report we hope to see (along with more in the future): ========== Syracuse, NY (Hanley Federal Building) - Today a group of mothers and fathers presented their petitions for a Family Rights Act at the offices of Congressman James Walsh, Senator Charles Schumer, and newly elected Senator Hillary Rhodam Clinton. Their petitions took the unique form of pictures of their children, with a handwritten message asking for restoration of their Civil Right to be a parent. A few of the group members then spent some time quietly walking in the halls outside of the offices of Congressman Walsh, simply carrying a picture of their children. This was described as the use of NonViolent Action to demonstrate their willingness to make sacrifice our of their love for family [they were arrested and released]. A spokesperson for the group expressed frustration that even after several letters and a meeting with staff, the Congressman refuses to acknowledge their plight and the need for Federal protection of parents and families. In contrast to the bitterness and anger which is normally associated with protest efforts and family issues -- these people expressed a positive attitude. The spokesperson was careful to note they were NOT there to condemn the Congressman as a "bad person" or as someone who doesn't care about family or children's issues; however, as a natural part of the political process they were there to show their concern over the issue and to increase his sensitivity to their cause. They will soon be approaching the two US Senators to arrange staff meetings -- they are hoping for Congressional Hearings into Family Law reform so that the many parents affected by the present patchwork of laws across the nation will have a chance to tell their stories. The group wants to see strong protection to the parent/child bond. Recognition of their right to an equal relationship with their children, and the protection of a Jury when that relationship is threatened by either divorce, separation, or the action of child protective services. They first see Federal Civil Rights action and failing that, Congressional action to amend the US Constitution to formally recognize this right. ============ Please consider joining us. If you can't, send us a picture of you and your children that we can leave with our Federal Government. If you can help in any other way, please let us know! Send photos to: A Kid's Right c/o Software Workshop Inc. 55 E. Genesee Street Baldwinsvlle, NY 13027 We recommend you make a copy of a picture and on the back, hand write a brief message asking for protection of your rights and expressing your desire to see your children. Include your full name and address so they can respond. Any contributions you can make are welcome, but not required. Make checks payable to: "A Kid's Right" During the fight against segregation in the 50's, many blacks became "Freedom Riders". Intentionally, and peacefully, accepting arrest by sitting in the front of buses. Our search for reform requires action on many fronts: legislative, legal, and public action. For the members of AKidsRight.Org, we try to bring a focus to personal sacrifice and NonViolent Action as a method for bringing reform. We will petition our government by peacefully walking outside offices, just carrying pictures of our children, from whom we have been unjustly separated. In violation of our most basic Human and Civil Rights. 2. Other Groups & your feedback from our prior message. ------------------------------------------------------- We would like to share some feedback from our earlier message, to see it check: http://www.AKidsRight.Org/archive Here are your comments, both good & bad: === [Regarding the Family Rights Act, http://www.AKidsRight.Org/act.htm] It looks pretty good, but I believe these two provisions in 2 d and e, need more fine tuning: "by applying the traditional protection of a jury and proof beyond a reasonable doubt when any of the preceding freedoms are challenged the standard of conduct and proof required for a parent to maintain an equal relationship with their children should be no more for a parent who is experiencing a divorce from their spouse -- than for a parent not experiencing a divorce." If the Family Court system began to be required to allow the same burden and examination of proof and evidence before it was submitted as found in criminal proceedings, we may find it working better. Right now, all a judge has to go by is which attorney, and/or parent-party he/she likes best. It's all what is termed "discretionary." Judges in Family Court base their decisions and have the frightening power of very broad "discretion". Herewith, I find the basis of many of the problems over custody, visitation and backlogs in the divorce/family court. Children and their rights to one or both parents should never be determined on who the judge likes or believes better. This is the worst privilege that has ever been granted and is highly subject to corruption by unethical lawyers, court clerks, community members, etc. Guardian Ad Litems, whether or not they are social workers, also are casually permitted to make as informal and bias reports as well. I like the right to a jury trial, if necessary......but, we need a far higher burden of proof and ability to examine prejudicial information before the Court decides on it. In addition to the Jury and other avenues, we as parents must have some better customer service venue within the court system for giving feedback on how the system is working..... Right now as I see it, it is not only quite primitive in nature, but barbaric in its medieval ignorance! >From Courtney - no email by request. === Another N U T ! See ... http://www.dadsusa.com/fd2000.htm === > > Your message is respectful and astute. The movement as I see it > cannot effectively move forward without healing messages as was forwarded > in the message below. > > Thank you for your time and your foresight and for the visionary heartfelt > message that you're forwarding others. blbrooke@earthlink.net === Justice For Families was founded in 1997 by Tom & Nev Moore to offer support and advocacy to families who have been wrongfully targeted by Child "Protective" Services based on false or frivolous allegations of child maltreatment.JFF is working to preserve traditional family values and minimize governmental intrusion into family life. http://www.justicforfamilies.com/ justiceforfamilies@hotmail.com === > Center for Children's Justice, Inc. > Denver, CO > http://www.childrensjustice.org > director@childrensjustice.org > > >From the CCJ Mission Statement: > > THE INALIENABLE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN > > The Center for Childrens Justice is an organization of active, > concerned parents, professionals, and social and political activists > whose common goal is the preservation of the child-parent relationship > in full after divorce or other family division, or in the case of > children born out of wedlock. > CCJs central proposition is that children have a fundamental, > natural, inalienable right to full access to both parents. Divorce or > separation may end the relationship of the parents, but it does not, > and cannot be allowed to, diminish the relationship between the child > and either parent. > === Kids-right organization is linked to MESA's web site through: Other Support Groups (American Groups) MESA's web site is http://www.mesacanada.com/ Thank you for including MESA in your message and for offering a link. === 3. What did you do? 60 Minutes interested & the Discipline of Lent ------------------------------------------------------------------- I just finished a wonderful 10 days of vacation with my 8 year old son. It was just a joy for both of us! As he left hearbroken at the end of our "visit," I couldn't help but feel depressed by the immensity of the system we battle. Why try so hard when so little appears to have effect. Just compromise and get on with it! We have an event coming up on April 16th. I imagine we could get quite a crowd if we could just announce Mike Wallace from 60 minutes would be there with the camera crews -- ready to interview every parent that came and to investigate their stories.... That Senator Hillary Clinton would invite them to the U.S. Capital to testify before Congress! Wow! Someday that will happen and it's all a lot easier then. We must know each sacrifice we make will have a result, and that is what this message is about. Gandhi hit the nail on the head by saying: "He who is brooding over result often looses nerve in the performance of duty. He becomes impatient and then gives vent to anger . . . he jumps from action to action, never remaining faithful to any. He who broods over results . . . is every distracted, he says good-bye to all scruples, everything is right in his estimation and he therefore resorts to means fair & foul to attain his end. Not focusing on 'results' gives one the inner peace to achieve final goals, this is renunciation." http://www.AKidsRight.Org/civil_back.htm When you decide to sacrifice, do it because it is the right thing to do. When I walk into that Federal Building on the 16th it will be for my love for Domenic. I can't say it any better than a deputy did when I was being arrested on an earlier occasion, "John, you are pursuing a noble cause. When your son grows up there will be no doubt in his mind how much you loved him..." Such sacrifice isn't for all of us and we sacrifice in many different ways as we pursue our goals. There was someone who made a great sacrifice a long time ago for similar goals. He didn't get a lot of press coverage and it took the message a while to grow, but he planted the seed, he did his duty: The Lord God opens my ear that I may hear. And I have not rebelled, have not turned back. I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard: My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. The Lord God is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame. Isaiah 50:4-7 A very comforting thought for all of us! ================================================================== To unsubscribe from this list at anytime, send email to Majordomo@kids-right.org with the following 1 line in the BODY of the message (Subject is ignored). unsubscribe members
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