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Corruption, communication, superheroes, politics, and more

Exposing the corruption - radio show

Family rights activist Kathy Tilley will be on Next Friend Radio tonight, Thursday, March 9, from 5-9 pm (pst). Kathy will be interviewed by Brother Cletus Keifer of Families At Risk of Missouri. The subject is Exposing The Corruption-the project. To join the discussion call 641-297-5900. To listen, visit Next Friend Radio by clicking HERE.

Single fathers and the communication industry

Diane A. Sears has been chosen to be a panelist for the “Social Entrepreneurship, the New Media, and the Single Father Movement” panel at the 97th annual Eastern Communication Association's conference on April 28 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Diane is the author of a great book, one I highly recommend, called IN SEARCH OF FATHERHOOD® -- TRANSCENDING BOUNDARIES.

The Eastern Communication Association ("ECA") was initially established in 1910 and is the oldest professional communication association in the United States. Highly acclaimed as a distinguished service-oriented organization, ECA enjoys a history of achievement in research, criticism, communication theory, and excellence in teaching.

New York needs our support NOW

Please join me in supporting the Coalition of Fathers and Families-New York's shared parenting bill A330. Visit Glenn Sack's website to join the campaign HERE.

Equal Parenting is "AN INEVITABILITY"

Equal Parenting is "AN INEVITABILITY" according to the Australian parenting group Fathers4Equality. Currently, the government is in the process of debating the recently introduced Family Law Amendment Bill, a commendable bill that is intended to usher in a new era of equal parenting arrangements. As part of this process, Fathers4Equality has recently presented its well researched submission on the benefits of equal parenting to children of separated families, entitled "Parents are Forever...even if marriages are not" to the Senate Hearing on the provisions of the Family Law Amendment. "The benefits of equal parenting are well accepted and have been repeatedly demonstrated in very credible research" says Ash Patil, President of Fathers4Equality. You can read more HERE.

DADS ON THE AIR - Australia

Listen to radio shows about fatherhood and fathers' issues HERE.

Parenting for Character

Geoffrey Greene, former director of the Shared Parenting Council of Australia and Wayne Butler, lobbyist for change.

Men's Rights Agency

Update on our Canadian superheroes

According to Rob Robinson, aka Burnaby Batman, "The crown in Victoria will not be pursuing charges [for this January stunt on the Johnson Street Bridge] against the defendants and the matter is officially a closed case with all free from any binding conditions or obligations for said charges.

Some people climb bridges, others go political - UK

The Children First Party and the Equal Parenting Alliance have chosen the name Equal Parenting Alliance (EPA) as the new unified political party's name. For more information visit their website HERE.

What's love got to do with it?

You might find this article on equality in marriage interesting. I was happy to read this:

"...court decisions regarding child custody and property division should take into consideration the responsibility that each spouse bears for the divorce. As a matter of simple justice, innocent spouses who do not wish to divorce should not lose primary custody of their children or primary control of their property."

National Review Online editor Kathryn Lopez talked to one of those professors about "What's Love Got to do With it? Equality, Equity, Commitment and Women's Marital Quality." W. Bradford Wilcox is a resident fellow at the Institute for American Values and an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Virginia.

International Child Abduction-Child Found, Corruption Exposed

When I first introduced you to Karl Hindle last September he was frantically searching for his missing daughter Emily. Emily has been found, and Karl has been enjoying unsupervized reunification visits with her, but this story doesn't have a happy ending, yet. Karl continues to deal with false allegations of abuse, he doesn't have custody of Emily yet, and the people (and government agencies) who kept his daughter from him have not been punished. You can hear this tragic story by listening to Karl Hindle's interview by Annie Armen.

Fathers4Justice Protest in Wales

Fathers4Justice-Wales
Thirty fathers protest in Cardiff.
"We wanted to show that we're still alive and to send a message to the courts."
icWales.co.uk article

 

Two Canadian Fathers4Justice Activists Charged

Hal Legere, aka Robin, September 2004

On Tuesday, February 21, Hal Legere, a Fathers4Justice activist, was charged in Surrey Provincial Court with mischief for his September 2004 protest on the Patullo Bridge . Legere was given two years probation, 50 hours of community service work and ordered not to be a pedestrian on any motor vehicle bridge in the province of BC Canada.

Yesterday, February 23, Steven Hodges Whittaker appeared at the Victoria Supreme Court for scaling a tower crane in downtown Victoria dressed as Spiderman and hanging a 40-foot banner over Yates Street in May 2005.

Fathers4Justice Superheroes; Robert Waters aka The Flash, Doug Hanlon aka Superman, Steven Hodges Whittaker aka Spiderman, and Robert Robinson aka Burnaby Batman, converged upon the Victoria Supreme Court with signs warning the general public of the extreme gender bias that lie within the court.

When I asked why he chose to become an F4J superhero Whittaker replied:

"In October 2003 I had sole custody of my 13-year-old daughter, R. Note that despite many accusations of being abusive, I won sole custody in Dec 2000. While R was visiting her mother, D, in October 2003 one weekend (the right to overnight visits had been recently won by D) I received the fateful phone call.

Prior to that I realized that our Family Judicial System was flawed but I had hopes for it, after all, I had sole custody. On the phone D told me that R wasn't going to come home. Simple, flat & just like that, "She's going to live here, now." So, I called the police.

If your daughter had been abducted by an abuser what would you do? Call the police, of course. They're response was that I needed a court order. I had a court order giving me sole custody but they said that they needed a court order to enforce that court order.

I went to the Ministry of Children & Families (MCF), the people who had removed R & her sister, G, from D because D was so abusive. They wouldn't touch it & they would not assist me in contacting the original caseworkers. Their attitude & their statements all said that teenagers are not children & fathers have no rights as parents.

So, I got a lawyer & we took it to court. Guess how far that flew! Fathers should be grateful if they get to even visit their children! The Criminal Code of Canada states that if a child under the age of 14 has been abducted the stated wishes of the child are not to be taken into account.

The Judge, the MCF workers & the police all the issues with R. The judge was nice enough to allow me to spend $5,500.00 on a psychologist to study the problem; unfortunately, he turned out to be as sexist as the rest of them. D's place was so messy one could not walk there, my place was a "pigsty", D was "loveable." That's supposed to be unbiased? Loveable?

Now that R has been in "joint" custody & living with her mother I no longer get any visits, I do not get to see report cards, I do not get phone calls. I have been cut completely out of R's life.

Ask yourself, what would happen to ANY man, let alone one who had previously been falsely accused of being a child abuser and abductor? I had been working already on the MESH Project, trying to get a Men's Transition House in Victoria, and had therefore been in contact with various men's groups, but this was too much. If working slowly but legally was going to leave the children vulnerable to damage then obviously I needed to step up the pace: hence Spiderman. S. Hodges-Whittaker"

Whittaker was found guilty of mischief and given 1 year probation with an unconditional discharge at that time. He was also ordered to pay $750 restitution to Farmer Construction for the costs of inspection to the crane. After being promised he'd have the opportunity to read a short letter he had written to explain why he did what he did, a letter that shows the love of a father for his daughter, the opportunity never came. He promised his fellow superheroes he'll keep strong and continue to fight for the rights of children.

California Dads Bonding with Babes and the Great Outdoors

I'm always happy to see fathers and their children enjoying each other's company. I'm even more excited when I see fathers supporting each other in their journeys from diapers to girl scouts to graduation. Today's Contra Costa Times has a refreshing article about the Grateful Dads, a group of men who take hikes with their tikes in the San Francisco Bay Area. Though some are married and see this as giving their wives a break, others are single dads. I can see this being a huge support for noncustodial fathers. The Grateful Dads are happy to expand:

What began with eight dads and seven babies...now has 300, including 90 in the East Bay. But the premise is still the same. There are no fees, no R.S.V.P.s and no one takes roll. You just show up...

Chapter-launching inquiries have come in from fathers across the country. One of the original Dads moved to Spain and started a chapter there. The possibilities are limitless, Marks muses: global Grateful Dads, a worldwide network of dads and kids in the great outdoors.

East Bay GRATEFUL DAD hikes start at 9 a.m. sharp. Maps and details at www.gratefuldads.com

• Feb. 25 -- Joaquin Miller Regional Park, Oakland

• March 18 -- Garin Regional Park, Hayward

• April 15 -- Sunol Wilderness, Sunol

• April 29 -- Iron Horse Trail, Danville, Family/Friends Bike Outing

• May 20 -- Mt. Diablo, Danville

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And for moms:

East Bay MOMS and their tykes take hikes and stroller walks every Friday at 10 a.m. Directions and details at www.eastbaymoms.com

Feb. 17 -- Hike at Redwood Bowl, Redwood Regional Park, Oakland

Feb. 24 -- Stroller Walk at Marina Bay, Richmond

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Show some Love for these Canadian Superheroes

Robert Stone will be appearing before the BC Human Rights Tribunal at 9:30 am on February 14, Valentines Day, fighting for Canadian fathers' rights to participate in the naming of their children. Please show Rob your appreciation at 1170-605 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC. (MAP) (PDF hearing schedule)

This case was decided in Trociuk vs. HMTQ at the Supreme Court of Canada in June of 2003. The BC Government is still not in compliance with the SCC order. You can also send Rob an email by clicking here.

Hal Legere (Robin) will be appearing before the Surrey BC Provincial Court on February 21 and 22 at 9:30 am. Hal is facing mischief charges for scaling the Pattullo bridge in Surrey BC on September 25, 2004. Please show him your appreciation, and support children's meaningful relationships with both parents by showing up.

Steven Hodges Whittaker (Spiderman) will also be facing these charges at 9:30 am on February 23 in Victoria BC for scaling a tower crane on May 10, 2005 for children's rights. Please show up in Victoria and make Steve feel appreciated.

Canada's first Batman (Burnaby Bat - Rob Robinson) will be in attendance all three days in two different jurisdictions. How about you?

Epsom Protest Photo 3

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Epsom Protest Photo 2

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Epsom Protest Photo 1

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You just can't keep good Superheroes down!

When Matt O'Connor, founder of the original Fathers4Justice, put away his schemes, banners, and loyalities, he must have forgotten about the passion that drives fathers to don Superhero costumes and risk life, limb and liberty. Did he really think these hurting, frustrated fathers would suddenly be satisfied staying quietly out of the limelight? It was, after all, O'Connor himself who showed them how these protests and demos were getting media and government attention. It was that fact, and the hope that went with it, that drew so many to his campaign. Men denied their children for years started thinking they might someday be reunited. It is that passion that keeps them donning capes and risking their own lives for the lives of their children, and they don't need O'Connor's permission to do that.

People who once proudly proclaimed their membership to F4J are now reorganizing (Real F4J and F.A.R.T. are examples) and many feel a burden has finally been lifted. More than once we've heard of unrest among F4J members and skepticism about O'Connor's leadership abilities. It's even been reported that O'Connor himself sabotaged a protest because he hadn't planned every detail, then slandered the organizer. This is just one of many complaints I've heard. At some point you start to wonder - is his cause fathers and children, or is it Matt O'Connor himself?

So now the world knows about the movie and book deals. Funny how the facts keep changing. We were told by O'Connor that there was a 2-year battle to win the rights. We were also told the deal was just recently signed. I have an email from O'Connor himself from last summer telling me that Disney had already signed. Yet now we're hearing conflicting reports that both Disney and another company have signed. What exactly is the truth, Matt?

I'm concerned about the movie. I'll be thrilled if it ends up an accurate portrayal of these fathers' injustices, but I don't have faith it will. O'Connor is proud to say the movie isn't about Fathers4Justice, it's about him. I understand he feels betrayed by those who opened unsanctioned branches, and feels angry due to things said about him. Hurtful things have been said and done by many, including O'Connor. I can only pray the bad feelings subside to the point he decides to help the cause, not hurt it.

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F.A.R.T Causes a Stink
(Fathers Against Rough Treatment)

Tony Sykes (dressed as Robin), a father denied his three children for 2 years, and a 16-year-old boy denied his father for many years, climbed up on the rooftop of the Epsom County Courthouse Tuesday to protest:

...the abuse perpetrated on Children by the Family Courts in this country and against the corrupt system, operated by the government SS, CAFCASS, and their child psychologist cohorts, who are not properly qualified, wrongly given the title, ‘expert,’ or ‘professional,’ who continue to violate the role of parent, (mostly Fathers), to be estranged from their children, for no good reason...

In a press release announcing this protest it states:

The Legal Aid system is one of the biggest gravy-trains in the UK and the tax-payer foots the bill to the tine of £1.2 billion per year. This £1.2 billion is just in the Family Courts alone.

And it goes on:

The 16 year old youth has not seen his Dad for years and cannot understand why the Courts do not allow him contact with his Dad. He remembers his dad is good man and has never done anything to warrant the rough treatment in the Corrupt UK Courts.

The young man was able to get away without incident. Mr. Sykes was assisted in his descent with a cherry-picker after 5 1/2 hours on the rooftop.

For more information about Fathers Against Rough Treatment (F.A.R.T) write to fathersagainstroughtreatment@hotmail.co.uk

Photos are posted here, here, and here.

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