tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84335664601312173902024-03-19T12:49:47.888-05:00Victims of Family Court Violence & CorruptionBill Stonekinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12016300183018504879noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433566460131217390.post-3217689668139591802012-05-01T00:38:00.000-05:002012-05-01T00:39:01.137-05:00The Steven Watkins Visitation Interference Bill<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Illinois Fathers <br />
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We have intel that that SB 3823, (The Steven Watkins Visitation Interference Bill) will be coming up for a vote in the full House either this week or early next week. We are hoping for a Veto Proof vote from the members of the Illinois House. Yes, that sounds pretty ambitous, but frankly, this entire quest was ambitous from day one. No motivational speeches are needed here. Everyone reading this newsletter understands that if this bill passes, the floodgates are opened and opened wide. <br />
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If you need to determine who is your Illinois House Representative <br />
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<a href="http://www.elections.il.gov/DistrictLocator/DistrictOfficialSearchByAddress.aspx">http://www.elections.il.gov/DistrictLocator/DistrictOfficialSearchByAddress.aspx</a> <br />
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If you know who your Illinois House Representative is and need their contact information <br />
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<a href="http://www.ilga.gov/house/">http://www.ilga.gov/house/</a> <br />
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Please call soon and encourage support for Senate Bill 3823 / The Steven Watkins Visitation Interference BillBill Stonekinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12016300183018504879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433566460131217390.post-29644025024561117382010-06-20T22:18:00.000-05:002010-06-20T22:18:23.454-05:00Illinois Fathers Gazette<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkouKCnEWg4NNnsFLzmbRoHCUSGlN1ghFW9mNUwqKNGB9uQPm-oDv_vDo2CPoyCLMGtbA_rUCfv_Dsu58fX98_KPsH_wF1Vnj-SQoZ2o9ZDve5p9P-dT70PzrTK6dr-SNzF_fsOpbOM20/s1600/logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ru="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkouKCnEWg4NNnsFLzmbRoHCUSGlN1ghFW9mNUwqKNGB9uQPm-oDv_vDo2CPoyCLMGtbA_rUCfv_Dsu58fX98_KPsH_wF1Vnj-SQoZ2o9ZDve5p9P-dT70PzrTK6dr-SNzF_fsOpbOM20/s320/logo.png" /></a></div><br />
Today was a historic day in the life of our organization. Today, Illinois Fathers was graced with, who can be considered the pioneer if not the father of our movement, Dr. Stephen Baskerville. Dr. Baskerville was the keynote speaker of Illinois Fathers 2nd Annual Fatherless Day Rally. His speech focused on the causes of fatherlessness and some of the issues that prevent us from reversing this dilemma. He also stressed establishing a relationship with the media and making sure you are a part of an organization. One telling remark he made was that government was funding unconstitutional laws like VAWA ( the Violence Against Women Act).<br />
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There were many other speakers who gave very moving and passionate speeches as well. There was Mike Doherty of CRC who stated that fathers have been relegated to a position of uncle. Carrie Adams spoke about not seeing her kids in six years and all she had been put through and there wasn’t a dry eye in the area. Tony Taylor of Fathers for Justice spoke about the corruption in the system and that there are judges and legislators who know these things are going on and refuse to do anything.<br />
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Our hats go off and we give a big thank you to the two candidates who showed up, Lex Green, Libertarian candidate for Illinois Governor and LeAlan Jones, Green Party candidate for U.S, Senate. Both of these candidates were for Equally Shared Parenting and for less government involvement in family matters. Mr. Jones is the father of two boys he adopted and Mr. Green has been through the divorce process and understands our issues as his ex-wife gave him problems with their children in the divorce. These are two gentlemen you may want to find out more about.<br />
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We also want to thank the media that came out and covered the event. TV News Stations 17 out of Decatur and Channel 20 from Springfield were there early to cover the rally. An IRN Radio reporter and State Journal – Register newspaper reporter was there to cover the candidates’ forum that afternoon. We appreciate them taking the time and also for making this issue of fatherlessness a priority. We are making changes.<br />
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I guess the one factor that lets me know this was a success was not all the people who showed up in attendance, not all the media that covered the events nor the candidates who showed and the others who didn’t but claimed they wished they could. What makes it all worthwhile is after we were finished, a man that worked for the state Capitol Building came up and grab me by the arm and said, “Thank you for not letting this issue die and keeping it going. I went through this same thing with my ex and had to spend five days in jail because the judge took everything from me and wanted me to still give my ex-wife half my pension when she had 50,000.00 dollars in the bank saved up, gave me her 17,000.00 dollar lawyer bill and our kids”. Knowing that we just gave somebody else hope gained another voice, that’s what lets me know we were successful. There were also numerous motorists, bus drivers, and truck drivers who would honk their horns and give us a thumbs up as they drove by our Rally at the Lincoln Statue.<br />
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If you weren’t there you missed it, but we have a lot coming up. On July 3, the Illinois Family Law Committee will be voting on everything. Custody, Child support the whole works. We may not get 50/50 split, which is what Illinois Fathers wants when it’s all said and done, but judging from the votes of last week’s meeting, we will still get a minimum of 35% time. The board of Illinois Fathers was taped for television show Captions in Peoria, IL with shows that will air on July Fourth and July Seventh. Board member General Parker will be in Washington, DC next week to lobby against VAWA and reforms to repeal mandatory arrest. On November 16, mark your calendars. We want as many members as possible to show up in Springfield to lobby our legislators to accept the Illinois Family Law Committee’s recommendation for the increase in custody time for non-custodial parents. We will keep you apprised of any other events as we are made aware of them.<br />
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We want to thank all you have contributed to our fundraising campaign and want you realize all the work we do for you so you know your support is being put good use and is effective. If you have not yet contributed, please consider visiting our website and contributing today. We want to thank Mike McCormick and ACFC for the leadership and support they give us. A special thanks goes out to Mike Doherty and CRC and Carrie Adams with Laps for Love. All these organizations working collaboratively with Illinois Fathers helps us to achieve our goals and get these courts turned around and our kids back where they belong. And its going to take the efforts of all us working together, not apart, to win this battle. Just like the civil rights struggle in the 60’s and Equal Rights for women, we need the efforts of all these organizations to help fight on all fronts to be victorious. And people, we will be VICTORIOUS!!! Have a blessed day.<br />
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Despite all of the positives from our Fatherless Day Rally, we must admit that more attendance from our membership would have made the event even more successful. Our turnout was respectable, yet it paled in comparison to the crowds we have seen from various groups such as the Tea Parties, The Gun Rights people, and others. If you have not yet attended an Illinois Fathers event, please try to do so during the next 12 months. If we could all show up for just one event a year, it would go a long way towards educating the general public, the media and our elected officials that something is very wrong with the family court system.<br />
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The link below is a recording of our own Mr. General Parker being interviewed on Peoria's main talk station, WMBD.<br />
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<a href="http://www.jmpradio.com/pods/gd/gd.xml">http://www.jmpradio.com/pods/gd/gd.xml</a> <br />
Go to June 3, 2010 and click on podcast 3Bill Stonekinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12016300183018504879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433566460131217390.post-66649632104502293322010-04-22T13:17:00.000-05:002010-04-22T13:17:16.138-05:00~ Toys For Tots ~ Candle Light Vigil - IllinoisChicago, IL - For Immediate Release<br />
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<div style="padding-bottom: 7px;">~ TOYS FOR TOTS DAY ~<br />
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We would like to introduce ourselves ; Laps For Love a non for profit org. which is planning a ~ Toys For Tots Day ~ Candle Light Vigil event at 16501 South Kedzie Parkway Markham , Illinois 60428 . <br />
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We are inviting you our friends and your families to join us on Saturday April 24 , 2010 at 6 :30 p.m. The location is the Markham Courthouse and our gathering will be on the North East side of Kedzie . There is a driveway that leads you into the parking lot and you must turn either left if headed south on Kedzie or right if you are headed north on Kedzie . The predicted weather forecast of rain /storms may warrant us to gather briefly outdoors but then also go indoors at a location nearby to eat and fellowship if we need to .<br />
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A memorable national event on April 25 , 2010 joins people and communities from across the entire United States and abroad to declare *Parental Alienation Awareness Day* .<br />
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There are families who are kept apart from one another . There are children who are taken from their parents and never returned . <br />
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Laps For Love .Org would welcome all local media , any radio sponsors , other organizations and legal communities to share a ~ Toy For Tots ~ as these donations will be given to patients/ children in a neighboring hospital . If donating a toy , stuffed or non stuffed is unlikely please consider making a cash donation to Laps For Love .Org who will have their dark black shirts on and logo in blue - white . <br />
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There are other means for this event which we want all of you to consider and that is : How can you make a difference in the lives of Children ? There will always be various levels and conditions of housing for children , mentoring opportunities with children , tutoring the children , community clothing exchange for children , sport training camps for boys / girls etc... <br />
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But once again : How can you make a difference in the lives of Children ? <br />
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Are you willing to come and donate a toy on April 24, 2010 at 16501 South Kedzie Parkway Markham , Il. 60428 at 6 : 30 pm . <br />
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We are sharing this invitation with many organizations and we look forward to your participation . This gathering can bring comfort for a child who has not seen his/her own biological parent , guardian , or kin and you can make the difference when a toy , or cash donation is offered to Laps For Love. Org and join the many families who want parental alienation to end . <br />
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The wet weather may cause us to relocate to a neighboring restaurant and that can be decided amongst the participants and we invite all to join us even if the weather is dry . <br />
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Most likely going out to fellowship and eat is a promise .<br />
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If this message is received and you feel compelled to share it we encourage you to send it , re post it and let others know. We look forward to meeting you and we thank you for your love and care to children and their families . Laps For Love. Org <br />
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President<br />
Carrie Adams cja3freespirit@yahoo.com<br />
lapsforlove@yahoo.com <br />
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Co - President<br />
John Furbee f4j.john@yahoo.com<br />
lapsforlove@yahoo.com</div>Bill Stonekinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12016300183018504879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433566460131217390.post-1468477067759561682010-03-29T16:25:00.000-05:002010-03-29T16:25:07.749-05:00Illinois Fathers Gazette - April 10th Rally - Chicago, IL<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Illinois Family Law Study Committee - Family's Rally</span></strong> - <span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Chicago</strong></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikAdCNDRVscb_ikDoZTcAvlREVcW_UefMjbsIallGGR3F9eSOh6WVOn0ZWRBdEed3iQFQGoXSTSZLovv1WCLPefrH0K-b5o-TqubAUTE7MlYOS_gAUbhg7oby9CxgAGF4IXWQ6_px0AO4/s1600/logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" nt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikAdCNDRVscb_ikDoZTcAvlREVcW_UefMjbsIallGGR3F9eSOh6WVOn0ZWRBdEed3iQFQGoXSTSZLovv1WCLPefrH0K-b5o-TqubAUTE7MlYOS_gAUbhg7oby9CxgAGF4IXWQ6_px0AO4/s200/logo.png" width="200" /></a></div> Our Saturday April 10th event taking place in Chicago represents the best opportunity we have ever had to influence the family law system here in Illinois. The Illinois Family Law Study Committee is meeting that morning and we are holding our event in order to let the committee see that there are many of us who are not happy with the way the system is currently forcing parents away from their children. The Illinois Family Law Study Committee was formed for the purpose of examining the current system and proposing changes to the system. Once this process is done, the legislature probably will not want to revisit this issue anytime soon. You can rest assurred that our opposition has had a voice in this process.<br />
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Like our website home page says, "This is where the rubber meets the road". In our quest to fulfill our responsibilities as parents, we of course see the right and mostly the wrong of what is happening in the family courts. We must take a little time to step back however and view the politics of all this. Simply put, we have allowed our opposition to thump us politically for many years. The Morning of Saturday April 10th is when we can demonstrate to our elected officials that Illinois Parents are fed up with being forced out of their childrens lives.<br />
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Like our website home page says, "This is where the rubber meets the road". In our quest to fulfill our responsibilities as parents, we of course see the right and mostly the wrong of what is happening in the family courts. We must take a little time to step back however and view the politics of all this. Simply put, we have allowed our opposition to thump us politically for many years. The Morning of Saturday April 10th is when we can demonstrate to our elected officials that Illinois Parents are fed up with being forced out of their childrens lives.<br />
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Of course, children are welcome. We plan to make this event peaceful and respectable. We really do not need any outrageous signs or behavior. What we truly need is an outrageous number of people to attend !Bill Stonekinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12016300183018504879noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433566460131217390.post-66210135807387226552010-02-25T12:17:00.000-06:002010-02-25T12:17:14.885-06:00Capitol Weekly: Preventing courts from considering parental alienation will harm kids<a href="http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_c=ynm5jl56lmx9xv&xid=ynlb864byy5ll0&done=.ynm5jl56lni9xv">Capitol Weekly: Preventing courts from considering parental alienation will harm kids</a>Bill Stonekinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12016300183018504879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433566460131217390.post-20212412342318412152010-02-15T03:23:00.000-06:002010-02-15T03:23:56.830-06:00Illinois Fathers Gazette - Announcements<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaA91D7_FCBMU3-lfwd-F8IPpdu20hecsEStSmCps7RknRD4A0Kxj1fPLhY4T3qRhuZ4dktMq3XJsNll1rJQ-KEPPgIB4tL0RsmVCKCSqj4PrsL4GHrG7MG65OqQ81zWI-AduhdnHhJbg/s1600-h/logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaA91D7_FCBMU3-lfwd-F8IPpdu20hecsEStSmCps7RknRD4A0Kxj1fPLhY4T3qRhuZ4dktMq3XJsNll1rJQ-KEPPgIB4tL0RsmVCKCSqj4PrsL4GHrG7MG65OqQ81zWI-AduhdnHhJbg/s320/logo.png" /></a></div><br />
Our next scheduled event is for Wednesday, February 17th at the Peoria County Courthouse. Back in November, Judge Richard McCoy responded to Pro Se litigant David Ihben's request for shared parenting time positively by encouraging the Mother to step outside the courtroom and work out a shared time parenting arrangement with the Father (David Ihben). This shared parenting agreement was in place and working out quite well for 6 weeks. <br />
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During a December 11th hearing that was supposedly for other issues, the Judge did a complete reversal on his earlier shared parenting speech, and instead made the familiar statement, "if thw two of you cannot work together, then I have no choice other than to give full custody to the mother and visitation to the father." Our member, David Ihben, explained that he was holding out his hand to work together with the Mother, and that the shared parenting agreement had worked without any problems during its 6 week duration. But because the Mother took the stance that she "could not work together with the Father", the Judge took the shared parenting agreement away from the Father. Keep in mind that typically, a Judge will not change a custody arrangement without a major change in circumstances having had occurred. <br />
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David is in the process of taking this decision reversal to the appelate court. Part of this process is going through the hearing with Judge McCoy that is called a motion to reconsider. On February 17th, at the Peoria Courthouse at 2:30 in the afternoon, David intends to present as evidence the transcript of Judge McCoys own words where he praises shared parenting. <br />
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We are asking our membership to consider showing up on the afternoon of Wednesday, February 17th at the Peoria County Courthouse. We will start by conducting a peaceful protest outside the courthouse beginning at 1pm. At 2:15, we will move inside the courtroom to witness the hearing. <br />
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If David and Illinois Fathers can find some success in reinstating David's original shared parenting arrangement, it would be an excellent precedent setting case that the rest of us can use. Please consider taking the time to attend the important event at the Peoria Courthouse on the afternoon of Wednesday, February 17th. The Peoria County Courthouse is located in Peoria on the corner of Jefferson and Main. <br />
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Also taking place next week, the RADAR organization will be conducting a major lobbying effort and media effort called ABUSEGATE. The purpose of ABUSEGATE is to shine some light on the problem of rampant false accusations, restraining order abuses, and other abuses of fathers, families and children that are currently taking place. Early next week we will release more information about how you can help. <br />
One last thing, we are holding a support group meeting the evening of Monday, February 22nd at the Urbana Public Library (Champaign area). The meeting will begin at 6:30pm. A big thank you goes out to member Ms. Joni Cox for arranging this support group meeting in her area. We hope to see you there !Bill Stonekinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12016300183018504879noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433566460131217390.post-83491128694298053232010-02-02T12:00:00.002-06:002010-02-02T12:11:29.187-06:00A Hidden Crime: Domestic Violence Against Men Is a Growing Problem - DailyFinance<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOvH5tkNJWbuGkqov0t9E6L3X6oKu2H1nO02npqgq9JpLl2JmUGUl_6Kk5YKyJ68viefB7Px2LW4yue5Gk9e22OGp_QqzZqLbOXT0salFmEOE-67IsTrlEuBq-n6KBPy24As-9O3kpgvk/s1600-h/bruce_watson_126x124.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433709210737839842" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 126px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 124px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOvH5tkNJWbuGkqov0t9E6L3X6oKu2H1nO02npqgq9JpLl2JmUGUl_6Kk5YKyJ68viefB7Px2LW4yue5Gk9e22OGp_QqzZqLbOXT0salFmEOE-67IsTrlEuBq-n6KBPy24As-9O3kpgvk/s320/bruce_watson_126x124.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/a-hidden-crime-domestic-violence-against-men-is-a-growing-probl/19297449/">A Hidden Crime: Domestic Violence Against Men Is a Growing Problem - DailyFinance</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />By <a href="http://www.dailyfinance.com/writers/bruce-watson/">BRUCE WATSON</a><br />Posted 10:30 AM 01/30/10 <a href="http://www.dailyfinance.com/category/healthcare/" rel="tag">Healthcare</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">A</span>mid the media frenzy over Tiger Woods and Bengals receiver Chris Henry, a key aspect of both stories slipped through the cracks: Like millions of other men, Woods and <a href="http://bossip.com/193672/bossip-exclusive-chris-henrys-fiancee-known-for-domestic-violence-has-drinking-problem/">Henry</a> were -- allegedly at least -- the victims of domestic violence perpetrated by their wives or girlfriends. Beyond its brutal physical and psychological costs, domestic violence against men exacts a cruel economic toll at the personal, societal and national levels.For the most part, the media, authorities and average citizens see domestic violence as a crime that is committed by men and victimizes women. Consequently, funding to combat the problem has overwhelmingly been spent on programs that support women.<br /><br /><strong>Widely Ignored Problem</strong><br /><br />And yet, more than <a href="http://www.csulb.edu/~mfiebert/assaultsbib.html">200</a> survey-based studies show that domestic violence is just as likely to strike men as women. In fact, the overwhelming mass of evidence indicates that half of all domestic violence cases involve an exchange of blows and the remaining 50% is evenly split between men and women who are brutalized by their partners.<br /><br />Part of the reason that this problem is widely ignored lies in the notion that battered males are weak or unmanly. A good example of this is the Barry Williams case: Recently, the former Brady Bunch star sought a <a href="http://images.eonline.com/static/news/pdf/BarryWilliamsRestrainingOrder.pdf">restraining order</a> against his live-in girlfriend, who had hit him, stolen $29,000 from his bank account, attempted to kick and stab him and had repeatedly threatened his life.<br /><br />It is hard to imagine a media outlet mocking a battered woman, but <a href="http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b158137_very_brady_death_threat.html">E! online</a> took the opportunity to poke fun at Williams, comparing the event to various Brady Bunch episodes. Similarly, when Saturday Night Live ran a segment in which a frightened Tiger Woods was repeatedly brutalized by his wife, the show was <a href="http://www.tvsquad.com/2009/12/06/review-saturday-night-live-blake-lively-rihanna-recap/">roundly attacked</a> -- for being insensitive to musical guest Rihanna, herself a victim of domestic violence.<br /><br /><strong>Lack of Research</strong><br /><br />Sometimes it is impossible to ignore the problem, but when domestic violence against men turns deadly -- as in the case of actor <a href="http://home.comcast.net/~philip.cook/essays/The_Death_Of_Phil_Hartman.html">Phil Hartman</a> -- the focus tends to shift to mental illness. The same can be said of the Andrea Yates case, which many pundits presented as the story of how an <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/02/28/national/main502440.shtml">insensitive husband</a> can drive a wife to murder.<br /><br />Much of the information on domestic violence against men is anecdotal, largely because of the lack of funding to study the problem. Although several organizations explore domestic violence, the biggest single resource is the Department of Justice, which administers grants through its Office on Violence Against Women.<br /><br />For years, the DOJ has <a href="http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/sl000734.pdf">explicitly refused</a> to fund studies that investigate domestic violence against men. According to specialists in this field, the DOJ recently agreed to cover this problem -- as long as researchers give equal time to addressing violence against women.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>First National Study</strong><br /><br />Researchers Denise Hines and Emily Douglas recently completed the first national study to scientifically measure the mental and social impact of domestic violence on male victims. Interestingly, their research was funded by the National Institutes of Mental Health, not the DOJ. Not only does this demonstrate the lack of resources for researchers of this issue, but it also suggests that male battering is perceived as a mental health issue, not a crime.<br /><br />This decriminalization of domestic violence against men affects research conclusions. While survey-based studies have found that men and women commit domestic violence in equal numbers, crime-based studies show that women are far more likely to be victimized. This inconsistency begins to make sense when one considers that man-on-woman violence tends to be seen through a criminal lens, while woman-on-man violence is viewed more benignly<br /><br />A recent <a href="http://pubpages.unh.edu/~mas2/ID52%20Draft%20M2.-with-tablespdf.pdf">32-nation study</a> revealed that more than 51% of men and 52% of women felt that there were times when it was appropriate for a wife to slap her husband. By comparison, only 26% of men and 21% of women felt that there were times when it was appropriate for a husband to slap his wife. Murray Straus, creator of the Conflict Tactics Scale and one of the authors of the study, explained this discrepancy: "We don't perceive men as victims. We see women as being more vulnerable than men."<br /><br /><strong>Kneed In The Groin</strong><br /><br />This trend becomes particularly striking when one considers the 1996 case of Minnesota Vikings quarterback <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1996/02/23/sports/pro-football-jury-rapidly-acquits-moon-of-spousal-abuse-charges.html">Warren Moon</a>, who tried to restrain his wife after she threw a candlestick at his head and kneed him in the groin. Subsequently charged with spousal abuse, he was only acquitted after his wife admitted that she attacked him -- and that her wounds were self-inflicted. Ironically, her admission of fault did not result in charges being brought against her.<br /><br />While Moon's trial was particularly high profile, his situation is actually very common. In fact, <a href="http://www.law.fsu.edu/Journals/lawreview/downloads/304/kelly.pdf">studies have found</a> that a man who calls the police to report domestic violence is three times more likely to be arrested than the woman who is abusing him.<br /><br />The mainstream perception of domestic violence also impacts the resources that are available to battered men. For example, the <a href="http://dahmw.org/about-us">Domestic Abuse Helpline</a> for Men and Women, the only national toll-free hot line that specializes in helping male victims of domestic violence, has faced numerous roadblocks in its search for funding. In Maine, where the helpline is based, the surest route to funding is through membership in the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence.<br /><br /><strong>On A Shoestring</strong><br /><br />But, according to Helpline director Jan Brown, the Coalition refused to even issue the program an application for membership, effectively denying it access to funding. Today, 45 Helpline volunteers field 550 calls per month, 80% of which are from men or people who are looking for help on behalf of a man. Operating with a yearly budget of less than $15,000, it provides intensive training to its workers and offers victims housing, food, bus tickets and a host of other services.<br /><br />The Helpline's sheltering services are informal and ad hoc, largely because its lack of access to funding makes a shelter financially impossible. In fact, of the estimated <a href="http://www.radarsvcs.org/docs/RADARreport-VAWA-Discriminates-Against-Males.pdf">1,200 to 1,800</a> shelters in the U.S., only one -- the <a href="http://www.ncfm.org/chapters/la/antelope-valley-press-012206.html">Valley Oasis</a> shelter in Antelope Valley, Calif. -- provides a full range of shelter services to men. And, on average, less than 10% of <a href="http://www.radarsvcs.org/docs/RADARreport-VAWA-Discriminates-Against-Males.pdf">OVW funds</a> allocated to fight domestic violence are used to help men.<br /><br />For male victims of domestic violence, the legal system can become another tool for abuse. As in the Moon case, battered men are often likely to find themselves arrested, even when they are the ones who call the police. And, even after the arrest, the process of incarceration, restraining orders, divorce court and child custody hearings continue to disadvantage men.<br /><br /><strong>A High Cost</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />Restraining orders are a particularly difficult hurdle. Radar Services, a watchdog organization, <a href="http://www.radarsvcs.org/docs/RADARreport-VAWA-Restraining-Orders.pdf">estimates</a> that approximately 85% of the roughly 2 million temporary restraining orders that are issued every year are made against men. In many states, the requirements for an order are exceedingly vague: In <a href="http://www.divorcenet.com/states/oregon/orart_08">Oregon</a>, for example, a "fear" of violence is sufficient for a restraining order, while <a href="http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(u0epajbxqi4fi3ewuvmrvv55))/mileg.aspx?page=GetMCLDocument&objectname=mcl-Act-389-of-1978&queryid=12540889&highlight=domestic%20Violence">Michigan</a> issues them to protect family members against "fear of mental harm."<br /><br />But there's nothing vague about the effect of restraining orders: They often turn men out of their homes, deny them access to children and result in further personal costs as millions of men have to find new places to live, hire lawyers and pay other expenses. For some men, as Hines and Brown point out, the legal system gives abusive wives and girlfriends tools to continue attacks even after their relationships end.<br /><br />As Straus notes, "The preponderance of [domestic violence] resources should be made available to women. They are injured more often, are more economically vulnerable, and are often responsible for the couple's children. That having been said, more resources need to be made available to men."<br /><br />There is no doubt that domestic violence against men can be reduced; the domestic violence initiatives of the past 40 years have brought a hidden crime to light and provided protection for millions of women. The next step is to admit that domestic violence is not a male or female problem, but rather a human problem, and that a lasting solution must address the cruelty -- and suffering -- of both sexes.<br /><br /><strong>About Bruce Watson</strong><br />Bruce Watson is a features writer for DailyFinance, focusing on the political and cultural effects of economic events. A contributor to Military Lessons of the Persian Gulf War, A Chronology of the Cold War at Sea, the Journal of American Philosophy, A Cafe in Space, and the forthcoming Peanut Butter, Gooseberries, and Latkes! He has also worked as a research assistant in the British House of Commons and at the United States Naval Institute.Bill Stonekinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12016300183018504879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433566460131217390.post-39333798605584115792009-11-02T23:18:00.005-06:002009-11-02T23:40:33.462-06:00Illinois Fathers Action Alert - Kerry Sandusky<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsls66hIUT-16dfV68_MR8qfEkWQAqWLmrq8yMNfaiKuk1N8wCNTvdoJ9AVBenp0oXV071izwk0KlPRVgW3L4PjdEucEH5zFJ9sIRq834zEFyrbGqGkYY9lJFr5hrtCnLSDtVtOG46p_s/s1600-h/logo.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399747669976853010" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 100px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsls66hIUT-16dfV68_MR8qfEkWQAqWLmrq8yMNfaiKuk1N8wCNTvdoJ9AVBenp0oXV071izwk0KlPRVgW3L4PjdEucEH5zFJ9sIRq834zEFyrbGqGkYY9lJFr5hrtCnLSDtVtOG46p_s/s400/logo.png" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Children Need Both Parents</strong></span></div><br /><div align="center"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;color:#ff0000;"><u>Action Message</u></span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Is 2 Hours Enough? </strong><br /><br />Is it possible to have a court award of only 2 hours time with your son every week? Is it possible to be forced into a center that charges $30 an hour to watch you play patty cake with your two year old son? Is it possible for that visitation center to be filled with empty beer bottles? Is it possible this is in the best interests of our children?<br /><br />Apparently so in the Markham Courthouse in Cook County (Chicago).<br /><br />Illinois Fathers would like to bring your attention to Mr. Kerry Sandusky. Kerry has a two year old son, who was born out of wedlock. Shortly before the birth of his child, Kerry's ex-girlfriend moved away with his son. After refusing all visitation to Kerry for nearly a year, Kerry pursued visitation rights in the courtroom. Following the usual litigation routine that most non-custodial parents undergo, Kerry was ordered to have a home study that revealed he had a broken porch step on his property. Kerry has since moved away from this property, however, after spending much needed money on an attorney as well as investing much of his time, the Judge in his case authorized Kerry to spend a mere 2 hours a week of supervised visitation time with his son in a certified visitation center.<br /><br />This based solely on the condition that the opposing attorney requested a psychological evaluation and the home study identified a broken porch step. We have not been able to identify any proof of any psychological conditions having ever existed on Kerry's behalf to warrant such a request. The problem, as we sees it, is that Kerry has not done anything wrong, or even been accused of doing anything that would justify he and his son being limited to the 2 hours a week of supervised visitation. Of great concern is that at 2 years old, this child is at the formative stages of his life. This is the time that this child defines his parental relationships and its highly questionable how that can occur at only 2 hours a week. There's no doubt that significant damage to the relationship between Kerry and his son has already occurred due to the extremely limited time they see each other, but what happens if this extremely limited time is allowed to continue? So we ask the question, "Is 2 hours enough?"<br /><br />Kerry does not have the funds to afford a high paced attorney and without a generous out flowing of emotional support from the community, we fear that his relationship with his son is in danger. Illinois Fathers and their members have attempted to find alternatives to this course of action by volunteering our time to supervise Kerry at no cost on our own time, however, our members' attempts were refuted by the Judge. All this is despite the condition of the visitation center that the Court orders Kerry to go to. Kerry has photographed a barrel full of empty beer bottles(</span><a href="http://www.illinoisfathers.org/download.php?view.50" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:arial;">available here</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">) in the visitation center, and he has also noted that the A/C and heat do not even work. Instead, they provide a </span><a href="http://www.illinoisfathers.org/download.php?view.51" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:arial;">space heater</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">. Certainly, the love of a parent and a broken step is better than these conditions at a visitation center with beer and no heat. We question, highly, if this is in the best interests of this child!<br /><br />Illinois Fathers has been unable to find an e-mail address for Judge Martin D. Coghlan, who is the Judge in Kerry's case. However, Kerry's case has been written about before in both the Kankakee newspaper, and also a Cook County Newspaper, (The Daily Southtown). We are encouraging our membership to contact both of these newspapers and ask a simple question, "Is 2 hours enough?". Letters to Judge Coghlan and phone calls to the court house are also highly encouraged. Note that they will probably not respond via phone, but simply ask to leave the message in regards to Kerry's case, "Is 2 hours enough?".<br /><br /><strong>Case History:</strong></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong></strong><br /></span><a href="https://w3.courtlink.lexisnexis.com/cookcounty/FindDock.asp?NCase=2007-D-650515&SearchType=0&Database=4&case_no=&=&=&=&PLtype=1&sname=&CDate=" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:arial;">https://w3.courtlink.lexisnexis.com/cookcounty/FindDock.asp?NCase=2007-D-650515&SearchType=0&Database=4&case_no=&=&=&=&PLtype=1&sname=&CDate=</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Media Contacts:<br /></div></strong></span><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">Antonio Young, The Daily Journal (Kankakee), 815 / 937 - 3385 </span><a href="mailto:AYoung@Daily-Journal.com" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:arial;">AYoung@Daily-Journal.com</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />John O'Brien or John Stein, The Daily Southtown is 708 / 633 - 4800 or 708 / 633 - 6777 </span><a href="mailto:jobrien@southtownstar.com" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:arial;">jobrien@southtownstar.com</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><a href="mailto:jstein@southtownstar.com" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:arial;">jstein@southtownstar.com</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><strong>Judicial Contacts: </strong></span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><div align="left"><br />Judge Martin Coghlan - Cook County Municipal Judge, District 6, Room 204Q, 16501 South Kedzie, Markham, Illinois 60471 - (708) 210-4170 (708) 210-4170<br /></div><br /><div align="left">Please consider writing a letter, placing a phone call, or send an email to any and preferably all of the contacts above to ask the question, <strong>"Is 2 hours enough?"</strong></span></div>Bill Stonekinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12016300183018504879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433566460131217390.post-5161873508560142142009-10-01T09:36:00.003-05:002009-10-01T09:41:02.807-05:00Bill Coleman - NO JAIL FOR BEING A DADPRESS ADVISORY<br />FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br /><br />"NO JAIL FOR BEING A DAD"<br /><br />Fathers4Justice to visit with wrongfully imprisoned Bill Coleman<br /><br />Washington, DC – October 01, 2009 –<br /><br />Fathers-4-Justice™ U.S. (F4J) board member Donald Tenn is traveling to the MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield, Connecticut to meet with wrongfully imprisoned Bill Coleman as part of the Fathers 4 Justice, "No Jail For Being A Dad" campaign.<br /><br />Bill Coleman is on a hunger strike because, he says, "The justice system is broken and corrupt!" Coleman also stated, "I am protesting a broken judicial system that is incapable of providing justice as well as protesting the State of Connecticut assisting in the abuse of my children. Having explored every avenue, to save my children and prove my innocence, I now believe the system is not an option for the truth to come out; and I choose to fight to the maximum with my life."<br /><br />Coleman's ex-wife told police in 2002 that he raped her and a jury convicted him in 2005 of sexual assault in a spousal relationship, unlawful restraint, breach of peace, second-degree threatening and sixth-degree larceny, without any physical evidence. Coleman, 49, was given a 15-year prison sentence, suspended after he serves eight years, on his wife's testimony alone. Coleman says she falsely accused him to gain the upper hand in their child custody case. She never had a medical exam which would have included a rape kit. He passed a lie detector test, but it wasn't admissible as evidence in Connecticut.<br /><br />Coleman's defense attorney, Michael Gannon had his license to practice law suspended in June 2007, yet Coleman's request for a retrial has not been approved.<br /><br />Coleman, a British citizen is incarcerated in Suffield's McDougall-Walker prison, where officials want to resume force-feeding. The American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut is assisting Coleman. Jamil Dakwar, director of the ACLU Human Rights Program wrote that "brutally force-feeding" Coleman violated his basic human rights and his right to make a political statement by refusing food.<br /><br />A rally will be held in support of Bill Coleman on October 2, 2009 from 11 am to 6 pm at the prison.<br />MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution<br />1153 East Street<br />SouthSuffield, Connecticut 06080Bill Stonekinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12016300183018504879noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433566460131217390.post-91927820030338619682009-09-12T17:14:00.003-05:002009-09-12T17:20:51.895-05:00Illinois Fathers Support Group Meetings<div align="center"><a href="http://www.illinoisfathers.org/">http://www.illinoisfathers.org/</a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO6Ap5IgkrnJmdnZRiXvyhG7DaV8YS8QwKXPPVubgQR3gmomanVSccFPHWJAyHQbG3jx9PYFVK7Jjow7GhRIOTRQ62S-67uK1-HmtPEiey59BqCDA6wU2oX0KLRmN3eYlRME2YdNehgFQ/s1600-h/SupportGroupsLastQuarter2009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380708157116578866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 316px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO6Ap5IgkrnJmdnZRiXvyhG7DaV8YS8QwKXPPVubgQR3gmomanVSccFPHWJAyHQbG3jx9PYFVK7Jjow7GhRIOTRQ62S-67uK1-HmtPEiey59BqCDA6wU2oX0KLRmN3eYlRME2YdNehgFQ/s400/SupportGroupsLastQuarter2009.jpg" border="0" /></a>Bill Stonekinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12016300183018504879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433566460131217390.post-56828749253837215182009-08-24T11:03:00.003-05:002009-09-12T17:11:09.836-05:00Subject: HELP NEEDED IN ILLINOIS - For Carrie AdamsPOSTED FOR CARRIE ADAMS - PLEASE HELP CARRIE<br /><br />My Ex' spouse name : Arthur M Adams 111 - (aka ) Chip Adams<br /><br />Work Place - Palos Fire Protection District on 123 rd in Palos Park , Il. 60464<br /><br />His attorney<br />Michael Shevick<br />70 W. Madison Str.<br />Suite 650<br />Chicago , Il. 60602<br /><br />Ph # 312-269-4600<br />Fx # 312 -236 -9157<br />------------<br />Carrie's former attorney<br />John Cossidente<br />7777 W. 159 th Str.<br />Suite A<br />Tinley Park , Il 60477<br /><br />Ph # 708-444-1444<br />Fx -# 708 -444 8333<br />------------<br />Former GAl<br />Geraldine Berger<br />100 W. Monroe Str.<br />Suite 1403<br />Chicago , Il. 60603<br /><br />Ph # 312 -346 -6686<br />Fx # 312 -346 -0938<br />=============<br />Previous Judges For this Case in<br />Case No.99 D 8572<br />Cook County Courts - Daley Center<br />Chicago , Il<br />Judge Raul Vega - Rm . 3001<br />Judge Kathleen Kennedy - Rm . 3010<br /><br />What has gone on as most of you know I have been alienated for several yrs now . I lived at one point for nearly 3 yrs . down 3 street lights from my kids - no visits - no nothing . My attorney and the GAl had various tendencies to be inadequate to represent this case using common sense but pretended that the law was never violated .<br /><br />I personally have not resumed to a court building since I became sick in Oct 2, 2006 . In Dec. 2007 my eldest sister reached my ex to inform him of my condition - needless to say nothing has happened other than him going back into court to continue a second R.O. against me for no reason - I have not seen my kids since 2004 ! So Mr. Michael Shevick continues to represent the ex and malisciously has targeted me and I am in a medical impaired status of health and having ongoing complications .<br /><br />My story has been on two broadcasts of Talkshoe .com<br />American Injustice - April 2009 segment reach<br />Margie Blackburn - GSG Missouri / 816-517-8007<br /><br />Also other broadcast on Talkshoe .com<br />NCP Support & Empowerment Exchange - May 12 , 2009 segment reach Julia Moreno - Calif / 760 -252 -8659<br /><br />Previous contact made to Mr. Shevick was last year and Nancy Lankford notified him . She was told that a video would be made to be sent to me !<br />The ex husband has physical ability to run to court - I have been quite immobile for nearly 3 yrs total now .<br /><br />Request **************************8<br />Need Help to See My Kids<br />No Interferenc on my discussions via phone<br />Set Visit Schedule<br />Take The Case and Push Emergency Motions<br /><br /><br />I have complications that are occuring with my M.S.<br /><br />PLEASE SHARE THIS TO OTHERS<br /><br />WHAT I DO TO WRITE TAKE SO MANY HOURS<br />I NEED OTHERS' HELP<br />I NEED MY KIDS TO SEE ME BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE<br /><br />CARRIE ADAMS<br />ILLINOIS 815-304-5706<br />NCP - MOTHER<br />UCRCO-A /ILLINOIS STATE DIRECTOR<br /><br />MORE INTERVIEWS .. LETTERS TO SWAMP OFFICES , SWAMP JUSGES ETC.. PLEASE HELP ME SINCE I AM LESS FORTUNATE TO REPRESENT PRO SE ANY LONGER AND MY HEALTH IS FAILING AND FRAIL .Bill Stonekinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12016300183018504879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433566460131217390.post-71611048687326517172009-06-02T08:42:00.003-05:002009-06-02T08:49:34.689-05:00Pink's 'Please Don't Leave Me' (Video): DV Against Men Is OK--After All, She's Angry...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0YmhXL6uo-XRz2aDHRXhQ88jyAeeRPhaGN9lQ-0Wv-Vy1ekQPA_aEGmQdDuyqOY_3e4EVeFlfqOmAmDMDsbSGXhBUs6tHJZwIgeqR1SZNiHLUhCPMpq4sVhQQzeGtaWxqRRBmNkHaT4/s1600-h/pink.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0YmhXL6uo-XRz2aDHRXhQ88jyAeeRPhaGN9lQ-0Wv-Vy1ekQPA_aEGmQdDuyqOY_3e4EVeFlfqOmAmDMDsbSGXhBUs6tHJZwIgeqR1SZNiHLUhCPMpq4sVhQQzeGtaWxqRRBmNkHaT4/s400/pink.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342726105701526914" border="0" /></a><br /><small>May 31st, 2009 by <span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><strong>Glenn Sacks, MA for Fathers & Families<br /><br /></strong></span></small><em>I don't know if I can yell any louder<br />How many time I've kicked you outta here?<br />Or said something insulting?</em> <p><em>I can be so mean when I wanna be<br />I am capable of really anything<br />I can cut you into pieces<br />But my heart is broken</em></p> <p><em>Please don't leave me<br />Please don't leave me<br />I always say how I don't need you<br />But it's always gonna come right back to this<br />Please, don't leave me</em></p> <p><em>How did I become so obnoxious?<br />What is it with you that makes me act like this?<br />I've never been this nasty</em></p> <p><em>Can't you tell that this is all just a contest?<br />The one that wins will be the one that hits the hardest<br />But baby I don't mean it<br />I mean it, I promise</em></p> <p><em>I forgot to say out loud how beautiful you really are to me<br />I cannot be without, you're my perfect little punching bag<br />And I need you, I'm sorry</em></p> <p>The song and music video for singer Pink's (pictured) <em>Please Don't Leave Me</em> is a compendium of the ills of modern gender issues--an "empowered," entitled woman injuring, insulting, and abusing her man with impunity. She's psycho but that's OK and you'd better not make her angry...</p> <p>When witnessing female domestic violence such as in the video, society says "it's not a problem, it's just a woman." However, women commit half the domestic violence and inflict a third of domestic violence-related injuries--their actions matter.</p> <p>Watch the video <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddZPrJ8ROto" target="_blank" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker ('/outbound/article/www.youtube.com');">here</a>.</p><p>~Jamie Cass Contributing Editor (June 2nd, 2009)<br /></p><p>Copyright <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">© </span>Glenn Sacks<br /></p>Bill Stonekinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12016300183018504879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433566460131217390.post-25547535944473872692009-05-30T04:43:00.005-05:002009-06-02T07:41:40.690-05:00Obsession versus PerseveranceMain Entry: <span style="font-weight: bold;">ob·ses·sion</span><br /><br />Function: noun<br />Date: 1680<br />1: a persistent disturbing preoccupation with an often unreasonable idea or feeling ; broadly : compelling motivation <an>2: something that causes an obsession<br />— ob·ses·sion·al <a class="audio" onclick=" popWin('/cgi-bin/audio.pl?obsess03.wav=obsessional'); return false; " href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/audio.pl?obsess03.wav=obsessional"></a>\-ˈsesh-nəl, -ˈse-shə-nəl\ adjective<br />— ob·ses·sion·al·ly adverb<br />=============================================<br />Main Entry: <span style="font-weight: bold;">per·se·vere</span><br /><br />Function: intransitive verb<br />Inflected Form(s): per·se·vered; per·se·ver·ing<br />Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French parseverer, from Latin perseverare, from per- through + severus severe<br />Date: 14th century<br />: to persist in a state, enterprise, or undertaking in spite of counterinfluences, opposition, or discouragement<br />— per·se·ver·ing·ly adverb<br /><br />-Contributed by ~ Robbie Knight</an>Bill Stonekinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12016300183018504879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433566460131217390.post-88910499148808039472009-01-04T09:42:00.003-06:002009-01-04T10:48:30.670-06:00George W. Bush Comments on The American Family Court SystemFolks, Honestly, George W. Bush did a great job at the start of 9-11. But after that, it was all down hill. And on his way down the hill of poor policy decisions, he made a startling disclosure of other poor policy practices in America that reflect accurately the American Family Court System. "Our enemies are innovative and resourcefull, and so are we. <u>They never stop thinking of new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we</u>." <strong>Location</strong>: The White house, Washington, D.C, <strong>Date</strong>: August 5th, 2004.<br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxKSDBdpWGWiWBIKMUc4QA6ntjv-4YsbMDVY-THWa6LiLZ07KcmhGeAP-E5LOwKgI0s5hSgkjs-YHBF9AaOYn6q_QdSpGAg4tphYqHZ6Ew2yFMPeM4qK8h18q3oC0MZvtvNrtcD26GjxM/s1600-h/GeorgeWBuch_HarmingOurPeople.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287465368703836354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 373px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxKSDBdpWGWiWBIKMUc4QA6ntjv-4YsbMDVY-THWa6LiLZ07KcmhGeAP-E5LOwKgI0s5hSgkjs-YHBF9AaOYn6q_QdSpGAg4tphYqHZ6Ew2yFMPeM4qK8h18q3oC0MZvtvNrtcD26GjxM/s400/GeorgeWBuch_HarmingOurPeople.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p>Perhaps if we eliminate Title IV-D, we'll come up with a creative and resourceful way to preserve the most important part of the United States, and that is, our family. Perhaps if we treat interference with child custody as it is... a criminal act of domestic violence, we'll stop some of the needless homocides and murder/suicides that plague the results of poor policy practices.</p><p>Perhaps if we stop criminalizing "child support" and start acting practicle, we'll make some inroads to STOP HARMING the NCP (non-custodial parent) relationship with a child and reduce tensions that lead to violence. Perhaps if we start enforcing child custody in a way equal to or even stronger than child support, we'll see a curtailing of family violence. Dollars aren't an emotional thing except to a greedy cash monger. Emotions are the key. Drainging someones finances is emotional, hijacking the relationship of one parent for another, without proper cause, that causes serious emotional distress. Handle the problem correctly and we STOP harming our country. </p><p>Think about it. If we hold women, as much as we hold men accountable, "equal protection" equally practiced, everyone would learn to play nice because no one would want to be the public poster child for being busted.</p><p>I know I may have misspoken myself here, afterall, the President was very clear "They never stop thinking of new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." but maybe, really, if we stop thinking of ways to harm our country and our people and practice that as domestic AND foreign policy, the other folks "thinking of new ways to harm our country and our people" will stop thinking that stuff.</p><p>But who am I to bitch. I'm a father who has suffered in excess of 50 child custody violations in 6 years and the judiciary has allowed it to continue, unabated. So long as the Judiciary doesn't hold predominantly female offenders accountable, we can hold the judiciary accountable for the emotional and mental distress of fathers and for the resultant violence that ensues. I'm thinking of ways to STOP harming our country and I know there are a great many Americans as well as legalized foreign nationals in America that agree. Knock off the bullshit policy practices that affect the family here and we'll get a helluva lot more respect over seas. That isn't rocket science, folks and that's not political science either. That's plain old common fucken sense and folks here in America as well as beyond would love to see that in practice. </p><p> </p><p> </p>Bill Stonekinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12016300183018504879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433566460131217390.post-23207031863104767852008-04-23T00:02:00.000-05:002008-04-23T01:08:09.123-05:00Mortage Meltdown, Family Meltdown! What Happened to "For Better or Worse?"There is a sad time in our nation, the mortgage crisis caused by predatory lenders, preying on Big eyes and shallow pockets and America's thirst for a "Luxury Family Home" or "Luxury Condo", "Luxury This", "Luxury That." Sure luxury is nice, if you can afford it, but ask yourself, what ever happened to "pleasant" and "simple?"<br /><br />Whatever happened to living within your means? Coveting is not a good thing folks. Coveting causes serious damage. And jealousy isn't productive as well, envy, that doesn't make you happy, does it?<br /><br />Truly, being a greedy grabber can wind you up in the poor house, that is, if you can afford the mortage on it after that luxury home mortage of yours had you go belly up. Sucks, doesn't it?<br /><br />So, how did this country get where it is? We'll take those big eyes and selfish desires and throw in the "credit machine." Maybe I'm being hard on calling wanting a big luxury home a "selfish desire", but hey, were you really being honest with yourself when you stepped into that septic field of finance? Could you really afford what you were getting into? Did you need that "luxury home" or could you have settled for say, something more in line with your real budget? Wants versus needs, amazing how people get stupid confusing the two.<br /><br />Anyhow, getting back to how we made this mess in the housing and mortgage market, well, we continue by throwing into the mix a hard charging, motivated mortage broker willing to "work with you" on getting approved (for something really over your head) ... "We want to make sure that we get you the most money we can." Says Bob, the card shark mortgage broker. "We'll just tweak these numbers a bit..." AND POOF, With a little bit of Enron Style accounting you have a baseball field in Houston named after you. Oh, the dream of having such a big expensive home has come true, and then the rates adjusted and that first tax bill came in too. "Enron Field" just became "Fifth Amendment Field." That is America's problem, at least part of it.<br /><br />I'm not a religious nut, or a bible beater, but in the 10 commandments (basic guidelines for life really), doesn't it say, "Thou Shall not Covet thy Neighbor's goods?" As much as George Carlin put it, "but that's good for the economy", it really isn't. I love George's blunt and honest comedy, but truthfully, keeping up with the Joneses isn't a good practice. And keeping up with the Joneses seems to be taking apart the American home today and sadly, it is a catalyst that is helping take apart the American Family too.<br /><br />Now that we kind of understand that perhaps selfish desires played a big role in us being played as a sucker with pockets a little more shallow than we were honest enough to admit, let us look at a problem as deep as the mortage crunch and sadly, one that troubles me. This is the Mortage Meltdown and breakup of a marriage.<br /><br />I was reading an article on MSNBC, <a href="http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Banking/HomeFinancing/IsMortgageCrisisCausingDivorces.aspx">Is mortgage crisis causing divorces</a> and see that there is a correlation to mortgage busts and marital busts and I have to say to anyone contemplating divorce because of this, please, stop and think, "for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer...", you know the vows, you took them the day that you promised to spend the rest of your life with the person sharing your "luxury" home with. I can understand divorcing an abuser, I divorced someone who lied to me in our vows and was a vicious and calculating abuser. Thankfully we never bought a house together, she drained all the money before that could ever happen. But for someone who truly married for love and friendship, those vows should stand through hard times.<br /><br />Divorce can be a bitch on your finances if there is truly a "need" to split up, but I don't think a mortage meltdown causes a "need" to divorce. Mortage meltdown? Why take a financially hard time and make it more difficult? In a trying and difficult time as such, you should pull together, work it out, discuss solutions (other than divorce which isn't a solution). And if there are kids involved, that only makes the matter worse. Mommy and Daddy are breaking up because they can't afford our house, now, they can't afford to be parents together?<br /><br />Children seeing the loss of a home can cope with and adjust to a new apartment if you have to scale back. Sticking together and working through this difficult time will teach your children modesty, to be money wise, to be conservative when they need to be by watching their parents being the good example.<br /><br />In a time of financial crisis in this country, for those reading this article, if you know someone contemplating divorce simply because of a mortgage problem, tell them to read this and tell them to reconsider divorcing. Working out the credit crunch, you'll know what it is to work as a team and if you have kids, they'll feel that deeper bond because you were able to get through this dark time.<br /><br />Yes, finances can be a trouble spot for a lot of couples, but you have to work together. Remember, "for better or for worse", you're in this together. Listen to each other's proposals, hear what each of you are saying, communicate productively. Remember, because A.R.M.s adjusted out of your financial reach doesn't mean that your loving ARMs have to stop reaching around each other. You can get through it, it'll just take a little work and a lot of cooperation.Bill Stonekinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12016300183018504879noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433566460131217390.post-30762891620026656232008-02-20T11:06:00.000-06:002008-03-11T16:24:26.436-05:00Vonage, The Best Phone Service For NCPsThose of you that have been on the receiving end of the nasty part of divorce and child custody already know that if someone wants to hurt you, the system will let it. Emotionally, mentally, physically and especially financially. Getting displaced from your home can be very unsettling.<br /><br />These things known, in an era of cell phones and who is the best, we have to remember land lines and our homes or what may be a temporary home. With cell phones, sure they are great to have. But no matter how many minutes your plan has, minutes is the key. They run out. Having cost effective home phone service is a wonderful thing, but as I said, getting displaced from your home can be very unsettling. Thus, the wonderful world of Vonage.<br /><br /><p align="center"><br /><a href="http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/tplclick?lid=41000000023108402&pubid=21000000000151429"><img border="0" alt="" src="http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/tplimage?lid=41000000023108402&pubid=21000000000151429"/></a><br /></p><br /><br />Why Vonage you might ask? Several reasons make Vonage the choice for me and I say, I think Vonage may be the right choice for you. Imagine coming home from work, the person who used to say "I love you" now has you served with an order of protection. You are devastated, you are now separated from your home for at least a short spell, maybe longer. You need a place to stay, a base of operation regardless of how short or long the term. You've been cut off from home, cut off from communications. And heck, she's got an order of protection against you so it's not like she's going to be forwarding phone messages to you, right? Vonage can solve that problem for the most part. Let me explain...<br /><br />In today’s era, high speed broadband and DSL services are offered in many areas, some even offer their own home phone service but none truly offer the luxury that Vonage has. That luxury is “portability.” You can't pick up Comcast and take it with you. AT&T Yahoo DSL the same. Pac-Bell, Southwestern Bell, Mama and Papa Bell, Taco Bell, all are plugged into a residence. Vonage is not.<br /><br />Imagine the scenario, you are now staying at your sister Debbie’s for a few months, trying to recover from the devastation, getting back on your feet. Sure, sis has been great to help you out, but imposing on her for everything would be inconsiderate. You have to call co-workers, friends, colleagues and lawyers. Monopolizing your sister's phone may be something that would try her patience. You need a communications solution that lifts some of the burden and again, I see Vonage as the light at the end of that tunnel.<br /><br />Staying at your sisters, sure she has the land line, again, it exists with the potential of being monopolized by yourself. But, alas, sis has high-speed internet service from "xyz cable." While staying at your sisters, you don't want to order phone service from a hardwire company. After all, once you are gone, you have to go through the gyrations of calling, scheduling termination or movement of the line. Too many headaches in dealing with the hard-line. You could impose on your sister to order phone service on her cable service, but again, an imposition like this is best avoided. And again, if she let you order it, the headache of cancellation or movement of the line becomes a logistical pain in the butt. Vonage solves those problems.<br /><br />Going to <a href="http://www.vonage.com/">http://www.vonage.com/</a> and ordering phone service is the solution. They send you a router that you plug into the high speed internet. Tapping into your sisters high-speed is a no-brainer and wouldn't affect her in anyway. You don't interrupt TV, there is nothing to install aside from plugging in the router and your router is absolutely portable. No need to call and cancel or move service. Just unplug and go. Where ever there is a high-speed connection, there is phone service. AT&T can't brag about that, neither can the cable companies who are offering their own phone service.<br /><br />Me, I have Vonage and I enjoy my service. Feature rich with call waiting, forwarding, conference calling, voice mail, caller ID, voice mail, free international long distance (to some places like Italy, France and the UK), cheap international long distance to many places (that is nice is you are an international caller) and free nationwide long distance (including international to Canada and Mexico) . These are just some of the numerous features Vonage offers. And for only $24.99 a month (unlimited plan), plus taxes, you can't beat it. As a Non-Custodial parent who has had my life shredded, Vonage was a cost effective communications solution that kept my lines of communication wide open, and at a great price.<br /><br />If you are displaced from home or transient in some fashion and want to establish a small piece of stability, then Vonage phone service is that piece of stability you don't have to worry about. Visit them today at <a href="http://www.vonage.com/">http://www.vonage.com/</a> and get connected. Vonage truly goes where you go.Bill Stonekinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12016300183018504879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433566460131217390.post-84323471036047543112008-02-14T22:06:00.000-06:002008-04-11T12:18:35.305-05:00John McCain, Definately The Wrong Person For PresidentAnyone reading this blog got here because you were either referred here by a friend or an internet search. With 2008 heating up with presidential candidates, occasionally one says something that rules them out that the public needs to be alerted to. With the topic of parents rights and issues dealing with Title IV fraud by the States as well as the games that family court plays with children, one would want a president that truly cares about the American family to express an opinion that would support our wanting him as our president.<br /><br />With that, I reprint for you an exerpt from from Glenn Sacks and his article, "<a title="Permanent link to John McCain on Fathers' Rights" href="http://mensnewsdaily.com/2008/02/06/john-mccain-on-fathers-rights/" rel="bookmark">John McCain on Fathers' Rights</a>"<br /><ul><li>Aspiring Republican presidential candidate John McCain contemptuously dismissed fathers' concerns over family law at a mid-day town hall meeting in Cedar Falls, Iowa today. Shared parenting activist Tony Taylor asked McCain if he "would be bold enough to address the issue of equal access to children for fathers that have gone through divorce." McCain testily replied: "I'm sorry to disappoint you, I am not going to overturn divorce court decisions. That's why we have courts and that's why people go to court and get a divorce. If I as President of the United States said this decision has to be overturned without the proper appeals process then I would be disturbing our entire system of government... But for me to stand here before all these people and say that I'm going declare divorces invalid because someone feels that they weren't treated fairly in court, we are getting into a, uh, uh, tar baby of enormous proportions."</li></ul><p align="center">Read Glenn's full article here: <a title="Permanent link to John McCain on Fathers' Rights" href="http://mensnewsdaily.com/2008/02/06/john-mccain-on-fathers-rights/" rel="bookmark">John McCain on Fathers' Rights</a><a href="http://mensnewsdaily.com/2008/02/06/john-mccain-on-fathers-rights/"></a></p><p>My McCain's statement shows that the most important part of America, The American Family isn't even on his agenda. Mr. McCain obvious has gone far on hot air, and now, I think he plucked a hole in his balloon. Mr. McCain may have been a POW, but obviously he is not truly an American Fighting Man. If the family isn't first, there is no America to lead. The best bet for America on the Republican Side is Ron Paul. What is your opinion? Who do you think would be the presidential candidate to put the American family first and stop the war that is going on internally in America? I want to hear your opinion.</p>Bill Stonekinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12016300183018504879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8433566460131217390.post-3359299690579859682008-02-11T23:42:00.000-06:002008-02-11T23:50:38.853-06:00Judicial Accountability Project Web Cued UpWell, you've heard me talk about it, now let's get it done. If you've read my press releases from last year, the plans for a judicial accountability website was mentioned. I had truly hoped to get feedback and participation from alot of folks, but as Jimmy Carter had put it in the years when he was president, it appears that the Country is in a malaise.<br /><br />Truly, I was surprised by the lack of participation from the folks who have been victimized by the family courts but have none the less pushed to make what was stated a reality. Within the next week, the basic infrastructure of the Judicial Accountability Project web site will be online.<br /><br />Hopefully my pressing forward will help the many folks in the observable malaise see progress is being made, efforts are being made and perhaps that will help motivate participation in reclaiming our government and judicial system.<br /><br />Bookmark <a href="http://www.judicialaccountabilityproject.org/">http://www.judicialaccountabilityproject.org/</a> today and check back soon to see progress.<br />If you wish to participate, contribute ideas, tell us your story, please do. The Judicial Accountability Project web is almost there. I look foward to the many that can help make this a grass roots success.<br /><br />Thanks to all who have helped and to those I know will help in the future. This is our government, we own it, let's make it happen.<br /><br />-Bill StonekingBill Stonekinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12016300183018504879noreply@blogger.com0