Friday, September 25, 2009

Male Suicide and the Family Court System


Male Suicide and the Family Court System


September 25th, 2009 by Robert Franklin, Esq.

"I know my father was a good man and a good father. ... He obviously reached a point where he could see that justice was beyond his reach and for reasons that only God will know, decided that taking his life was the only way to end his suffering," Ashlee White wrote. Ashlee signed the letter "In Memory of My Loving Father."

Those are the words of a 14-year-old Canadian girl writing to that country's prime minister. Her father had been denied access to her because he was unable to pay child support that was set at twice his take-home pay. Darrin White's anguish at losing contact with his daughter, and the frank indifference of the Canadian family court system to either his or her welfare led him to hang himself. As Ashlee said, justice was indeed "beyond his reach."

That justice is beyond the reach of many fathers is one of the main reason this blog exists; it's one of the reasons for the astonishing growth industry called 'fathers' rights.' Here and in many other places are chronicled the countless injustices done to children and their fathers in the name of a mythology created over the past forty years. That mythology holds that fathers are indifferent to their children at best and dangerous to them at worst. It holds that even the most caring father is incompetent to do the simplest task relating to children.

This piece, by the always thoughtful and balanced feminist, Wendy McElroy, deals with another, largely unseen aspect of injustice in family courts - male suicide. Men in this country and others are four to five times as likely to commit suicide as are women. And it turns out that the anti-male bias of family courts plays a significant role.

Study's from a number of countries bear this out. As McElroy says,
Statistics from Ireland and the United Kingdom indicate rates of male suicide as high as five times that of women. Indeed, a recent study found that suicide was the leading cause of death for Irish men between 15-34 years old.

The research also points to a probable cause. According to sociologist Augustine Kposow of the University of California at Riverside, divorce and loss of children is a factor. "As far as the [divorced] man is concerned, he has lost his marriage and lost his children and that can lead to depression and suicide," Kposow advises.

The Australian study's suggested reasons for some of the suicides include "marriage breakdown."

"There is evidence to suggest that many men sense they are being discriminated against in family court judgements," the study says. Cut off from their children, divorced men experience heightened "frustration and isolation."

At this point, I'd like to remind readers of what I've written about before. Nature provides a physiological attachment between parents and children. When a woman is pregnant, both she and the father undergo dramatic increases in the levels of the hormones prolactin, cortisol and oestradiol. Among many mammal species, including humans and primates, and among almost all bird species, those hormones are what connect parents to their offspring. They are what make adults set aside their own interests in favor of their offspring's. Survival is perhaps the most powerful motivation any individual has, but so strong is the connection those hormones create in parents that it can displace even the need to live. That connection is the reason that adults will do virtually anything, including fighting to the death, to care for and protect their offspring.

Let me suggest then that, when that most basic of connections is threatened or destroyed by a force larger than any single person - a force like the family law system, for example - it can have devastating consequences. If a lioness is willing to die protecting her cubs against hyenas, might not a human father die to maintain the same connection to his child? To me, the two look eerily similar.

Whatever the case, read McElroy's piece.

Thanks to Jeremy for the heads-up.






GlennSacks.com » Blog Archive » Male Suicide and the Family Court System.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Parental Alienation Resources, Links, and Advocates

There are many professionals, attorneys, and judges aware of alienation of children in divorce and custody cases. Here is a short list of names, and website where some professional in the area of PA may be located:

United States and Canada:

Katherine C. Andre, Ph.D.
Psychologist, Court Mediator for California Supreme Court, Author
www.parentalalienationsolutions.com

Amy J.L. Baker, Ph.D.
Psychologist, Author, Researcher
www.amyjlbaker.com

Barry Brody, Ph.D., LMFT
Clinical Psychologist, Author
www.ForensicFamilyServices.com

Glenn F. Cartwright, Ph.D.
McGill University, Canada
Psychologist, Professor, Researcher, Author
http://www.education.mcgill.ca/profs/cartwright/

Children Need Both Parents
Robin Denison & Ron Smith present Dr. Bone on TalkShoe Internet Radio
January 24, 2008 Broadcast
February 7, 2008 Broadcast
April 24, 2008 Broadcast

Children’s Rights Council (CRC)
David Levy
www.crckids.org

John Curtis, Ph.D.
Author, Consultant, Researcher, Lecturer, Trainer
Being A Better Dad
www.BeingABetterDad.com

Douglas Darnall, Ph.D.
Psychologist, Researcher, Author
PsyCare
www.parentalalienation.com

Robert A. Evans, Ph.D.
A Center for Human Potential
Psychologist, Author, Mediator, Evaluator, School Psychologist
www.ACenterForHumanPotential.com

F.A.C.T. Canada
Fathers Are Capable Too
http://www.fact.on.ca/

Charles D. Jamieson, Esq.
Family Law Practice
www.familylawpb.com

Demosthenes Lorandos, Ph.D.
Lorandos & Associates
Email Lorandos & Associates

L.F. Lowenstein, M.A., Ph.D.
Southern England Psychological Services
www.parental-alienation.info

Jayne A. Major, Ph.D.
Breakthrough Parenting
www.breakthroughparentingservices.org
Stop Parental Alienation of Children
http://www.stopparentalalienation.org/index.htm

The National Association of Non-Custodial Moms, Inc.
www.nancm.org

The Lee PAS Foundation
Founder: Katrina Lee
www.theleepasfoundation.org
Katrina Lee presents Dr. Bone on TalkShoe Internet Radio
October 23, 2008 Broadcast

Jeff Opperman
Hugs To Heartbreak
www.hugstoheartbreak.com

Mike Jeffries
A Family's Heartbreak: A Parent's Introduction
mike@afamilysheartbreak.com.
www.afamilysheartbreak.com

Parental Alienation Awareness Organization (PAAO)
Sarvy Emo, President/Founder: PAAO & PAA Day
Parental Alienation Awareness Day, April 25
www.paawareness.org or
www.parental-alienation-awareness.com

Parental Alienation Awareness Organization – US
www.paao-us.com

Parental Alienation Parents Yahoo Group
Jeff Parks, M.Ed., LMFT
Parents Against Parental Alienation Group

The Rachel Foundation
Pamela Stuart-Mills Hoch & Robert Hoch
www.rachelfoundation.org
Rachel Foundation Yahoo Group

Glenn Sacks
Radio & Television Commentator, Author, Blogger
www.glensacks.com
www.hisside.com

Second Wives Club
www.secondwivesclub.com

John Spiesman, Ed.D., LSW
www.edenpsych.com

Split N Two
www.splitntwo.com
Tawnya Maddox & Chrissy Chrzanowski present Dr. Bone on TalkShoe Internet Radio
March 28, 2008 Broadcast
September 12, 2008 Broadcast

Richard A. Warshak, Ph.D.
Clinical, Consulting & Research Psychologist
Divorce Poison

Rayna Litchen
MSW;RSW
Email: rayna@raynalitchen.com

Dr. Marty Mckay
Ph.D., C. Psych., ABPP
Email: drmjmckay@hotmail.com

Dr. Daniel Rybicki
Psy.D., DABPS
Email: dryb6354@earthlink.net
www.danielrybicki.com

Dr. S. Richard Sauber
PhD, Diplomates in Clinical and Family Psychology,
Email: rsauber@bellsouth.net

Dr. Reena Sommer Ph.D.
Email: drsommer@drreenasommer.com.
www.reenasommerassociates.mb.ca

Dr. W. vonBoch-Galhau
Email: praxis@drvboch.de
www.drvboch.de/

Dr. Michael Bone
Ph.D.
Email: jmbone@jmbconsuslting.org
www.jmbconsulting.org

Dr. Jerry Brinegar
Email: Jerrybrinegar@earthlink.com
www.drbrinegar.com

Charles D. Jamieson
Attorney At Law
Email: cjamieson@jamiesonlaw.com
www.cjamiesonlaw.com

Dr. Randy Kolin
Clinical Psychologist
Email: Randy_kolin@yahoo.com

Dr. Ken Lewis
Ph.D.
Email: DrKenLewis@snip.net

Harvey Shapiro
Investigator
Email: Shapiro@caseassist.com
www.caseassist.com

Dr. Catherine Swanson Cain
Ph.D., LMFT
Email: catherinecain@bellsouth.net
www.pediatricbehavior.com

Dr. Monty Weinstein
Email: DrMonty1@aol.com
www.familyunity.com/index.htm

David Britton
Mental Health Professional
Email: DBMFT@aol.com
www.beachpsych.com

David Carico
Appellate Lawyer
www.californiaappellatecounsel.com

Debra Gordy
M.S. RET
Email: debra@debragordyms.com

Christina McGhee
Divorce Coach & Parent Educator
Email: christinamcghee@divorceandchildren.com
www.divorceandchildren.com

Jose Manuel Aguilar Cuenca
Forensic Psychologist
Email: elcorreode@jmaguilar.com
www.jmaguilar.com

Theresa K. Cooke
FACES, INC
Email: FACESTKC@aol.com
www.FACESTKC.com

Remi Thivierge
Author
Email: info@intothefire.ca
www.intothefire.ca/

Dr, Stephen Ceci
Author, Researcher, Lecturer
www.people.cornell.edu/pages/sjc9/

Dr. R. Christopher Barden
Ph.D.,J.D., L.P.
Email: rcbarden@mac.com

James J. Gross, Attorney at Law
Email: tgclawyers@smart.net
www.mddivorcelawyers.com/

Dr. Randy Rand
Ed.D., Forensic Psychologist
Email: rand@CASEassist.com
www.caseassist.com

Lawrence W. Daly
One Daly Corporation
Phone: (253) 852-6702
Email: lwdaly @comcast.net
www.onedaly.com

Deborah Moskovitch
Divorce Consultant
Email: deborah@thesmartdivorce.com
www.thesmartdivorce.com

UK and Austrailia

Austrailia
http://www.parentalalienationcrisis.org/

Welcome to Parental Alienation - Parenting Association. We are dedicated to educating people about the devistating effects of Parental Alienation on children and thier families. We aim to provide support and guidence for anyone unfortunate enough to be involved in such cases.

Organizations
http://www.fnf.org.uk/
http://www.jump-parenting.org.uk
http://www.parentalalienation.com/
http://www.parental-alienation-awareness.com/
http://www.stopparentalalienation.org/index.htm

Resources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parental_alienation
http://www.jump-parenting.org.uk/documents/FNFFactsheetNo16-ParentalAlienation_Jul08.pdf
http://www.jump-parenting.org.uk/publications.html
http://www.jump-parenting.org.uk/documents/MATCHFactSheetNo.10-ParentalAlienationSyndrome.pdf
http://www.fnf.org.uk/publications-and-policy/research
http://www.parental-alienation.info/book.htm
http://parentalalienationhurts.com/

Videos and Audio
http://www.videojug.com/interview/parental-alienation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQIXAjC_v50
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhMtEZ4ts2k&mode=related&search=Father+Rights+children+parent+contact+custody+families+need+fathers+access+order+divorce+courts+F4J
http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/talkCast.jsp?masterId=15248&cmd=tc

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Behind the Black Robes: Failed Justice

Behind the Black Robes: Failed Justice
By Barbara C. Johnson
Published August 2009

The book addresses a serious problem, the need for court reform and the abolishment of judicial and quasi-judicial immunity. Marinated with the makings of sizzle, the book is filled with the courts’ tricks and traps for the unwary—to alert the readers both why their law cases failed and what must be done to effect court reform.

Each chapter introduces the background of the subject of that chapter and then presents a series of illustrative anecdotes intended to teach the readers by example how to avoid those court tricks and traps people are likely to encounter in their existing or potential court cases.

Its author, Barbara C. Johnson, an unconventional 74-year-old, has long been a fierce advocate for fathers' rights in family courts. She is an outspoken critic of the Massachusetts court system, which she says is rife with corruption.

In 2002, she ran a quixotic campaign for governor, campaigning in an antique fire truck and promising to use creativity, compassion, and a willingness to listen to the People to mend an ailing government.

In 2006, Johnson was barred from practicing law in Massachusetts. “The disbarment by a kangaroo court was an effort to silence my criticism of the courts,” she said.

A newspaper wrote, “While we don't fully agree with either her politics or her methods, Johnson is a character in a humdrum world sorely in need of more characters. She's the thorn in the side, the thumbtack on the chair. . . . Johnson speaks her mind, and loudly.”

Behind the Black Robes: Failed Justice is available for purchase at-

* www.Amazon.com

* www.Abebooks.com

* www.Alibris.com

Barbara C. Johnson, Advocate of Court Reform and Attorney in Fact

Apdo #404-4013 Alajuela, Atenas, Atenas 20501-Costa Rica

barbaracjohnson74@gmail.com SKYPE ID: barbaracjohnson74 Phone 2446-6724

False Allegations: http://www.falseallegations.com

Participating Attorney: http://www.lawguru.com/cgi/bbs2/user/browse.shtml
Campaign 2002: http://www.barbforgovernor.com


The judicial system is very broken. It must be fixed. There are four people who can do the job: Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. Everybody thinks Somebody will surely do it. It is a job Anybody can do. But Nobody is doing it. At least I'm trying. What are you doing?

It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong. --- VOLTAIRE

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident. --- ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUER (1788-1860)

Behind the Black Robes: Failed Justice.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

What children want most is a ban on divorce, says poll - Telegraph

A ban on divorce is what most children would introduce if they ruled the world, according to a poll.


By Alastair Jamieson
Published: 8:52PM GMT 14 Dec 2008

Marital splits were also named the second-worst thing in the world in the survey of under-10s, behind being fat.

The annual survey of 1,600 youngsters found X Factor judge Simon Cowell was more famous than God or Her Majesty the Queen and that the very best things in the world are 'good looks'.

Asked what rules they would make if they were king or queen of the world, most children replied they would ban divorce – the first time it has come at the top of the list.

Bullying would also be banned and has risen to the number two slot from number three last year and number five the year before.

Around two thirds of the children who took part said they were happy, but 27 per cent were not and a further seven per cent were unsure.

Over 80 per cent of the children questioned thought they would probably marry when they grow up although 17 per cent gave a definite "no" on the subject.

Sixty six per cent wanted to have children, with most of them stopping at one or two. Nearly one third were unsure about becoming parents.

Saturday remains the best day of the week for most, because there is no school and they can stay up late to watch television.

Nearly all of those surveyed had a best friend who was kind, but many said they were in love - the number two reason for having a best friend this year, rising from number five last year and seven the year before.

Being fat topped the list of worst things in the world, rising from number three last year. It was number nine in 2006, but was not featured in the 2005 list.

The nationwide research was carried out by Luton First, sponsors and organisers of the fourth annual National Kids' Day.

Patricia Murchie, of Luton First, said: "It seems clear that many pre-teens are more concerned than ever with their looks and weight - possibly reflecting media images of glamour, and new educational initiatives in nutrition and healthy eating."

She said: "This particular age group has some very clear ideas on how the world could be changed for the better, but are very rarely given the opportunity to express them."

What children want most is a ban on divorce, says poll - Telegraph.