Big Brother killing fatherhood.
ALBERTA - A total of 7,660 Albertans are prohibited from holding driver's
licences because they have allegedly fallen behind in child support payments, a
spokesman for Alberta "Justice" said Monday.
Alberta passed legislation giving it tougher enforcement powers in 2000.
Those who have had their licences lifted represent about 15 per cent of the
50,250 files currently with maintenance enforcement. Chance said other methods,
such as garnisheeing wages and holding back payments such as income tax returns
and fuel rebate cheques, are also employed.
The department also has a Web site that identifies parents who owe
maintenance payments who have disappeared. The current
crop, all men, includes people in a wide range of occupations from cooks to
doctors and lawyers.
Nicola Fairbrother, executive director of the Edmonton Social Planning Council,
said she supports the tougher rules.
"Children need what they need, and forcing them to live in poverty is not
a good alternative," said Fairbrother.
Rick Fowler of the Equitable Child Maintenance and Access Society, which
advocates for men who are dealing with maintenance enforcement, said the
ability to lift licences is probably an effective tool, but it causes more
problems than it solves.
"We'd rather it not be used at all because these people absolutely require
a driver's licence to earn a living and support their families," Fowler said.
Alberta has reciprocal agreements with other provinces which prevent those
who have had their licences lifted from getting driver's licences in other
parts of Canada. They are also denied services from registry agents, which
would make them unable to register or ensure a vehicle.
The result of the measures has sparked an increase in violence and suicide, and
hasn't improved fathers ability to pay child support. Dead fathers, and fathers
driven out of work, are hardly good sources for courts to extort money.
The federal government, in the mean time, has for the last four years, delayed changes to the family and divorce acts that would have given fathers equal rights to parent their children. Such measures, when implemented, have reduced "child poverty" numbers.
(Robert Polton) July 29, 2003
Like to see where Canada is heading? (Read below)
The Media Doesn't Publish & the Government Won't Release"
Every year 24,000 men commit suicide. Every 22 minutes
one male commits
suicide. Based on the fact that a divorced male is 2.5 to 3 times more
likely to commit suicide than the average male, the estimate for divorced
men, most likely fathers since there is tremendously more trauma placed on
them, committing suicide every year would be 15,000 to 18,000 men.
Randy Orville Brouse, 33, of Illinois, when jailed for felony failure to pay
child support, hung himself on July 21, 2003. Prior to his death, he was
one of 50 Hillsdale County's "Most Wanted". All are alleged to be dangerous
and wanted "for serious and often violent crimes". In fact, more than 60% (32
of 51)
are wanted only for failure to pay child support. Randy is still on the list.
According to the unConstitutional family court's rulings, that made the
"Most Wanted" financially responsible for amounts they are unable to pay and
visitors to their children, the public is to believe these 32 parents would
rather have their driver's license revoked, lose their voting rights, lose
access to firearms for defense of home and self-protection, lose their job
and ability to find a job, be incarcerated and even to be forced to the
point of taking their own lives than pay money to support their children.
The reality is, even after their children have been stolen from them by the
force of the state, most have paid all they can and are NOT ABLE to pay any
more.
Trevor Goddard, 37, of North Hollywood, California, committed suicide on
June 8, 2003. Goddard was at the height of his career. His credits
include, Mortal Kombat, Men of War, JAG, Deep Rising, Gone in 60 Seconds,
and the recently released, Pirates of the Caribbean. Few know that Trevor
was in the middle of a divorce and finding out just what that means to a
loving father. There were many articles on his death, but, only one
mentioned his pending divorce.
Unknown man, unknown age, of Kendallville, Indiana, committed possible
suicide in the only article released on his death on June 2, 2003. There
was no response (the typical media response) to the email sent by his close
friend to the 22 email addresses at kpc news.
Robert R Steadman, 33, of Sewickley Township, Pennsylvania, hung himself in
April, 2003 during his second imprisonment for failure to pay child support.
Since Robert was only one sentence of the story dealing with suicide watch
policy changing for that prison, it is unknown if this second jailing was a
90 day recycle. The recycle is a jail term of 90 days. After 90 days, the
prisoner is released, only to be greeted by another incarceration for
failure to pay child support for 90 days and the cycle is continued.
Essentially,
fathers can be tried for the same crime over and over, and effectively serve
life sentences.
Reinaldo Rivera, 25, of New Jersey was jailed for failure to pay child
support. He hung himself with a sheet after one week in jail in April,
2003.
Mark Edward Dexel, 42, of Canada hung himself on January 23, 2003 in a
Kamloops motel after he was banned without cause from seeing his son by the
Canadian
family courts.
Derrick K. Miller, 43, of San Diego, California, walked up the steps
courthouse steps to the San Diego family court's security guard on January
7, 2002. Miller had recently been judged to pay support he obviously did
not have. While holding his divorce papers in one hand and pulling a pistol
in the other, he told the guard, "You did this to me!" then sent a bullet
through
his head and died.
Carl Tarzwell, Jr., 37, was arrested on June 20, 2001, for failing to pay
child support. Carl hung himself within a few hours of being jailed.
James Gunter, 45, an emergency services police officer, described as "one of
those steely, go-to guys, a natural in a crisis", took his life on the third
try while incarcerated for the third time. James was arrested for failing
to pay child support and failing to stay away from his ex-wife. Gunter's
daughter stated, "He couldn't stand to be away from his kids,".
Randy Johnson, 34, of Sommerset, Kentucky hung himself on the second day of
his incarceration for felony failure to pay child support in January, 2001.
He could have been sentenced to 5 years. Johnson worked for the Sugar Shack
making donuts. His employer said he was trying to lead a new life.
Darren Bruce White, 34, of B.C., Canada, killed himself sometime between
March 12, 2000 and March 17, 2000, when his body was found. Darren's
suicide came shortly after a court ruling he was capable, something US
family courts are also known to do as attested by the author in his personal
experience, of paying $2,071 a month in support. The court had no concern
that he was paying $439 a month support in his first marriage and was only
making $950 a month salary. White's daughter, Ashlee, expresses her grief
regarding the current system.
Dimitrius Underwood, 22, the defensive end for the Miami Dolphins, slashed
his throat with a kitchen knife when the Lansing police tried to arrest him
for failing to pay child support. Dimitrius's story, due to his notoriety,
was published quickly on September 28, 1999. But, as usual, the article
only dealt with the effect and not the cause.
David Guinn, 38, incarcerated for probation violations and was behind on his
child support, hung himself on November, 1998.
James A. Poore, 33, of Bristol, Tennessee, arrested for failing to appear at
a child custody hearing, found a shotgun while on a work release program and
promptly blew a hole in his chest in March, 1999.
Kenneth Taylor, 40, of Nebraska, hung himself while
jailed for felony child
support in November, 1999.
When will it stop? How will it stop? Where is the men's backlash? Many
splintered equal parenting groups are asking the same questions.
One small group of 13 fathers, Hunger Strike for Justice, has pledged to
start a hunger strike on September 25, 2003 in an effort to break the media
blockade and the lack of government address of family, children and
individual rights. Their determination, resolve and effectiveness is yet to
be tested, but, they have had enough of injustice.
Felons can't vote. The dead can't demonstrate. Men running from
incarceration can't take legal remedies. Jail severely limits protesting
and information dissemination.