Superheroes & reform - Introducing Bat Girl!

murtarij@yahoo.com

AKidsRight.Org - All the information in our messages if FREE for reuse as you desire.  Subscribe/unsubscribe info at end of this message.
=========================================
Good People & People of Faith,

This message has info on:
1. Superheroes & reform - What?  Why?
2. Introducing Bat Girl -  background of a Superhero!

1. Superheroes & reform - What?  Why?
-------------------------------------
Real quick.  I'm Catholic and was in church yesterday.  Everyone
know we call Catholic Priests "Father."  Many may not know we
also have single/married men serving in ordained roles called
"Deacons."  I've known Deacon Kiley for years. He's just a
regular guy with a family, but I've never called him Greg even in
casual conversation. Isn't that strange?  It got me thinking as I
walked home (still can't drive with that suspended license!) 
.... WHAT MAKES HIM SO SPECIAL?

He's doing a necessary job for the community. One I could be
doing, but just haven't bothered or cared.  Oh, I do a little at
Church, but being ordained, a real commitment - sorry! I want to
help on my terms and my schedule!  I felt a little guilty...

I suddenly appreciated what he was doing in taking my place.

As you read Paulette's Superhero bio below. She is not that
different either.  Bills to pay, a job to take care of, and
family -- but she took a risk for what "we" believe in.
Prosecutor's demanded she pay $50,000 for costs associated with
her action (she eventually refused).

How worried would any of us be about that!  I searched our
message archive. Last year we had a story on Superheroes Paul
Fisher & Donald Tenn
http://www.AKidsRight.org/archive/archive2009/0046.html

Prosecutors demanded they pay about $5000 or face a trial where
State Prison time was threatened.  They accepted the 'deal' -- it
was a pretty scary alternative.  There was a "pitch in" campaign
to help with their expenses.  "We parents" contributed less than
$500.....  I'm sure they will still accept and greatly appreciate
help: pfisher@pobox.com & donaldtenn@yahoo.com

---  What we lack as a movement.

Almost everybody likes to use BIG words like our RIGHTS ARE BEING
VIOLATED! But fail to appreciate a critical part of any historic 
human rights effort has been sacrifice.  Not by many, but they 
certainly earned the support and respect of those around them.

Just 50 years ago, segregation! Can you believe there were Blacks
killed just for demonstrating they wanted to sit next to a white
person on a bus!!!  I hate to say it, but I might just have
stayed in the back and kept quiet.

But instead of calling the others "crazy" or "law breakers", I 
might have had the humility to admit my fear and desire to take
care of #1 first -- and do  everything I could to support those 
people and their efforts.   Superheroes!

What about you?

2. Introducing Bat Girl -  background of a Superhero!
-----------------------------------------------------
A few weeks ago we ran a story on Bat Girl -- climbed a tower to
call attention to Parental Alienation. Do you ever wonder what
makes these people tick? What type of lives allow them to do
these things?  What were they thinking of -- getting arrested!

I recently talked to Bat Girl (who is actually a Grandmother)! 
She doesn't mind if I disclose her secret identity -- Paulette
MacDonald <completewellness@sympatico.ca>.  I asked some of those
very questions and will share her thoughts with you.  But first,
a little background and pictures:

Her Superhero profile: 
http://www.f4jcanada.com/SHProfilePages/Alliston_Ontario_Bat_Girl.html

Aliston Bat Girl Scales Water Tower:
http://www.f4jcanada.com/OntarioPages/Ontario_Bat_Girl_Cookstown_Action.html

She has her own radio show also and is happy to take suggestions
for interviews:
http://www.f4jcanada.com/OntarioPages/Single_Parent_Show_Alliston_Ontario.html

The notoriety from her efforts and her persistence got her a
personal meeting with Canadian Minister of State (Status of
Women) Guergis.  This position would be equivalent to a member of
the US President's Cabinet.  Unfortunately, the Minister was
later caught up in a political scandal and was forced to resign.

In Paulette's own words about her actions:

   "...to demonstrate that you don't have to be a Lawyer or a
   Child Psychologist or whatever... all you have to be is a
   loving, caring parent and You Too, can make a difference! But
   You have to use your voice and You have to do whatever it
   takes to make Your voice heard.

   I was acting as a Riding Ambassador for Bill C-422 Equal
   Parenting, as well as my own personal request that Minister
   Guergis, table a proposal to amend the Divorce Act in Canada
   to reflect mandatory Educational Workshops for both divorcing
   parent's and their children, prior to a Divorce being granted
   in Canada..."

Paulette had been through a divorce earlier in her life and is
trying to help her current partner who is having difficulties
with his former spouse.

What I asked & her reply
--------------------------
Paulette, I'd like to share some detail into the feelings &
motivation that made you risk arrest in taking public action for
reform.  So many parents are so timid and afraid to do anything
to stand up for their rights.  I hope by sharing some stories
from people who took the step -- that it may encourage others to
imitate their actions.

* What provided the final motivation, the 'straw that broke the
camel's back' -- to taking action?

    "First of all, I tried educating "mom" directly... I
    explained that I am a divorced mother and when my ex and I
    agreed to divorce, we agreed to put our children first and we
    never step foot inside a court room... my ex remarried a
    wonderful women that loved and nurtured my young children
    right from the start and I loved her for loving my
    children... my children are now wonderful, loving parents
    themselves and my five beautiful grandchildren have a loving,
    unhindered relationship with all sets of grandparents...

    I just assumed that was the way all parents divorced! I
    explained that her parenting behavior is harming her own
    children! She was not interested in changing her
    narcissistic, hostile aggressive parenting behavior... I then
    began writing letters to the editor in order to educate the
    community, as well as planning community events and educating
    the schools... I spent months working with two local Mayor's
    regarding getting  Proclamation's issued, declaring April
    25th, 2009 as Parental Alienation Awareness Day... both
    mayor's did and I organized a Pre-PAA Day community event the
    weekend before the 25th, in which one of the Mayor's attended
    and presented me with a beautifully framed proclamation...

    I invited a ton of media and not one media representative
    attended! It was not enough for me to educate our little
    community and without the media's help, that was as far as I
    got. That was the final straw! I knew then, that I had to
    take action in order to get the media's attention. Hence, the
    tower! I did get the media's attention that day!"

* Doubts about being arrested, what your friends said pro/con?

   "... yah! I was extremely afraid, I had never done anything
   like this before. However, I was more afraid of what would
   happen to our innocent children if I didn't do it! As for my
   family and friends, well, I think initially they were shocked
   that I would even consider such an action and at the same
   time, they understood that I had attempted to help our
   children through, Children's Aid, Office of the Children's
   Lawyer's, Ombudsman of Ontario, Minister Attorney
   General... all to no avail...

   in the end, they were proud of me for having the courage to
   take such great risk in my own freedom not knowing if I would
   end up in jail or not..." 

* Emotional High & Low points during the action and subsequent
arrest?

   "Wow it was like an emotional roller-coaster ride... for the
   most part, the police and fire-fighter's that were there that
   day, truly appreciated my message, just not my method.lol

   I soon realized that our Criminal Courts are as messed up as
   our Family Courts are! " 
   http://parentalalienationcanada.blogspot.com/2009/06/bradford-fire-wants-allistons-bat-girl.html

*  Now what?

   "I currently am waiting on (Member of Provincial Parliament)
   MPP Jim Wilson (Provincial) for a face to face meeting,
   regarding my proposal.

   [ For those in the United States, an MPP would be similar to
   one of our state legislators.]

   My point being, I will never stop using my voice to defend OUR
   Human Right to have a loving, unhindered relationship with OUR
   Children! Are You using Your voice?" 

Our phone conversation -- Anything else you want to share?
----------------------------------------------------------
It was a pleasure speaking with her and getting more details into
her background and some of the things that happened.  Here are a
few items.

1. It took hours to get anyone's attention.

Her plan was to call news stations from her cell phone after
climbing the water tower.  It was located on a local Mall next to
a major highway.  She didn't have any assistants on the ground
for fear they would be arrested also (which had happened to
others in the past).

She had unfurled a huge banner and nobody noticed.  Finally she
had to shout down to a couple of mall shoppers, "Heah, look up
here!  Let mall security know!"

2. Rookie at mall security panics!

The first person responding was a new guy on the job. He looked
up, didn't bother to read the huge banner, and just called 911 to
report, "A crazy suicidal women is on our water tower! She's
going to jump!"

3. Response arrives.

Paulette described it was a wild scene under the tower as a LOT
of police cars arrive and a ladder Fire truck.  That also brought
a lot of media, newspapers & TV.  They finally realized this was
a political protest.  She eventually came down to the ground and
was arrested.

4. Criminal charges and a $50,000 bill!

She was shocked to be presented with papers saying she owed the
Fire Department $50,000.  The fire truck broke down on the way
back to the station and they wanted to blame 100 pound Bat Girl!

It worried her quite a bit.  Her and her partner were just
getting by and had enough financial problems already.  She
refused to negotiate about payment and demanded to see the
"maintenance record" on the vehicle.  They dropped the request.

5. Fire Department demands $500 charity donation.

The next tact by prosecutors was to demand she donate $500 to a
charity specified by the Fire Department.  She refused to be
blackmailed and told them all her efforts were toward awareness
of Parental Alienation -- this was her charity effort!

6. All charges are withdrawn.

After several court appearances, she is finally informed that
charges have been "withdrawn."

Best regards!
-- 
                                       John Murtari
____________________________________________________________________
Coordinator                            AKidsRight.Org
jmurtari@AKidsRight.Org         A Kid's Right to BOTH parents"
(315) 944-0999(x-211)             http://www.AKidsRight.Org/

=========================================
http://www.AKidsRight.Org/
A Kid's Right to Both Parents!
---
Newsletter mailing list
Newsletter@kids-right.org
http://kids-right.org/mailman/listinfo/newsletter