Wow children in cages … children being separated from parents … a
frightening thought to say the least … I see it on Facebook on how many are
insulted by this … good for you, but what have you really done to fix the plight
of children in the world, beside complaining about
it on Facebook or in your personal conversation, with friends … as you make
another cocktail to discuss just how awful it is, with a “tisk … tisk” … how awful … hey maybe you even purchased a
T-shirt that speaks to how offended you are … for those on a Time magazine cover…
Let me tell you what I tried to do in the 1980’s …
When I found myself in a battle royal for the rights of children … I was a single mom with no money … taking my
hits in Court big time on this issue … until one day I decided I needed to be
bold and think outside of the box … so I drove to a law school … located about
45 minutes away, from me … There I went into the reference library at the
school … went up to the reference librarian and said this “show me how to file legal
papers in Court on my own”… otherwise known as filing “Pro-Se”…
There was a group of law students in the library when I was there (they
were about my age) … they came up to me and said, “We will help you”… I think I
was a challenge to them … a brassy woman willing to take on “the giant” called the
legal system on her own … so they started to prep me on the ins and outs of
what to do inside a Court room to be heard Pro-Se … I filed my first set of
papers in the Court and I will be darn… I was heard (but barely) … but since I had
filed these papers correctly they had to be heard …
So I went back to my friends at the law school and said this “I need to
go bigger”… I am being eaten alive in the courtroom the Judge could care less
about the rights of a woman never mind a child …
They laughed and said … how brassy are you … I smiled and said… you
would be impressed, when it comes to the rights of a child and they being in a
safe environment …
So my friends at the law school said this … file a complaint … I said against
who … they said … everyone, the County, and the Court and name the judge in it…
WOW... I knew the judge by law had blanket immunity, they cannot be sued … so I
thought… what … is the point …???
My law student friends said the point is “attention to your cause”. The
judge is going to get really pissed off at you and you may get a lot of blow
back… every lawyer in that room will come after you as well … My friends asked
me are you tuff enough to take the heat … my answer, yes I am ..
So my legal friends helped me craft a legal complaint against the County,
the court and the judge … and they told me to go big … so I did… I filed a complaint asking for 10 million
dollars to be able to defend the rights of children …
It was so bizarre that anyone had the brass to do this … my legal complaint
was picked up by the local newspaper … and there I was in the newspaper “woman
files a 10 million dollar law suit against the County, the Court and the Judge”
for the rights of children …
And my law student friends were right … lots of heat I received in
court post that filing … first up the judge who was named could not say anything
to me … I was called before the bench and he said this to me “He is removing
himself from this case” … if looks could kill, he would have given me the death
sentence as he spoke those words …
Within a week I was ordered to appear before another Judge in the same
county (my law student friends prepped me for this) … they told me to say this
in open Court (which I did) “Your Honor respectfully, I have named the entire Court system of this County
in my complaint and I do not think it appropriate for me to address this issue with you” … Well
the judge went ape shit on me … right there in Court … yelling I am not a
lawyer, I do not have a degree and I
should just be glad, I am in American
for in any other country I could be locked up … WOW freak’n WOW … now my law
student peeps … told me it could get ugly in Court … and I must remain calm and
respectful no matter what was said from the bench …
So I let the judge rant and he finally asked me to just leave his
Courtroom... I did and thanked him respectfully …
Within 30 days I received notice from another County that I was to appear
before a Judge there … and I did … this time it was younger Judge who looked me
in the eye and said this “you come to my Courtroom with history, I have read
your complaint and you make fair points and I will listen to you”…
And that Judge true to his word … did listen and was fair …
So what is the moral of this rather lengthy story …?
If you feel something is really unjust in the world try to fix it … in
a manner that makes a difference … not just bitching about it online or at a
backyard barbecue …
And no I did get 10 million dollars that was not the point anyhow …
being heard was …
And there is a two tiered justice system in the Country one for the wealthy
and one for the “common folk” … no wait a minute there is be a 3 tiered justice
system … the woman, the child, those of color are in the third tier … so post
less online and do more in the world, by action … Civil legal action that is
