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Wednesday, March 05, 2003     Page: 7A

Our group consists of fathers, mothers, grandparents, aunts, uncles,
brothers and sisters who have experienced first-hand the injustice handed out
by the judicial and domestic relations divisions of the Luzerne County court
system. Our group is committed to the premise that children deserve two
nurturing and loving parents who are equally financially responsible for
raising their children, as well as the family traditions and memories shared
by their extended families.
   
All one has to do is look at the number of children in this region for whom
we prescribe Prozac, Paxil, Ritalin, Adderall, etc. to fully appreciate how
the current system of depriving children of loving non-custodial parents and
their family members is not in the best interest of our children. For the most
part, these children do not need medication; they need the parent and family
members that they are being deliberately deprived of, in most cases, because
of the vindictive, intentional and malicious interference of the custodial
parent with the non-custodial parent’s right to custody of their children.
    Why is it then, the it has been the experience of all of our members, that
the non-custodial parent is continually denied their previously court-ordered
visitation, mostly because the custodial parent files repeated false child
abuse/neglect allegations, continually runs the children to doctors,
therapists, social agencies, falsely reporting that the children are
`traumatized’ whenever they see or talk to their non-custodial parent?
   
More importantly, why is it then that the so-called experts in this area
cannot see this repeated pattern of deliberate parental alienation and
recognize that the real abuse being done to the children is by the custodial
parent and not the non-custodial parent?
   
Perhaps the experts in Luzerne County should begin educating themselves on
the issues of parental alienation and the recent studies that indicate that
children do much better if they are given equal access to both of their loving
and nurturing parents. Only when the decision makers of Luzerne County begin
to look outside the box will the best interest of our children be truly
served.
   
The only way that non-custodial parents can empower themselves is to unite
behind the common cause and work together to ensure that their elected
officials follow the laws that have long been in place to protect their rights
and give them the equality they deserve. In the event that an elected official
doesn’t conform to this equality, there is one guaranteed way to remedy this –
simply go to the polls and elect someone who will. This philosophy has been
the foundation of the women’s movement for years it now needs to be the
foundation of the children’s movement.
   
Karen Menone, Secretary
   
NEPA Chapter of FACE
   
Kingston