From: "Daddy" <arte_miastkowski@yahoo.com>
Subject: Press Release: New York, New York, USA

Press Release: New York, New York, USA

Bi-Partisan Rally in Support of Shared Parenting (NY Bills A-330 and
S-291)

Mothers for Shared Parenting will be holding a rally November 05, 2005 from 10 AM to 4 PM in two locations:
outside of New York State Democratic Party Offices, located at 60 Madison Ave (at 27th Street) and also outside of New York Republican County Committee, located at 122 East 83rd Street

A Social Justice and Human Rights Issue:
Under the present law "fit parents" are commonly denied their children.

Timed for Voter Awareness:
The rally is being held on the weekend before the New York State General Election, which takes place on Tuesday, November 08, 2005.

Legislative Result Sought:
The event is designed to bring awareness about and show support for the issue of Shared Parenting and specifically Assembly Bill A-330, sponsored by Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg, D, Nassau County, and its corresponding Senate proposal, S-291, sponsored by Senator Owen Johnson, R, Suffolk County.

The Scope of the Problem:
There are currently 2.5 million families in New York State who would be affected by Assembly Bill A-330 and Senate proposal S-291, which would propose that instead of one parent being designated as "non-custodial" and therefore a "visitor", with very few rights and no legal standing on behalf of the child, there would be shared parenting and both parents would be presumed fit and competent unless there was evidence that either was not.

VIPs and Lively Speakers:
Speakers slated to attend at one or more locations currently include Dr. Mark Klein, a possible presidential candidate in 2008, several rights groups, several family law attorneys, authors, and family rights activists will speak. Many men and women who have had their rights shockingly removed without cause, including some mothers and fathers who have been sent to jail for what seems like arbitrary reasons will be available for the press.

Call to Action:
It is imperative that the legislature act on Assembly Bill A-330 and Senate proposal S-291and quickly as the situation is only getting worse. The courts hands are basically tied and they, too, are looking to the legislature to remedy the situation, as the system as it now stands is not only unfair, but damaging to the children who are entrusted to it. Children's best interests are not being represented. "Custodial" parents are overburdened. "Non-custodial" parents have their hands tied and, for example, cannot legally request medical records, cannot legally represent their children in school proceedings nor can they sue on behalf of their children.

Children and Both Parents are ALL "At Risk":
Children are severely damaged as shown by every possible known statistic including: suicide, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, prescription abuse, school drop-out statistics, teenage pregnancy, runaway, prostitution, incarceration, gang membership, victimization by sexual predators, and as both victims and victimizers related to violence and other serious crimes, It is "custodial" parents (commonly mothers), are also harmed by the current system. After the breakup of a relationship "custodial parents" are given full custody of the children and a child support check and are expected to make it. They become solely responsible for medical issues, school issues and legal issues regarding their children. Mothers for Shared Parenting is standing up for those mothers and asking that the legislature act and allow fathers to share those burdens. It is not fair to assume that one parent can provide for the comfort and shelter of the children and also be vigilant as to their greater needs in the wider society. "Non-custodial" parents (fathers) should be allowed access to those same rights: medical records, school records, courts and the legal system on behalf of their children and now.


Because child support alone is insufficient to pay household bills, mothers still must work. Thus without the greater involvement of fathers, children are often left to be latch-keyed. Even in the best of circumstances, the burdens of work on the other make it so that children are left with low-quality, if not illegal (undocumented alien) child care. Surely, a father's participation is preferable to a system that otherwise does not nourish and nurture children. The statistics of single parent households are grim; such households have a dramatic increase in suicide, high-school dropouts, drug addiction, alcohol abuse and runaway teens. Without both parents watching over and out for the children, these things are a grim reality for many. Drug pushers and sex deviants often fill in for the missing parent.

Non-custodial parents (usually fathers) are in strongly in favor of shared parenting as well. The reason for non-custodial parent support is largely emotional ---- the non-custodial parent usually wishes to be more involved in the development of their children.

Undeniably, "non-custodial" parents are harmed by the current situation: they rarely have any recourse once a decision is made and usually that decision leaves them very little time with their children and absolutely no right to make any decisions for them.

The law as it currently stands is damaging to children, fathers and mothers all, as it usually denigrates fathers to the position of seeing their children two weekends and two weekday evenings for a few hours a month. It puts undue burden on mothers as they become the sole person responsible for the health and welfare of their children, under the law. Fathers are commonly emotionally damaged by being excluded from their children's lives. The largest burden, however, is born by the children of this system; they effectively are reduced to have only one parent, one fighter, one protector, and one helper; that one parent may be emotionally strained and not able to fully support and provide for them. Taken away from them may be a fit parent who can and should
help raise the child.

An under-realized Social Benefits and Deficit Reduction Campaign Issue:
Social costs with shared parenting will be greatly reduced. Just as childcare advocates assert that for every dollar spent on childcare funding produces seven dollars in social cost saving for government, what might free and quality parenting do for deficit reduction?

A Child Friendly and Accessible Event:
The event at Democratic headquarters (60 Madison Avenue at 27th Street) is located near a public park.
This is convenient for parents that bring their children with them to the event. Both sites are wheelchair accessible. Both event sites are adjacent to nearby Lexington Avenue Subway trains; participants can purchase a subway day pass for easy access to both events.

Large Press Involvement:
Already over a dozen news agencies are scheduled to be in attendance.


About the Organizers:
Mothers for Shared Parenting is a grass roots, self-funded organization created in 2005 to address the needs of mothers in the battle for Shared Parenting Reform. We sympathize and understand the issues related to "non-custodial" parents and the current system. We also are striving to bring to light an underrepresented viewpoint as far as "custodial" parents are concerned.
The key organizers are veterans of other social issues lobbying. For example, Ms. Ashley Clark was the key organizer for the National Nurse Out (the event to promote pro-breastfeeding nationwide) and protests against anti-breastfeeding comments of Barbara Walters, commonly know for both her journalism and her role on ABC Television's "The View." These events were covered heavily in the world media and the Barbara Walters protest alone can be found on Google over 31,000 times.

Partial List of Supporters:
Numerous persons and organizations have expressed their support of the Shared Parenting Bill or this event and some may also be on the speaking agenda.
Included in the confirmed speakers and supporters are:

Miriam Callaghan, Esq., Family and Constitutional Law Attorney Ashley Clark, Organizer, The National Breastfeeding Rights Protests Chris DiMaggio, Producer, Families In Transition Television
Sal Frasca, Founder, National Marriage
Centers David Friedman, Founder, www.silentmajority.info

Elder Henix, Founder, Family Law Reform Now
Dorothy Jiskra, Founder of Jeremy's Heart Fund
Dr. Mark Klein, www.equalcustodyact.com

Dean Tong, Forensic Trial Consultant
Dr. Stephen Walker, Trial Consultant
The Coalition of Fathers and Families New York, Inc.
National Coalition of Free Men
New Jersey Council for Children's Rights


Questions? Comments?
Questions or comments should be directed to Ashley Clark, anniej83@hotmail.com or 631.384.1222