аЯрЁБс>ўџ ўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџ§џџџўџџџўџџџ  ўџџџўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџRoot EntryџџџџџџџџВZЄ žбЄРOЙ2КР‰Хw6ЩЧРCONTENTSџџџџ 4CompObjџџџџџџџџџџџџVSPELLINGџџџџџџџџџџџџ8ўџџџўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџ these loving parents are pushed so far as to commit suicide. This past week I learned of one of my friends in church who s nephew did just that. This was not a weak man, just one who was pushed beyond his limits. There are many, many of us out there. This problem will not go away, and it will not get better until society takes an honest look at our side of this crisis, and stops the superficial and easy stand of simply labeling us  dead beats . I have fought to remain in Matt and Cayce s lives for two decades, 20 years. It has impacted my mental and emotional health, my work and career, and destroyed my marriage to a wonderful woman. Teri has not recovered from the trauma this brought into her life either. Every Christmas, holiday, and special event was tainted by a vengeful mother. Countless weekends spoiled when I could not even get my children, or they were so mad at me from some problem their mother had brought upon herself and then blamed me for. It was even my fault when her second and third marriage failed. Part of the tragedy of this is we not only have to fight the custodial parents to remain in our kid s lives, we have to fight the courts, family and children s services, and yes, even the Fatherhood Initiative itself. When I see the large billboards on the side of the road telling me as a father to  be there , to  listen , and etc. as if I simply abandoned my children, it literally makes me sick to my stomach! The National Fatherhood Initiative is missing the boat, and doing a grave injustice to both the non-custodial parents, but more importantly the children, by not thoughtfully and realistically addressing this national crisis. Just one example is Jerry Nichols. Part of his story is listed on our web page www.kyfathers.org under member storiCHNKWKS 4јџџџџTEXTTEXT*$FDPPFDPP(FDPCFDPC*STSHSTSH,STSHSTSH,2SYIDSYIDP,SGP SGP d,INK INK h,BTEPPLC l,BTECPLC „,FONTFONTœ,<STRSPLC и,:PRNTWNPR-DFRAMFRAMV2ˆTITLTITLо2DOP DOP ќ2"FATHERS Fathers Asking To Have Equal Rights www.kyfathers.org July 18, 2007 Chris Gardner Board Members National Fatherhood Initiative 101 Lake Forest Blvd. Suite 360 Gaithersburg, MD 20877 Dear Chris, I attended the SEBC conference in Orlando July 12 and was fortunate enough to hear your keynote address. I met you briefly, and you were kind enough to pose for a picture with me. I am the President of FATHERS, Fathers Asking To Have Equal Rights. As I mentioned at the conference, we are on the other side of the issue of being involved in our children s lives. Rather than having our children full time and being in complete control of their lives, we are having to fight simply to remain in contact with our kids. Many of our children have been, and are being moved out of state, some out of the country, thus for all practical purposes terminating our parental rights. Even the children that remain close by geographically are being separated from their fathers by, PAS, Parental Alienation Syndrome. This is a terrible form of mental and emotional child abuse in which the custodial parent actually teaches the child to dislike, and even hate the non-custodial parent simply out of spite, anger, frustration, etc. This is what happened to me. After a decade of being separated from my son, Matt, and daughter Cayce, I m just now able to work toward re-establishing my relationship with them. I know from your address you remember all too well the sick, and continually nagging worry to not know where your child is, how they are doing, or what they are being taught. We FATHERS experience this every day of our lives. Many simply can not handle the constant pressure and give up, thus becoming labeled  dead beat dads . No one sees the pain and problems this causes us. Some ofes. Jerry was a marine stationed in Okinawa Japan when his ex filed a restraining order against him. The only way Jerry could be any farther away from her was if he had been on the moon! Margie not only filed restraining orders against Jerry, but his parents, other fathers of her children etc. Margie even admitted in court, on the stand, and under oath, that she did this just to win custody fights, etc. The judge did nothing. And amazingly enough even issued another restraining order the next time Margie filed one against Jerry. Jerry has been separated from his daughters for well over a year now. He is fighting not only his ex, but the biased court, and biased family and social services. If you truly care about getting fathers back into their children s lives just check this loving father s story out. And once you verify the facts, I ll give you a hundred, a thousand, or ten thousand more. You just let me know how many you can handle! Sincerely, Mike East President, FATHERS 800-472-3741 1673 Hamburg Rd. Kevil, KY 42053 rer so mad at me from some porbroblem theriir mother had gbrought upon herself and then blamed me for. It was even my fault when her second and third marriage failed. The pjarpaPart of the tragedy of this is we not only have to fight 0X|~€œžКж@T„†ž  ќ ў ЌЎ†ˆЪЬTVt#v#n%p%†%ˆ%Š%ž%Ф%о%&"&$&&&(&*&јјјјјєєєєєєєєєєєєєєєєєєєєєєєєєєєєєєєєєєєєєєєєєЬЬ(2‚"'(Š  л)л @ЗS З|Rœ$%&&*&юмЬКЬКЬА "  "PS"  "PS"  "ˆЖ"  "Р"  ѓъчdTSHџџџџ/ычdTSH "№М ".tt*&(*&*(nячdONTTimes New Romanџ " " "ЄјУЦlЬФм@MightyFAX Printer Driver”@fЬФ@MSUDMightyFAX Printer Driver„d*winspoolMightyFAX Printer DriverPRINTFAX:Fџџџ"\В"€‘"бV"їd"№` "№``""A."@џџџ"\В"№љ"бV"їd"№` "№``"."letterhead.wps""иp"иpp (" )" judtgge. Jerry has been seperatded separatedfrom his daughters for well over a year now. MargieHe is fighting nўџ џџџџВZЄ žбЄРOЙ2КQuill96 Story Group Classџџџџє9Вqyёcyёcyёc{ёc8yёc;