Kirk Wolff::Response to Steven Baskerville's Some Are More Equal Than Others
From R-KIDS of MN and GPF
Good going Stephen. This piece is very well composed and draws a vivid image of today's erosion of life and liberty.
I call attention to your phrase "Men routinely lose their children, along with everything else they possess (including their freedom), in divorce courts".
This is indeed true and in direct violation of the 13th amendment of the US Constitution prohibiting indentured servitude, the 14th amendment requiring equal protection, and the sixth article declaring these amendments the supreme law of the land.
In Minnesota's constitution it is stated in, Article 1, section 12 "No person shall be imprisoned for debt in this state." Here persons are protected against being thrown in jail for indebtedness. Also in Minnesota's constitution, Article 1, section 2 we are guaranteed: "No member of this state shall be disfranchised or deprived of any of the rights or privileges secured to any citizen thereof, unless by the law of the land or the judgment of his peers. There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in the state otherwise than as punishment for a crime of which the party has been convicted". Here persons are protected against indentured servitude unless a crime is committed, and shall not be "disfranchised or deprived of rights or privileges" protecting fatherhood and motherhood.
It is now recently routinely practiced in Minnesota, no matter what the debtor's legitimate reasons may be, to throw a man in jail for coming in arrears in child support payments. Not more than a few months ago, in Ramsey County, Minnesota, there was a two-week-long law-enforcement initiative to arrest debtors having had their licenses repealed and to impound their vehicles.
Child support indebtedness is always set at a fixed monthly rate until the court deems the child emancipated. In the case where a child support debtor finds themselves unemployed or underemployed, they must petition the court for a temporary change in order to avoid accumulating arrearages. If they do not file this motion they will find themselves in jail in a matter of months.
Most men finding themselves unemployed or underemployed are overwhelmed with bills and with trying to find new employment, they do not have spare time to set meetings with the once-a-week-available volunteer legal consultants in order to educate themselves about how to properly file motions and appear pro-se in front of a magistrate of the court.
I have personally repeatedly and unsuccessfully attempted to help dozens of men by notifying them they may get assistance to file these motions. Several of them found themselves harassed by the county by repealing their driving license and being threatened with jail time. In the case of two close personal friends, they did file their motions for temporary reduction in child support, their motions were denied and their incomes imputed at or above their normal rate, their driving licenses taken away and are now facing jail time.
In the rare cases where a women is indebted to a man for child support, it is routine for not only the county child support collections officers to not press charges as they do against men, the court justices intentionally overlook these remedies, and even the law enforcement officers refuse to pursue action.
Stephen, it pains me to agree with you. Men are less equal in Minnesota and in the several States of the union not by fault of our forefathers.
-- Kirk Wolff kirk@rkids.org
