Former cop, 'deadbeat dad' having hard time

Joe,

I came across your blog while searching for the phrase "escape from America".

I'm a 42-year-old man and I remember this country when it used to be "free". Those days are gone, or maybe I was just naive or too dumb and we were really never free. I don't know which.

I have been a police officer and have had a first hand look at corruption. I hated it with a passion. After all, I got into that job to honestly help people, not fuck them. Unfortunately, the way these laws are written, a person has no more say as to how their children are raised anymore. Hell, my father used to beat me when I deserved it. Try that now and you will find yourself in prison and lose all rights to that kid.

Joe, I have seen this country change for the worse in my opinion. The icing on the cake for me was in 2005 when I came back from Ohio to California and went to get my California license. I was told that I could not get my license because I needed to speak with the district attorney about a child support case. I went to see the DA who told me that my ex-wife collected welfare in 1992 and 1993 and I was responsible for paying that debt back to the tune of $30,000, of which $23,000 was penalties and interest. I told the judge that I was never notified of any debt and that I couldn't be held responsible to pay penalties and interest in something I knew nothing about. Well, the judge wouldn't even hear it. His response was, "If child support says you owe $300,000" in penalties and interest, then that's what you must pay. At this point, I had a chilling effect go down my spine. Reality was starting to set in; if the courts turned a deaf ear to justice, then we are all fucked. Wow. What a wake up call.

I started a web site called ChildSupportReformNow.com thinking that we could fight these injustices. The site has been online for about four months now and it is gaining popularity amongst us "deadbeat" fathers. Since I have started this site, I am seeing that there are others that have it much worse than I do. Some men have actually been jailed because they can't find work. I have had it with this country. I figured that we could join up and fight this, but I am seeing that there is a force much more powerful behind the child support system -- something that can't be fought.  It is nothing more than a money machine that uses the phrase "In the interest of the children". What a scam. The government could give two shits less about your children.

The worst part of all of this is that our civil liberties have been stripped away from us. Me for example, I was fired from my job as a cop because I could not maintain a driver's license to drive a police vehicle. My license had been revoked by the DA, even though I was not behind in my child support payments. The irony behind this is that the last month I was employed as a cop, my license had been suspended for 30 days. I was actually arresting other people for driving without a license and I myself didn't even have one. Of course, I didn't know this, but this was why I got fired.

Losing that job as a police officer was the best thing that could have ever happened to me anyway. I hated seeing the corruption on a daily basis.

I have resolved to leave this country. I have toyed with the idea several times before but never entertained it more than now. But, the government has also removed my right to movement by denying me a passport.

Joe, do you think it will get any better? I am not political nor do I even understand politics. I am just a simple guy that wants to live and let others live in peace. Any advice you could offer would greatly be appreciated. I tend to look to others that have more life experience than myself and really understand what is really happening within the US and government. I like how you "pull no punches" when talking about this country and I respect that honesty.

Thanks,

Frank

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Note to readers: After receiving this email, I had a long phone conversation with Frank. I don't know that we solved any big problems, but we did become friends.

Joe