A one hour conference call was held at 1 pm yesterday at the request of family preservation leaders and past rally organizers on the subject of my recent lawsuit and upcoming planning session in NYC. A focus upon the involvement of religious groups produced an inspirational discourse mirroring the history and development of past civil rights movements. Ironically, the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal was being hailed simultaneously in national media as the “last frontier of civil rights movements”, demonstrating to the rest of us just how silent and mindless the true “frontier” remains in connection with parenting rights, see our prior posts on the subject. My responses to questions and commentary from lawyer and leadership participants in this conference revolved around the need for renewal, positive action and unity of purpose. Unlike prior test cases, my federal action is comprehensive in scope, addressing a full range of constitutional violations routinely caused by a wide array of state intrusions upon parent-child relations. Put another way, there is something in it for virtually every aggrieved parent and child. When confronted with a question concerning the uphill battle we all face, I responded with a parallel to Brown v Bd of Education upon which my lawsuit is partially based. The lawyers and lay advocates who backed the consolidated cases behind that landmark ruling were burdened with far greater risks and challenges than we face today. Yet without their sacrifices in 1954 and the legitimacy of principle secured at the Supreme Court level, the civil rights movement of the sixties would never have materialized. We need similar legitimacy here. More important, we need similar commitment and sacrifice. These efforts require funding and serious participation if we are ever going to elevate the true frontier to its deserved level nationwide. Thanks for all your support and motivation.

Leon R. Koziol, J.D.