Anatomy of a Broken Heart

 

Anatomy of a Broken Heart: A Screenplay

Posted on April 3, 2013 by JMcQueen

”Ma’am, give him the children and there won’t be any trouble. Alright? Do you understand? Just give Mr. Duckworth the children.”–Kentucky State Trooper Elliot

Brash talk show host Wendy Williams profoundly angered a multitude of mothers–custodial and non-custodial alike–with a flippant remark on her TV show yesterday. She devoted a portion of her show toward lambasting beleaguered Texas mom Pilar Sanders, who  lost custody of her three children to football hero Deion Sanders last month, for her emotional distress.

Williams contemptuously declared: ”When a man gets custody, the mother is full of crazy.” She concluded by saying,  ”I would say good luck, but I’ll just say oh well.”

That Williams is a mother herself isn’t the only reason for outrage; in her big booming voice she embodies the lack of empathy, of understanding, of the plight of so many mothers who are losing their children to a lopsided legal system. This system continually, and increasingly, favors the fathers–to the point of literally taking the children away from their mothers forever. And then society steps in to join the condemnation by ridiculing the bereft mother’s pain and laughing and scoffing at her concern for her children and her pleas for justice.

Playwright/scriptwriter Christopher Karr wrote a poignant, spot-on (because he was there) screenplay chronicling the day his younger siblings from his mother Robin Karr‘s second marriage,  Matthew and Laura, were taken away from their home on court orders.

Already too old for his years from his experience watching an abusive system punish his mother for protecting all three of her children, Christopher was just a boy of 13 when he wrote this heart-searing screenplay. Technically powerless to do anything about what he witnessed–as would be anyone–he not only watched in horror but tried his valiant boyish best to intervene.

 

 

”Matthew and Laura”

By Christopher Karr

OVER BLACK;

INSERT–TITLE CARD

This movie is based SOLELY upon a true story.

INSERT–IMAGE

Photo of MATTHEW (2) and LAURA (1) with their mother ROBIN in a restaurant at a supervised visit in Rockwall Texas. Matthew and Laura have OBVIOUSLY been brutally beaten. Matthew has a black eye and Laura has a large scrape across her forehead. Robin is holding them, forcing a smile.

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The Devil’s Advocate

 

Posted on April 12, 2013 by JMcQueen

“Get a life and quit wasting my time and yours.” –Texas Fathers’ Rights advocate in response to an inquiry from a woman

“Be nice and get a grip.” –Delaware Fathers’ Rights advocate two days ago when I politely asked him to remove my address from an email circle

We’re paring down a recent post to get straight to what everyone wants to know lately: “How are abusers winning custody of their children and being outrageously successful barring the concerned parents out of their children’s lives forever, without any recourse? Isn’t this a sort of kidnapping?”

Yes.  Robin Karr will show you how.

Matthew and Laura Duckworth at one of the few supervised visitations their mother Robin Karr had with them. They’re holding up outfits they wore in the last formal photographs Robin has.

These photos appeared in this kidnapping flyer for Judge Sue Pirtle, who was soon voted out of office. However, the damage was done to these children, who never saw their mother again.

Judge Pirtle Wanted for Kidnapping

PART ONE: In which embattled mother Robin Karr goes undercover as a man named “Chris” to get information about what a Texas Fathers’ Rights organization is doing to keep her from her children. She knows her abusive, increasingly threatening ex is heavily supported and guided by this group. It is 2002 and she is still trying to get her children back.

At this point the Fathers’ Rights Guy, heretofore known as FRG, thinks she’s a man as there is no reason to think otherwise. Buddy to buddy. The pounce is immediate. Notice how quickly FRG seeks to recruit Chris and welcome him into the fold, even as FRG doesn’t know squat about him or his integrity. Heck, he doesn’t even know Chris (“RC”) is a girl. In his eyes he’s just a guy. And that’s enough.

(Editor’s Note: I’ve flagged some comments for readers’ benefit and the bolding is my own. I’ve removed some verbiage where nothing conveys information of interest to the reader, but I’ve been careful not to alter any context.)

RC:

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