Vignettes 20

MOMS PAST & PRESENT

I remember clearly how much, as a child, I depended upon my Grandmom. When she would nap on the couch, I would periodically toddle over to her and carefully watch her chest rise, just to insure she was breathing. I knew of an absolute certainty she would give her life if required in keeping me safe. Loyalty has always been most important to me. I honor courage, both physical and moral. The best examples of my heroes are found in the animal kingdom where even the smallest and weakest Mothers will fight to the death to protect their young. One of my favorite stories was printed in this Newsletter not long ago about a Mother-bird caught in a forest fire. Rather than fly to safety, she opened her protective wings to insolate her chicks from the heat. In saving them, she voluntarily stood her ground and surrendered her life. I have grown up, 61 years now, believing in the honor and sanctity of "Motherhood," but recent experiences make me wonder if human Moms today are as good as they once were, or was I just blessed to be raised by an old Mama Lion?

We are all aware of the millions of women who abort their babies before birth; the ones who abandon newborns in trashcans; there is even a case this month of a Virginia mother, Elizabeth Renee Otte, 20, microwaving her infant! There are drug addicts who poison babes while in the womb, and Aides carriers, Satanic "producers" of humans to be sacrificed, but what about the "normal" Moms who birth, nurture, and care for their offspring - then choose to abandon them?

For more than three-years, I have championed Linda Wiegand as a Mom cheated out of her children by a vicious attorney and corrupt court system. We could have ALL walked free any time by simply implicating Linda in some criminal action, but we didn’t. Only Linda could truly save her children. To do so she needed to be free from court encumbrances. For almost three-years Linda lived underground with her sons, Jon and Ben. When uncovered, she challenged the court and was summarily imprisoned for four months. Finally free and imperiled by added criminal charges (co-conspirator in my arrest), she elected (correctly I believe) to go back underground until I was acquitted. In the wake of our trial victory, the Massameno report, and peaked media interest, it is my guerrilla-fighter opinion she should again come out from hiding to challenge the courts as a Mom trying to do the right thing. Unfortunately, now that the time is right, Linda is reluctant to run the gamut.

For months I have urged her to get her New York City lawyers ready to escort her into court. As our trial moved toward a verdict, I cautioned her to be ready! The day before our acquittal, I told her to be set for a court entrance on Thursday, she begged off saying her lawyers were in Washington, D.C. In my opinion, every day that went by after we were freed lessened public and political interest in her case. Our "Not Guilty" meant the charges against her (same as ours) were meaningless. The only criminal charge remaining was custodial interference for taking the boys underground. With Prosecutor Massameno standing ready to testify for her, she was finally clear to launch her counterattack to free the boys. I was smelling a hard fought, but total victory!

Instead of being excited about entering the arena with the odds on her side, she quizzed me about where I would get money to bail her out should she be jailed. I pointed out that with public and media focus in her favor, being jailed could work for her. Only her most loyal supporters have continued to care about her while in hiding. Out in the open, national opinion could be brought to bear. When imprisoned for four months for not paying the $700,000 assessment, 5,000 people contacted the Judicial Review Board to secure her freedom and have the judge recused!

Linda said she wanted to hold out for a possible Connecticut Legislative action to offer her immunity as they investigated her charges of court corruption. I argued that such committee action could be years off! She said her lawyers were advising she not come it at all! She could face a long prison term if tried and found guilty. What had happened to her "Mother-drive?" When all of this started, Jon and Ben were lads of eight and four. This January, Jon was 14! My effort had always been to free the boys through supporting a loving Mom’s fight to recover them. I supported Linda only because she alone held the key to the ultimate safety of her children. Now that we had prepped the battleground for her (Malone was impaled on his own broken lance), she had to attack bravely before her enemies recovered. Judy had paid our rent through March, Sheldon was willing to stay. We were prepared to escort her through the system, help fend off her attackers and do all things necessary until a true custody hearing was achieved. I gave Linda until Tuesday, 14 March at 2:00P.M to take advantage of our offer - with or without NYC lawyers! Friday, 10 March Linda informed me she would not meet my proposed schedule.

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