Milk or Justice

While this blog focuses on the injustice towards Venessa Mills' (and others) homeschooling rights, we are not pretending that this issue is entirely separated from a very difficult divorce. There are other and bigger issues of justice here. People easily dismiss divorces with cynical or judgmental comments - but injustice in a divorce case is no less injustice. Legal torture in a divorce case is no less than in any other - in fact, usually it is much worse.

Today, Venessa Mills had to make powdered milk for herself and her children. Her husband, remaining in the family home for the entire divorce proceeding up until now (he is supposedly moving out on Sunday 15th March), continues to control the purse-strings. Venessa has had to submit household bills to him, hoping that he will provide the money - which he has previously tried to withhold or shortchanged. Naturally, this puts Venessa in a prime position to be badgered, manipulated, and worn down in Mr. Mills' money-controlled powerplays - and leaves the children in the middle.

Is Venessa Mills keeping the children from her husband? Not at all. Today, as Venessa made powdered milk, Mr. Mills took the children out for the day - lunch, and other activities. Apparently, he has money for these things on "his time" - but not to buy milk for the family.

Mr. Mills - on a more than six figure income - lavishes hundreds of dollars an hour on his attorney to defend him from the consequences of adultery while mudslinging and slandering his wife, her religious beliefs, her church, and the teachings of the Bible. He has spent over $21,000 so far to protect his boat and so that his attorney and their non-expert "witnesses" can attack a woman that he describes as a "good mother" and doing a "good job" in homeschooling.

And for every dollar than Mr. Mills spends on his attorney, Venessa Mills - a homeschool mother who has devoted herself to raising and educating her children - is forced to find the money for her own legal defense. For every day and hour that Judge Mangum drags this process out with personal schedule-changes, evaluations, delays, and unjust decisions, Venessa Mills has to endure more emotional distress and more financial hardship.

But Mr. Mills' attorney had the effrontery to complain in court that Venessa Mills was spending money to defend herself against the slanderous accusations that Mr. Mills was bringing against her.

• Did Judge Mangum act to ensure that Venessa Mills could buy milk, let alone mount a proper defense? No.
  
• Is Judge Mangum concerned that Venessa and her children have been subjected to this kind of treatment throughout the proceedings? No.
  
• Did Judge Mangum consider the emotional distress caused by having an adulterous husband continue to live in the family home in the midst of a divorce? No.
  
• Did Judge Mangum stop to think that ordering a mental evaluation under such conditions is completely unfair and setting Venessa up for failure? No.

How about Judge Mangum going out to buy Venessa Mills and her children some milk? How about Mr. Mills' attorney going out to buy Venessa Mills and her children some milk? If you think these are unrealistic suggestions that would never happen, it's only because our ideas of "justice" have become so warped.

Venessa's closest friends have already had to support her in this effort to publicize the injustice that she is suffering, and continue to support her wherever possible in everyday needs. But, when she goes home, she finds no milk and no money to buy any from her husband.

When Mr. Mills finally moves out of the family home, Venessa Mills' situation will be no better. See this page for the financial position that Judge Mangum is leaving her in.

I'd like everyone reading this to consider sending gift cards that can be used to buy groceries and everyday essentials. If you might be interested in helping out in this way, please contact me by e-mail at homeschool.injustice[at]gmail.com as we are in process of making arrangements.

In the meantime, fax Judge Mangum, his supervisors, and the state officials who should be doing something about this, and tell them to buy some milk for Venessa Mills and her children!