Thursday, February 16, 2006

A visit to the psychologist

<=The weight training has started. This is my lounge floor at the mo.

So today I'm off to see both the psychologist and the psychiatrist. Following my recent custody battle - it is a requirement of the court. Step-Dad tried to convince the court that as a mentally unstable individual, the court needed to investigate whether I was a fit father.

And that's why I have to traipse off to both psych ologist & iatrist. To ask them for reports confirming that I'm OK. I'm pretty sure they'll confirm that I'm OK. But let me tell you something: if the court refuses me custody on the basis that I am BiPolar, I will definitely be taking it to the Consitutional Court. Since the ANC came into power in South Africa, we have one of the most progressive constitutions in the world, that protects EVERYONE's rights - which, in my language, includes BiPolars.

In the meantime, the person who this is really about, Miss L, gets pushed and pulled around like a pawn.

After the 70 000 bucks I spent 2 weeks ago to get the provisional custody, I won't, unfortuantely, be able to afford another lawyer. But that doesn't scare me - I'll represent myself. I have excellent argumentative skills and am quite capable of researching a few case histories in the law library. Having dabbled succesfully in freelance journalism, I've got media contacts too. But the biggest thing I've got going for me is that I won't stop until the injustice is overturned. Even if it kills me in the process. As Nietzsche said: "If you've got a why, you can endure any how."

And maybe after that I'll write a book about my struggle for justice, sell millions and finally retire to fulltime concrete poetry. Gotta look at the positives :)

It pisses me off that it is even a neccesity that I go along to the psychiatrist and psychologist, cap in hand, begging for a piece of paper that says that I'm not a second class citizen. They may as well have done the same with Van Gogh, Nietzsche, Byron, Cantor, Kurt Cobain, John Nash and a string of others.

The "Department of Justice". What a misnomer! Half this country cannot even afford a lawyer which means that any fair court trial is way out of their reach. He who has the most money => buys the sneakiest lawyer => wins the court case. (AKA He who has the most money => funds the sneakiest media campaign => Wins the election)

Yeah, I'm pissed.

6 comments:

  1. You're taking your meds, you'll have the documents. Dress well when you go to court and be polite towards the judge. Assume that the lawyer will bait you. Smile at the bastard and answer his questions politely. Make the step-dad look like the asshole that he is. And point to the cuts on your daughter's arms. "Why didn't he act on this?" "What conditions aggravated this?"

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  2. What Joel said... plus:

    You are intelligent and erudite. This impresses judges as they think they have a corner on it.

    Go get 'em! :D

    mage

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  3. I'm dreading the day I might have to go through the same thing, and I currently have custody. Any time a biological father steps up to take responsibility he should be commended. Stay calm and focused. I'm in your corner on this one.

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  4. ditto Joel and Mage- its good advice. and we have the same situation here in America. He who has money , has a good lawyer and can "buy Justice' it sucks. I will keep you and your daughter in my thoughts

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  5. Very true, "justice" is all about who spends most on their 'marketing team' aka lawyer, and not neccesarily about the facts.

    Damn, the justice system sucks, so does this crap about 'proving' to some doctor that you are a competent father.

    Best of luck to you BiPolar Guy, you are a good guy and you and Miss L deserve to win this. At the end of the day the universe will let justice prevail, the court is just a manmade institution and means nothing in the bigger scheme of things. Holding thumbs for ya!

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  6. ditto everything that everyone else said and add dashing to the list. you handsome man!

    seriously, you'll do fine. how cool would it be to have a letter that says you're sane? if i had one i'd frame it.

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