Michael Richardson Tell's The Truth About The Face to Face Meeting with Congresswoman Maxine Waters On 5/10/10

Well, I did not ambush the Congresswoman as stated in a recent article out of Malibu. I find it very hard to ambush someone wearing a button down dress shirt, slacks, and a pair of Coach Loafers. I simply attended a press conference that was announced on KJLH Front Page earlier that morning that the Congresswoman would attend. I called her LA Office and asked could they send her a text message asking her could I have two (2) minutes of her time while she's walking to her car, (my phone bill will reflect). When the Congresswoman came out I approached her with a camera in which she asked that I put away and she would talk with me and I immediately complied. I just thought it would be great to post on www.bringmitricehome.org to show supporters that she did in fact speak with me. I first thanked the Congresswoman for all of her help and then went into my concerns with how some of the things were done. A couple of words were shared about it and we moved on to discussing a possibility of implementing Mitrice Law on a County, State and Federal level which will eliminate prisoners of any race, creed or color from being released as Mitrice was. She explained what steps needed to be taken before this could happen. After answering all of my questions I thanked her for her time and left.

Although we learned that Mitrice did not reside in Congresswoman Maxine Waters district but she was willing to help was great! However, my concerns about how things was handled and the importance of what I as the father is doing to bring Mitrice home come from her residents that are in her district. It has nothing to do with credit but everything to do with hope and here’s why, a lot of people do not understand is I have a lot riding on this entire situation. There are fathers out here connecting with me daily telling me I'm a voice and an example for fathers like them. These guys think I speak and write well (which I disagree with) and a positive example of how to handle a situation that could outrage a community. When you have fathers that approach you and tell you, “man I wish I could handle myself like you because I have custody of my children and every time the police have to get involve they automatically handcuff me not knowing the mother is in violation of a restraining order. Yes the cuffs come off and then their placed on the mother but black fathers are automatically depicted as the abandoned parents. I hear stories like this daily! These fathers think no one hears them nor cares.

I'm out here promising these fathers in Congresswoman Waters District, and other places such as the Maxine Waters Employment Preparation Center that I will not do anything stupid and I will fight my daughter’s situation with intelligence and tact. With all of this positivity and support, we are hit with a bombshell, an article written about me in Malibu Surfside Newspaper depicting me as an absent father, among anything else you can think of negative. Since the release of that article, my phone calls now consist of, "you see man they don't give a damn about us.” For a minute I agreed, but we are back on track; Yes I feel like David fighting Goliath the Giant, but God has led me to my rock, and it states, stay strong and fearless in your search for your daughter and all the lies, untruths, and defamation of character about you against your daughter will be revealed in the court of law, and based on information you have provided, there’s some people who will have a whole lot of explaining to do! God is good not some of the time but all the time!” All my life nothing has ever been easy for me, but I learned very early everything I have is because I had to fight and work extremely hard and I mean extremely hard for. I will prevail, I promise!

~ Michael L. Richardson, Father ~