OFF THE WIRE
Lisa PetrocelliAlbany Biker Culture Examiner
D.Henry McGrath, founder of Bikers Against Discrimination (B.A.D.) and the American Biker Culture Law Library and Resource Center in Ilion, New York, has entered the Kickstarter fray for crowdfunding with his four book series "Slave In Modern America," which not only reveals the shocking life of his extreme neglect and abuse as a child, but seeks to bring a syncronized worldwide attention to the issues of child abuse.
McGrath, born in South Troy, New York, where he spent his first six years of horror under the care of an extremely and disturbed mother and a never-home-father, in a very poor Irish family setting filled with emotional turmoil, unemployment, poverty, and serious hardships, suffered his first drowning when he was 4 or 5 years old. "My mother, believing it was the only way to get my father to come back home, had me and my sister dress up in our Easter church clothes and walked us down to the river after leaving a message at the local pub that if my father did not arrive on time she would drown the children. Of course, as a child you do not know it’s a ploy and I was all helpful with my mother, calming my crying sister down, as we walked hand in hand to the river like good children with my little brother in the carriage. It wasnt long before I was first and ONLY ONE in the water being held down by my mother under the rushing waters of the river and drowned. A man passing over the bridge, who was a drinking buddy of my father's, saw what was happening and ran down to resuscitate me. Back in those days, the authorities were never called. Family affairs stayed private except for the gossip that certainly held tales of woe when it came to the McGrath's in South Troy," McGrath said.
The four book series, "Slave In Modern America," covers the horror-filled childhood tortures, enslavement, and how he escaped against all odds - much of which will surprise the readers. This is a controversial book which was extremely painful for McGrath to complete and will be very uncomfortable for readers, however, very necessary to come to fruition, as we are well aware that there are now right this second, abused children, tortured and suffering, locked away in a hidden room or cellar with tears in their eyes as they listen to the faraway laughter of little children somewhere in the distance, just as McGrath was. “I intend to bring the issue first and foremost in all of our minds because life begins with all children," said McGrath.
Several years ago, McGrath started a small group called the "FreeChild Project," which is a worldwide campaign to bring the issue of child abuse and neglect to the forefront rather than simply an "Amber Alert" or a feel-good type of issue that now and then is mentioned by a politician or media source. The kickstarter "Slave In Modern America" campaign seeks to provide the funds needed to publish the first book of the series. Once the first book is published and sold, it will help to fund the "FreeChild Project," where Mr. McGrath will tour and speak to the public and to agencies throughout the world on innovative ways to end child abuse and neglect. $1 from every book sale is earmarked for child abuse organizations throughout the world, which will be listed in each book of the series. There is also a Facebook page called “Slave In Modern America” where people can give support, find links to donate, and stay abreast of the book project developments.