Samuel Reid, Major Figure in the History of the Men’s Rights Movement - 1925

 

Samuel W. Reid was jailed in Willows, California for 31 months from  July 27, 1925 to late October 1928. Known to many as “Alimony Sam” and “the alimony martyr,” Reid became an internationally known figure, inspiring others to organize anti-alimony associations across the United States, which were the first true Men’s Rights organizations in the America.

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Some select quotes from “Alimony Sam”:

“I refuse to pay while my child remains in surroundings and environment I consider unfit for her upbringing. Change that environment. Otherwise, I shall never pay even though I remain in jail the rest of my life.”

“I shall never pay. It’s not the money; it’s the principle. What if I am here for life? I’m the first martyr to a great cause.”

“I have the money and I can pay, but I still refuse to do so. My case alone is not at stake. The whole alimony system is wrong and I propose to do what I can to right it.”

“Blackmail, that’s what it amounts to. I’m willing to sacrifice my life if need be to draw attention to the plight of victims of an iniquitous industry which has the sanction of the courts.”

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For the full story see: Samuel Reid: The First Fathers’ Rights Activist? - 1925

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