Hi, I'm 12 years old. I was born in 2004 and I was honestly an accident. My mother didn't plan to have me when she did but as you know things don't always work out the way we plan for them to. My biological father left my mother before I was born with no warning. He simply wasn't capable of being a father. Yes, he was young but so was my mom and she still kept me! My mother soon met my dad who has been there for me ever since! For 10 years my mother didn't hear one word from my biological father, then out of the blue he popped up into my life. I was in forth grade and I met a friend, we were telling secrets one day and I decided to tell her about my biological father. She told me a secret about her mother and also told me she was dating a new guy. His name was the same as my biological fathers name, I became interested quick. His last name was also the same as my biological fathers. I told my mom when I got home and she found out it was the same person. Thinking nothing of it I thought I had a sister and that was cool. Not only did I know that my so called sister told my biological father that she found me, he wanted to see me! WOW I thought, my life was about to change forever. After my mother found out he wanted to see me she talked to me about it. I had told her many times I didn't want to see him and she supported me in my decision. After denying my (bio) fathers request he took it to court. My parents went through series of court hearings to try and stop me from seeing him, like I had asked them to. Unfortunately he won. My (biological) father that had not been in my life for a whole decade and now had the right to see me and I had no say in it! I'm starting this petition to decrease the age in which children are allowed to speak in court. The age you have to be in North Carolina to choose whether or not you see you biological parent is 18. I'm hoping to change this age to 10. Most 10 year old (boys, and girls) are capable enough of making their own decision. Just because your a biological parent doesn't mean you have the same rights as a parent who has been in the child's life since they were born.
