Help Grandparents get rights in Maryland

1920: Women are granted the right to vote

1964: Civil Rights Act enacted

2013: Marriage rights granted to the gay community

Grandparents Day is September 11. Yes, I think it is a Hallmark holiday. I won't be celebrating it with my three year old grandson because his mother is denying me access. My son, his father, committed suicide in January of 2015. I found him hanging in the basement. He left behind a son, I will call him E. When my son was alive I could see E regularly. Even after my son's death I could spend time with E at his mom's house. Now I am no longer permitted to see him. You might say, "Well, you're his grandmother you have rights!" No actually I don't. There are no grandparent's rights in Maryland. I would have to prove her unfit, which I can't do. The statute states that I must prove her unfit, which I have no desire to do, or that I have some sort of special circumstances. I have contacted family law attorney and having a dead son is not anywhere near special.

If I was an addict, or was in prison for some crime, I would not blame E's mom. I don't think the two parking tickets I have on my record make me a criminal or a dangerous person.

This is not a singular case. This is unfortunately common.