It was with sadness that we learned Tom Ball, in an act of protest, sacrificed his life by dousing himself with gasoline and lighting himself on fire at the Keene New Hampshire County Court House steps on Wednesday. June 15, 2011. Eye witness accounts of Tom's last moments say he was calm and committed to his act.

Tom was an energetic leader for more than three years of the Worcester chapter of The Fatherhood Coalition and served on the statewide leadership board. In this moment of grief we ask everyone new and old to fatherhood causes to come together in solidarity.

That no one else should endure such an absolute and final sacrifice let us show our respect to a father pushed to his limits by continuing our resolve to stop this country's war on fatherhood.