Action Alert: Dear Abby Changes Column in Response to Our Protest over Fathers v. Foster Care—Commend Her
 Dear Abby’s June 12 column concerned a mother of five who, according to her sister, has "has full custody and receives child support every month from her ex-husband. The problem is, she has been spending that money on her boyfriends instead of her children. Because of it, they have been homeless twice, and it may happen again.”
Dear Abby’s response implied that if the mother isn’t taking care of her children properly, putting them in foster care is an equally viable option as placement with their father.
In response, we launched a Fathers & Families Protest via the Fathers & Families Action Squad, and Dear Abby was bombarded with letters protesting the wording of the column.
In response, Dear Abby has clarified her views, changing the column to specifically recommend the father as first option for the children. The column was promptly changed in the on-line editions of the hundreds of newspapers where her column is published.
We commend Dear Abby for her prompt response, and urge all Fathers & Families supporters to thank her by clicking here.
The problem with fathers and foster care is very real. Research shows that when children of broken families are abused by their mothers, the child welfare system often places them into the foster care system instead of with their dads. To learn more, see my co-authored column Choosing Foster Parents over Fathers (San Diego Union-Tribune, 7/11/07).
Be the FIRST to learn of Fathers & Families’ protests by joining the Fathers & Families Action Squad by clicking here.
Action Alert: Protest Esquire Magazine’s Father’s Day Hit Job on Dads!
Esquire is one of America’s oldest and most prominent men’s magazines. One would think that in the weeks leading up to Father’s Day, we would see some articles about the importance of fathers, the joy of being a father, and the crisis of fatherhood in the United States.
Instead, as evidenced by a search of Esquire.com, the only recent "Father’s Day” article (besides ones about what ties to buy dad) is a repulsive new piece called The Bad Dads Hall of Fame (see photo above).
In it, author Sean Cunningham writes "This is beyond dead-beat status. These ten terrible fathers have murdered, neglected, and abused their offspring. Needless to say, they won’t be getting anything for Father’s Day this year.”
Under the "Related Articles," all are either gifts or from 2007 or earlier, with the exception of one--this year's Mother's Day article. Was it called "The Bad Moms Hall of Fame"? No, fortunately it was "The Ten Best Mothers of All Time."
Call Esquire Magazine at 212-649-4020 and give them an earful. Also, write them by clicking on http://www.esquire.com/talk and going to "The Editors” in the drop down menu. Tell them you want to see some real Father’s Day articles ASAP.
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