I recently partnered with Dr. Ned Holstein, president of Fathers and Families, in a campaign designed to draw attention to a serious problem in our child welfare system. When a father's former wife or partner has been found to have abused her children and has had them taken by child protective services, decent, loving fathers are often denied custody of their own children. Incredibly, children are often put into foster care rather than being returned to their fathers, even though there has not been any finding that the fathers are unfit.

Our campaign called attention to the case of Rafael Izquierdo, a fit, loving father who is battling the Florida Department of Children & Families so he can raise his little daughter, most likely in Cuba. In this "Elian Gonzalez II" case, Izquierdo has been found by a Florida court to be a fit and committed father, but he is still being denied his parental rights.

One reason DCF has acted as it has is that Florida Governor Charlie Crist, like many Florida politicians, seeks the loyalty, votes, and campaign donations of the large, powerful Cuban-American community. Crist (correctly) sees defeating Izquierdo as a way to win Cuban-American votes. In Florida, sticking it to Cuba's government is a crowd-pleaser, similar to the way politicians win popularity by beating up on "deadbeat dads."

We asked Florida DCF to contact us and open a dialogue on how we can address this important issue.

Thousands of you have answered our call to action, and our campaign has been covered or cited in hundreds of newspapers, including by the Associated Press, syndicated columnist Kathleen Parker of the Washington Post Writers Group, Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service, the Miami Herald, the Orlando Sentinel, and many others. DCF, to their credit, contacted us and met with Dr. Holstein in Miami recently.

Our sources indicate that DCF is under pressure from the Governor's office to continue this case, despite a lack of enthusiasm from many in DCF itself. The case is currently on

The article below is illustrative of the problems with the child support system in many ways:

1) I've often made the point that when we jail or threaten to jail child support debtors and they pay money to stay out of jail, this money often is not theirs but instead money they've borrowed from their family and friends. Yet inevitably whatever chest-thumping/publicity-seeking DA who's behind the latest crackdown will tell you, "See? The deadbeats have the money and the threat of jail makes them pay!"

In this article, a judge is admitting that threatening to jail people means they borrow money from family members to stay out. He's admitting that they don't have the money to pay themselves, and that they're being jailed for inability to pay their debts. In other words, debtor's prison.

2) I'm not sure if we have any Father of the Year candidates in this article, but most of the "deadbeats" certainly seem to be low-income men whose ability to pay is questionable. We're told two of their occupations--one is a roofer, the other is a construction worker--and both claim they're having a hard time finding work. One of them says that the fact that his driver's license was suspended for nonpayment of child support has made it more difficult to find work.

3) Most notable is the article's assertion that Andrew Tayrien was sentenced to "20 years in prison for non-support, a class B felony." Twenty years? Is that a misprint?

4) The article mentions the Arkansas Department of Finance & Administration's Office of Child Support Enforcement's new top Child Support Evaders list, which can be found here. Of the six listed, the biggest "deadbeat" is a waitress. We also have one youth camp worker and four people who are so successful in their careers that the DFA doesn't even know what their occupations are.

Oh, and tell me, when they catch the waitress, are they going to sentence her to 20 years in prison?

The piece is below. Tracy M. Neal, who wrote it, doesn't seem to understand the implications of the facts in her own article--she can be reached at  tracyn@nwanews.com.

Thanks to child support expert Jane Spies of the National Family Justice Association for sending me the article. Jane discusses problems with the child support system in her recent article The Myth of the Successful Child Support System.

SUNDAY FOCUS : Big child-support bills could result in jail time
By Tracy M. Neal Staff Writer / tracyn@nwanews.com
November 11, 2007

BENTONVILLE -- Child support or jail.

That was the rule Circuit Judge Xollie Duncan stressed to people recently as they were called before her for failure to pay child support.

Duncan and Circuit Judge John Scott set aside a day each month to hear such cases.

" The rule is you pay child support or you go to jail, " Duncan said to Richard McKeever. " You understand that. "

McKeever was arrested for failure to pay child support. He owes more than $ 23, 500. He claims he works part time in a construction job and received $ 215 several days ago.

" I've been trying to make enough to live, " McKeever told the judge.

McKeever claims he works with an acquaintance who drove him to job sites. McKeever is hampered from finding a better job because he lost his driver's license -- one of the punishments for his failure to pay child support...

To read more and to discuss this issue on my blog, click here.

The American Coalition for Fathers and Children The American Coalition for Fathers and Children is dedicated to creating a family law system which promotes equal rights for all parties affected by divorce. Contact the ACFC at 1-800-978-3237 or visit them on the web at www.acfc.org. Parenting Plan Calendar Software Shared Ground (R) is an easy-to-use software program designed for divorced parents to track their parenting plan schedules over many years. Do-it-yourself or let us build your approved parenting plan into a multi-year calendar so that you can print, share, or modify the calendar later. Parents, attorneys, arbitrators and mediators can generate equitable parenting plans, which is especially useful for parents seeking fair division of their children's time. FREE ASSISTANCE TO OUR CLIENTS- $49.95 one-time charge, FREE TRIAL & MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE. Click here for more information.

Some of you may remember several weeks ago in one of my weekly E-newsletters I asked for Texas custodial dads who receive or are supposed to receive child support. Many of you responded--so many, in fact, that the Houston FOX affiliate on whose behalf I wrote the notice told me they had to have a "cattle call" of all the dads. FOX ended up using three of the dads in the show (pictured above), and they spoke about their situations and their struggles.

While I have no complaint about what's in the show's clip of me, the totality of my interview was more nuanced. In the interview, I also pointed to the many problems with the child support system, and explained that noncustodial moms sometimes fall victim to them just like noncustodial dads often do.

To watch the FOX special, which aired in Houston on Monday, November 5, click here. (Warning, it may take a few seconds to load.)

To write Emmy Award winning reporter Melinda Spaulding, who put the special together, click here.

To discuss this issue on my blog, click here.

A Legal Advocate for Fathers in Los Angeles & Ventura Counties The Law Offices of Adam Michael Sacks, Esq., handles cases of all sizes with compassion, understanding, and a commitment to helping fathers protect themselves in a divorce. Don't assume anything and don't sign anything--call Adam Sacks, Esq. at 1-800-340-7320, or write him at adam@adamlawyer.com. www.adamlawyer.com (No relation) FALSELY ACCUSED IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA? If you've been falsely accused of domestic violence, sexual abuse, child molestation, or other crimes of a sexual nature, contact The Law Offices of Douglas R. Slain. Slain is a specialist who has worked for over 30 years to defend falsely accused men and fathers. To learn more, click here, or call 800-438-6820.

Background: I recently partnered with Dr. Ned Holstein and Fathers & Families in a campaign to protest Florida Department of Children & Families' actions in the "Elian Gonzalez II" case in Miami. In that case, Rafael Izquierdo, a fit, loving father, has faced numerous obstacles to reunite with his 5-year-old daughter.

In our letters and faxes to Florida DCF, we asked that they contact Dr. Holstein and meet with him to discuss the issues put forward in our protest. In the photo, Dr. Holstein shakes hands with Gilda Ferradaz, head of DCF's Miami division. Dr. Holstein met with Ferradaz, Mary Cagle, DCF's Director of Child Welfare Legal Services, and other DCF officials last week. In addition, Dr. Holstein met with embattled Cuban father Rafael Izquierdo.

To learn more about our campaign, click here. 

Dr. Holstein and I had urged DCF to examine the Urban Institute's recent report What About the Dads? Child Welfare Agencies' Efforts to Identify, Locate, and Involve Nonresident Fathers, which studied the foster care systems of four states. The report contains a shocking finding: when fathers inform child welfare officials that they would like their children to live with them, the agencies seek to place the children with their fathers in only 15% of cases.

In Ferradaz's letter below, she says that DCF will "review in detail" the Urban Institute report. Changing a misguided bureacracy's policies can be a Sisyphean effort, but, to be fair, DCF has in general responded to our campaign in a meaningful and intelligent manner. 

Ferradaz wrote:

"Thank you for your correspondence to Florida Governor Charlie Crist and the leadership of the Department of Children and Families regarding a Miami child custody case.

"Your willingness to raise your voice shows your compassion for the well-being of children in our state. As requested in your correspondence, Department of Children and Families leadership contacted Dr. Ned Holstein, President of Fathers and Families, and met with him on October 24, 2007 to hear his concerns. Dr. Holstein shared with us the report prepared by the Urban Institute which you cite in your email and we will review it in detail. Please be assured that the best interest of the child is always the primary concern of this Department.

"We thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention.

"Gilda P. Ferradaz,
Circuit Administrator"

To discuss this issue on my blog, click here.

Fathers & Families: Advocacy for the Child-Father Bond Fathers & Families is a non-profit organization advocating for the right of every child to have two parents. Called by some a "fathers' rights organization," Fathers & Families is made up of men and women who believe that fathers are an essential part of a child's life and that divorce or separation should not change this. www.FathersandFamilies.org  FALSELY ACCUSED IN TEXAS? Domestic Violence. Child Sexual Assault. Child Protective Services Defense. Contact the Law Office of Stuckle & Ferguson www.PaulStuckle.com / falseaccusations@stuckle-ferguson.com Goldberg & Associates--the Parental Alienation Specialists If you're the target of Parental Alienation, the Parental Alienation specialists at Goldberg & Associates can help. They operate throughout the U.S. and Canada and assist family law attorneys and targeted parents needing medical-legal consulting services related to Parental Alienation. Call them at 905.481.0367 or visit their website www.parentalalienation.ca.

Background: In my co-authored column, From a Felony to a Phone Call: Texas Prop 13 Will Allow Innocent Men to Be Jailed Without Bail (Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, Austin-American Statesman, 10/22/07), Mike McCormick, Executive Director of the American Coalition for Fathers and Children, and I criticized a Texas Proposition which drew wide support from many state newspapers. Unfortunately, our column was the only published opposition I saw, against a slew of editorials and op-eds in favor.

Reflecting again the weakness of our movement, Proposition 13 passed with Texas voters by a wide margin on Tuesday. Proposition 13 is a dangerous measure which will harm innocent men by greatly eroding the rights of those accused of domestic violence. The measure grants judges the ability to hold without bail those accused of nonviolent, trivial, or accidental violations of temporary restraining orders.

Under current Texas law, the only defendants ineligible for bail are those accused of capital crimes. In addition, judges are provided discretion to deny bail to those who have been both charged with a felony and convicted or indicted for a previous felony. To deny bail, there must be "evidence substantially showing the guilt of the accused."

Prop 13 obliterates this, and opens the road for many innocent men to be held without bail. Like many states, Texas has adopted aggressive arrest procedures on domestic violence calls. The result has been that men are sometimes arrested for misdemeanor domestic violence based on thin evidence. After the arrest, Emergency Protective Orders are entered against the accused, typically barring him from going home or having any contact with his children. Fathers can violate the orders by innocent acts such as calling their own children, accidentally running into them and their mother in the mall, or going to their Little League games.

Under Prop 13, judges will have the power to incarcerate without bail men who violate their EPOs. Moreover, the Proposition lowers the evidence standard from Substantial Showing to Preponderance of the Evidence, which can rapidly degenerate into a "he said/she said" contest that men usually lose.

Even worse, Prop 13 also encourages the legislature to pass a law which would allow fathers who violate temporary ex parte protective orders to be jailed without bail. Women can obtain these orders by claiming their male partners abused them, and the men are then booted out of their own homes without ever having a chance to defend themselves in court.

To learn more about Proposition 13, click here.

To discuss this issue on my blog, click here.

HELP FOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FATHERS If you're a father in Northern California who's going through a divorce or its aftermath and need legal help, contact The Law Offices of Douglas R. Slain. Slain, a graduate of Stanford Law School, has over 30 years of experience in family law and criminal defense. He can help you protect your relationship with your kids and your finances. To learn more, click here, or call 800-438-6820. Jeff Leving's New Book--Divorce Wars Jeffery M. Leving, one of America's most prominent divorce lawyers, has written a new book on how to win any divorce fairly, even when your spouse brings out the heavy artillery. Divorce Wars: A Field Guide to the Winning Tactics, Preemptive Strikes, and Top Maneuvers When Divorce Gets Ugly provides essential advice on everything from picking the right lawyer and devising a winning settlement strategy to getting the most from your day in court and dealing with an ex-spouse. Divorce Wars is available here. Help, Resources for Dads The National Fathers' Resource Center is a division of Fathers For Equal Rights, Inc. (FER), located in Dallas, Texas, with offices in both Dallas and Houston. In existence for over three decades, it has services and resources for dads nationwide and is one of the largest and most active fathers' rights organizations in the U.S. www.fathers4kids.org

Background: The National Organization for Women/NOW Foundation has launched a new campaign around ads which they label "Offensive to Women." The campaign involved Love Your Body Day 2007, which was October 18. In this eight-part series, I'm reprinting some of the ads which NOW tells us are "Offensive to Women," giving my own humble opinion on the matter and soliciting yours.

In You Be the Judge (Part I), I agreed with NOW. In Part II, I agreed with them on one out of two. In Part III, I thought they were wrong on both. In Part IV and also Part V, I agreed with NOW. In Part VI, I disagreed with NOW.

NOW protests this Paul Mitchell ad. They write:

"What?!? Even our hair has to be super skinny now? Come on!"

I don't see anything wrong with this ad--the girl isn't excessively thin or anything, and I guess "skinny" is a way to condition your hair, or something. (Yes, I did do my research--I asked my wife, who didn't know what they meant, either.)

I disagree with NOW on this one, so that brings NOW's score, in my book, to 4 out of 9 correct.

To discuss this issue on my blog, click here.

Help for Midwest Fathers Cordell & Cordell is one of the largest domestic relations firms for men in the Midwest, representing fathers in Missouri, Illinois, Texas, Kansas, Indiana and Georgia. Men who come to Cordell & Cordell know that their interests and the interests of their children will be aggressively championed. www.cordellcordell.com Civil War - A Father's Guide to Winning Child Custody Joseph E. Cordell's Civil War - A Father's Guide to Winning Child Custody  gives fathers clear, easy-to-understand tips on how to achieve the best results possible in a divorce. Comprehensive chapters explain every step of the divorce process, the meaning of legal terms, how courts determine custody, and how to maximize chances of victory at every stage. Cordell is the founder of Cordell & Cordell.

Background: Mary Winkler--who shot her husband in the back and then refused to aid him or call 911 as he slowly bled to death for 20 minutes--walked away a free woman last month after serving a farcically brief "sentence" for her crimes. She is currently in a custody battle with Matthew Winkler's parents, who have been raising their three daughters for the last 18 months.

The Winklers seek to terminate Mary Winkler's parental rights and adopt the girls. I support their position.

To learn more about this horrendous injustice, see my co-authored column No child custody for husband-killer Mary Winkler (World Net Daily, 9/14/07), or click here.

In the new article below, District Attorney Michael Dunavant asserts that Mary Winkler also intended to kill her three young children and herself. He says:

"I would suggest to you that the evidence was clear that not only did she make up her mind that she was going to kill him when she did, but she was going to end it for her children and herself, too.

"[When Winkler left the state after shooting her husband in the back in their bed, she had] less than $200 in cash, a pair of socks for her baby, a shotgun and a box of shells in a minivan. That's it...She drove hundreds of miles to Jackson, Mississippi, spent one night, and then to Orange Beach, Alabama, and was in a hotel the next night. She was running out of money. How was she going to feed her children? How was she going to get back to Tennessee?

"You know what she was going to do. She was going to kill her children and herself, and she was just going to do it at the beach instead of in Selmer, Tennessee."

The full article can be seen at DA says Winkler aimed to kill kids (Jackson Sun, 11/11/07). As critical as I am of Mary Winkler, I don't find the DA's assertion terribly convincing. If Winkler really wanted to kill her children and kill herself, she could have done it in the house after she killed her husband. It's certainly possible that this is how things would have turned out in Alabama, but I hardly think we could be sure what she was going to do, as this DA implies.

This might be a good example to help explain one reason (of many) why men commit more murder-suicides than women do. While in Alabama, Winkler probably thought that even if she is caught, she still has a chance to bamboozle the legal system and get off, as in fact she was able to do.

By contrast, a man in her situation would know that he was doomed, that there was no chance for him to get off through the system, and would be more likely to end it all with a murder-suicide. This in no way excuses it for either gender, of course.

To discuss this issue on my blog, click here.

Fathers & Families News Digest, 11-12-07

Below are some recent articles and items of interest from Fathers & Families' latest News Digest.

Mills is dumped by divorce lawyers (San Francisco Chronicle, 11-9-07)

Michael Jordan finally speaks about divorce (Chicago Sun-Times, 11-9-07)

Broward residents can now go online to file for divorce, small claims (South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 11-12-07)

Ex-NBA player with at least 8 kids files for bankruptcy (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 11-11-07)

Becker's child custody triumph (The Sun, 11-9-07)

Male domestic violence victims increase (East Anglian Daily Times, 11-6-07)

Cate Edwards: on the Trail for Dad (Associated Press, 11-11-07)

Brooklyn woman stabs father of child to death (WNBC, 11-12-07)

Father finally figures into her life (Fay Observer, 11-12-07)

Like father, like son for Broads (Times Online, 11-11-07)

The Men's Legal Center--Help for Men & Fathers The Men's Legal Center, Family Law Advocates specializes in representing men in Family Law Court in San Diego. They also provide guidance and assistance for fathers all over California. Contact them at 619.234.3838 or by email by clicking here. Start Saving Today on your Prescription Drugs with the US Rx Prescription Card Selected pharmacies have agreed to provide discounts on their medications to people who use this free prescription drug card. Participating pharmacies include Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, Rite Aid, Target, Longs Drugs and numerous others. To learn more, click here. Dance4Equality Dance4Equality promotes awareness and advocacy for equal rights in family law through the beautiful uniqueness of dance. Led by Derek J. Bailey, an enrolled tribal member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Dance4Equality has led protests against the Michigan family courts to promote equal protection for all in family law cases. To learn more, click here.

Veterans' Day 2007 was the 89th anniversary of the end of one of the greatest tragedies in human history--World War I. My grandfather volunteered for the War, and was wounded in the decisive Battle of the Argonne Forest in 1918. He was awarded the Purple Heart and the French Croix de Guerre.

A couple years ago, feminist Helen Caldicott, co-founder of Physicians for Social Responsibility, made a speech called "Men: Natural Born Killers." Caldicott told feminist antiwar demonstrators that the male of the human species has unbridled bloodlust, explaining that "young men rushed off to battle in the first World War. So eager were they to participate in the noble act of killing that they lied about their age."

Actually, my grandfather lied about his age so he could join the army, wanting to show his gratitude to the country which had allowed him to escape foreign tyranny. Caldicott is certainly correct that the war was a senseless slaughter, and the Russian revolutionary Lenin was correct that it was an imperialist war. But unlike Caldicott, I believe that men go to war out of a sense of duty and obligation, not bloodlust, as Caldicott maintains. I criticized Caldicott in my column Dr. Helen Caldicott Spits on My Grandfather (Cybercast News Service, 3/28/03). I wrote:

"According to Caldicott, societies dominated by 'male values' approve of violence and killing, and she criticizes women for being 'absolute wimps' who 'condone [male] psychotic behavior by their silence.' She ignores the fact that, rightly or wrongly, American women support this country's wars as much or nearly as much as men do. According to a Washington Post/ABC poll conducted on Sunday, March 23, 78 percent of men and 66 percent of women support the current war. When the United States went to war against Iraq in 1991, 87 percent of men and 78 percent of women approved.

"Caldicott also ignores the fact that women have always played a crucial role in ensuring that men serve in wars. As men's issues author Warren Farrell notes, during the Civil War Southern women 'hissed and groaned' at male civilians. According to historian Ken Burns, few Southern men tried to hire substitutes to fight for them because the Southern women 'wouldn't permit it.' During World War I, women in the capitals of the warring cities of Europe would hand civilian men flowers to show that they viewed them as cowards for not enlisting...

To read more and to discuss this issue on my blog, click here.

Online Dating Rights Online Dating Rights opposes the new federal International Marriage Broker Regulation Act, which requires Americans who seek to meet foreigners via the internet to have a criminal background check and an intrusive report about intimate details of one's life BEFORE any communication--the first time in US history that such checks have been required. www.onlinedatingrights.com SAMSONLAW--Divorce Lawyers for Michigan Men & Fathers If you're a Michigan man faced with divorce, you need SAMSONLAW on your side--SAMSONLAW defends men. Smart Advocacy Means Stopping Oppression Now. INeedSamson.com My Sara My Sara--How the Adoption Assistance Agency stole a baby girl away from her loving family and put her up for adoption, for a nice profit. To learn more about this incredible story, go to www.my-sara.com

Background: Veterans' Day 2007 was the 89th anniversary of the end of one of the greatest tragedies in human history--World War I. My grandfather volunteered for the War, and was wounded in the decisive Battle of the Argonne Forest in 1918. He was awarded the Purple Heart and the French Croix de Guerre. My previous post about him was Reflections on Veterans Day (Part I).

Because Veterans Day began as a way to celebrate the end of World War I on November 11, 1918, and because my maternal grandfather fought in World War I, I always think of him on Veterans Day.  He is pictured to the right, with me as a baby sitting on his lap. My parents moved to California shortly before I was born, so for many years I did not see my grandfather very often. Also, my grandmother was very sick, and my grandfather had to take care of her.

My grandfather was a milkman during the Great Depression. My mother was born prematurely, always had health problems, and was sick a lot when she was a little girl. My mother has often told me how her father would stay up at night with her, comforting her during her fevers and illnesses, even though he himself had to report to work very, very early.

Many of the labor unions were built during the 1930s, and they were built because working people sacrificed and risked their lives to build them. Back then, companies sometimes hired thugs to crush strikers and unions. Often the police played the same role. To read one example, see my blog post about the famous "Battle of Deputies Run" in 1934.

My grandfather was a poor, uneducated immigrant who believed in the labor unions and supported their strikes. My mother used to tell me stories of how when there was a strike she and her brother, sister, and mother waited anxiously for my grandfather to come home, not knowing if he would.

My grandfather reappeared in my life when I was about 10 and he moved closer to us.  He and I really connected, and I was crazy about him.  I loved to go over to his house, and I was so happy to have re-discovered him.  Then, it seemed like almost right away, he contracted cancer, and he died.  I can still remember my mother telling me about it, and not believing that it could be true.  Perhaps it sounds petty, but 30+ years later I am still a little bitter about it--I loved him so much.

It is also interesting to think back on how a child process all of this.  I really did not believe he was dead, I kept thinking he was going to come back.  When we had the funeral and there was an open casket, he looked very life-like, which reinforced my belief.  I can still remember my mother telling me that they had replaced his blood with embalming fluid.  It was at that moment that I finally, finally understood that my grandfather was not coming back.

To read more and to discuss this issue on my blog, click here.

Happily Un-married! Living Together & Loving It! Living together is becoming widely accepted among all ages. Happily Un-married! is the first book to take a serious & non-judgmental look at helping these couples improve the fitness of their relationships. The rate of cohabitation is skyrocketing--10 million couples, 40% of whom have children. Happily Un-married! helps unmarried couples stabilize and strengthen their relationships. www.cohabitating.org Help for Georgia Dads Georgia attorney Edwin M. Saginar has 36 years of experience in family law and criminal defense, including domestic violence. He has seen many spouses falsely accuse their significant others of family violence, and knows how to defend your rights. www.edwinsaginar.com Need Affordable Help with Child Support and Custody Issues? Legal Services Centers of America provides fathers with affordable help in family law matters such as child support and child custody. Based in Colorado, they handle cases throughout the US. Call them at (719) 219-3561or write them at lscalegal@earthlink.net. www.legalservicecentersofamerica.com

Background: Conscientious Virginia judge James Michael Shull, who smoked out a woman who sought to extend a restraining order based on false charges of domestic violence, was just removed from the bench by this Virginia Supreme Court ruling. Not only was Shull railroaded, but he has been the target of widely-disseminated lazy, misleading reporting by the Associated Press, the New York Post, and others.

To learn more about the case, see my blog posts In Defense of Judge James Michael Shull (Part I), Part II, Part III, Part IV, and Part V, or read my co-authored newspaper column defending Shull here.

Several dozen legal and mental health professionals who worked with Judge Shull wrote to the Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission earlier this year testifying to Judge Shull's good character and conduct as a judge. Below we quote from a few of them.

Lana R. Mullins, MSW, on Judge Shull:

"In regards to his professional behavior it has been my observations that he has researched and familiarized himself with the laws pertaining to the Juvenile Court and has worked very hard to properly administer foster care and child protective services cases. Judge Shull has demonstrated an understanding of the crisis-oriented response DSS must make in certain cases and haw made himself available for emergency hearings as needed. In my experience, Judge Shull has been fair in his decisions and above all has considered the overall safety of the children before his court."

Read Ms. Mullins' full letter here.

Attorney Daisy N. Compton on Judge Shull:

"Since Judge Shull was appointed to the bench about four years ago I have been before him on various cases in the Scott County J&DR District Court on at least a weekly basis...On a professional level I have the highest regard for Judge Shull who has proved to me to be a good judge who has made good decisions when faces with those most difficult of family situations that we are all familiar with in the J&DR courts."

"As a matter of fact, my sister, who is employed by my office part-time as a legal secretary, and I, have often commented on his most courteous of manners and demeanor as a 'perfect Southern gentleman,' to all persons in public."

Read Ms. Compton's full letter here.

To read more and to discuss this issue on my blog, click here.

Alicia M. Crowe's Real Dads Stand Up! Alicia M. Crowe's new book Real Dads Stand Up! explains what every single father should know about child support, rights and custody. Learn how to exercise your legal rights, avoid 'baby mama drama', navigate the child support system, gain and maintain access to your children, and settle issues without going to trial. www.realdadsstandup.com Fathers' Rights Legal Help If you need help with divorce, child custody, child support, alimony and visitation issues, The Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving, Ltd. is one of the only law firms in the country focused almost exclusively on fathers' rights in divorce. Leving did heroic work on the Elian Gonzalez case, helping reunite Elian with his father. He also co-authored Illinois' Joint Custody Law, and was named one of "America's Best Lawyers" by Forbes Radio. Leving is the author of Fathers' Rights: Hard Hitting and Fair Advice for Every Father Involved in a Custody Dispute. Call today for an initial consultation (312) 807-3990 or visit us on the web at www.dadsrights.com.

OK, Mom Let the Child Die, but at Least They Didn't Give the Dad Custody The mother didn't want the child, had attempted suicide before, was "struggling with the responsibilities of motherhood," and dad wanted custody. The solution, of course, is for mom to have custody, at least until the baby dies... Make sure to watch the TV report on the page with the article--it's all about how mom feels, how mom struggled, how sad this whole thing is for mom--even though mom left her little boy in the car for 7 hours without checking on him while she worked at Hooters. Oh, and don't miss the Arizona State University newspaper editorial Opinions: For some mothers, it's a no-win situation, which defends Duchene and blames the US' lack of  "socialized childcare" for the little boy's death. Father of child who died in hot car wanted full custody November 1, 2007 3TV and azfamily.com Court documents reveal that the father of a toddler left in a hot car on Tuesday wanted full custody of his son. The boy's mother, Ashly Duchene, was arrested on one count of negligent homicide early Wednesday morning. Duchene is still being closely watched, and it's possible that she might have been transferred from Fourth Avenue Jail to another facility. Police said Duchene left her 17-month-old son, Ryan Gallagher, in his car seat in her hot car for about seven hours on Tuesday. Court documents show that the 22-year-old has attempted suicide in the past. Court documents also suggest that Duchene suffers from emotional problems and that "couldn't take it anymore." Police believe Duchene was struggling with the responsibilities of motherhood. "She's not happy to care for her child," Sgt. Joel Tranter said... To read more and to discuss this issue on my blog, click here. Help for Los Angeles/Ventura County Dads Certified Family Law Specialist Peter M. Walzer was one of the key figures in our successful legislative struggle to preserve the LaMusga move-away decision. As Chair of the State Bar of California Family Law Section Executive Committee, Walzer lobbied the state legislature to improve California laws on child support and child custody. He's an American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Fellow who has authored numerous articles on custody issues, business valuation in marital dissolutions and spousal and child support.  www.California-Divorce.com The LaMusga Company The LaMusga Company provides customized solutions to assist individuals and business owners in reaching their financial goals. The LaMusga Company is committed to helping you accomplish your long-term financial objectives. LaMusgaCo.com Is Feminist Blogger Jeff Fecke Banning Opposition Views? Background: Last month feminist bloggers Amanda Marcotte of Pandagon and Jeff Fecke of Shakespeare's Sister vehemently attacked me over comments about the domestic violence issue I had made in an interview. Now feminist blogger Jeff Fecke and his compatriot Melissa McEwan are on the attack again, with Jeff's new piece The Tune's the Same, Only the Words Have Changed.  My response was Feminist Bloggers on the Warpath Against Me Again, this Time over 'Power & Control in the Domestic Violence Industry--a New DV Wheel'. Apparently either feminist blogger Jeff Fecke and/or his compatriot Melissa McEwan have banned Lee, a dissenter, from their site. (The screen shot pictured is lousy but it says at the top "Banned by the webmaster. Your comments will not be added.") It is common practice for feminist bloggers to ban men's rights/fathers' rights blog commenters, which reflects the weaknesses in many of their arguments. By contrast, feminist blog posters are given wide latitude on my site. To be fair, I do not know what Lee has posted there in the past. If Jeff and Melissa would like to let me know why Lee was banned, I will post their views here on my blog. Also, to be fair, I was surprised and pleased to see that a detailed comment today from Marc Angelucci on domestic violence was not deleted, or not yet anyway. The comment Lee attempted to post is below... To read more and to discuss this issue on my blog, click here. Dr. Warren Farrell's Shared Parenting Evidence Kit--What You Need to Win Shared Physical Custody Dr. Warren Farrell, a top expert on children of divorce now offers a complete evidence kit to help you win shared custody.  The DVDs, audio CD and electronic files summarize the best scientific research available collected over decades.  Scientific research has proven that children do far better with near equal time with both parents with minimal conditions.  This video set was developed to educate parents, judges, lawyers, psychologists and other divorce professionals. Most judges are doing exactly what is worst for children with sole-custody.  Submitted as evidence this will maximize your chances. Divorce Reform groups call(508) 381-1450 to use as fundraiser. www.BestInterestofChildren.org Help for Michigan Dads Michigan family law attorney Mindy L. Hitchcock has experience fighting for noncustodial parents against Michigan's abusive FOC. Her holistic approach to divorce gets results for her clients while avoiding the scorched earth approach to law that leaves families emotionally and financially devastated. Lady4Justice.com

Tennessee Department of Health Says 'Approximately 98% of documented domestic assaults are committed by men against women' Pajamas Media advice columnist Dr. Helen Smith (pictured) is a forensic psychologist who often has an interesting perspective on gender issues. One of Helen's recent blog posts concerns false information about domestic violence being put out by the Tennessee Department of Health. Apparently the Department is putting forth the you-must-be-kidding claim that "Approximately 98% of documented domestic assaults are committed by men against women." Helen's post is below. My Efforts at Educating Officialdom So I received this card in the mail announcing the new domestic violence reporting requirements for the Tennessee Department of Health. I decided to check out their website and found it to be lacking in the recent research on the role women play in domestic violence. I also noticed that the reporting form had the word "female" listed first under "patient" and under perpetrator in the first column listed: o Husband o Ex-husband o Boyfriend o Ex-boyfriend So I sent them this letter... To read more and to discuss this issue on my blog, click here. The Diary of a Patient Man--How a Male DV Victim Fought the System and Fought for His Child William Stoneking's The Diary of a Patient Man is the compelling and inspirational true story of a father's fight for his child against a violent ex-wife and a biased court system that tried to drive him away. Get it online or order your copy here. Are you or someone you love being abused? The Domestic Abuse Helpline for Men and Women provides crisis intervention and support services to victims of domestic violence and their families in order to help survivors recover from the trauma of domestic violence. Contact them by clicking here. The Shull Case (Part V)--They Can Prosecute a Woman for Credit Card Fraud, but They Can't Prosecute Her for a False Accusation of Domestic Violence Background: Conscientious Virginia judge James Michael Shull, who smoked out a woman who sought to extend a restraining order based on false charges of domestic violence, was just removed from the bench by this Virginia Supreme Court ruling. To learn more about the case, see my blog posts In Defense of Judge James Michael Shull (Part I), Part II, Part III, or Part IV, or read my co-authored newspaper column defending Shull here. In the Shull case, Tammy G. had obtained a domestic violence protection order against her husband Keith G., claiming that he had stabbed her. At the time of the G. hearing, the couple's two young children, then ages three and five, were staying with their paternal grandmother. Keith testified that he hadn't harmed Tammy, and that if she did have a wound, she had cut herself. Keith also testified that Tammy had committed a similar act on March 22, 2006, harming herself and then calling the police to report that Keith had attacked her. Shull examined the wounds and found that they were four nearly identical razor blade-like slices in two sets of parallel lines spaced evenly apart--hardly the type of wounds one would receive in domestic combat, and entirely consistent with Keith's allegations that Tammy had cut herself. Shull also examined the Wise County Sheriff's Incident Report about Tammy G.'s March allegations. According to the report, Tammy "gave a statement that she had done this to herself to get attention," and "admitted that she had self-inflicted her wounds." Shull concluded that Tammy G.'s claims were false, and he ruled against her. Despite the later controversy over the case, no party in the dispute is even claiming that Shull made the wrong decision in finding that the wounds in question were self-inflicted. In this case, Tammy G. attempted to inflict great harm on her husband and their children by falsely accusing her husband of stabbing her. Yet while the judge who worked hard to discover the truth has been relentlessly persecuted, Tammy G. faces no consequences for her false allegations. The list above is a partial list of the various crimes Tammy G. faces charges for. I have one question--why can we criminally charge her for credit card fraud but we can't charge her for attempting to defraud the court? Why can we charge her with identity theft, but we can't charge her for attempting the theft of a father's children? To discuss this issue on my blog, click here.

Are You the Target of Parental Alienation? Parental alienation cases are among the most difficult and complicated in family law. J. Michael Bone, Ph.D., is an expert on parental alienation. If you're a target parent, he can help you get back into your children's lives. Bone has worked as a custody evaluator and as a therapist and knows how to help the court find the truth. His services are available throughout the U.S. Dr. Bone can be reached by phone at (407) 645-0662 or by email by clicking here. www.jmbconsulting.org     Help for Colorado Dads As someone who has personally experienced the heartbreak of divorce and family breakup, Brett W. Martin, Esq. works to advance the interests and concerns of fathers in domestic and family law litigation. Personal attention is given to clients to help them through a very difficult time in their lives. www.brettwmartin.com

Background: Last month feminist bloggers Amanda Marcotte of Pandagon and Jeff Fecke of Shakespeare's Sister vehemently attacked me over comments about the domestic violence issue I had made in an interview. The interview was by Pajamas Media advice columnist Dr. Helen Smith and can be seen at Fighting for Men's Rights (Pajamas Media, 10/8/07), and if anybody can figure out what I said that was so offensive you're a hell of a lot smarter than I am. To learn more about that debate, click here.

Feminist blogger Jeff Fecke and his compatriot Melissa McEwan are on the warpath against me again. Jeff's new attack piece The Tune's the Same, Only the Words Have Changed criticizes my recent blog post Power & Control in the Domestic Violence Industry--a New DV Wheel. In that post I wrote:

"Many readers are familiar with the Duluth Wheel, a visual representation of the feminist view that domestic violence is perpetrated almost exclusively by men and is a function of the patriarchy and men's alleged patriarchal privileges. For three decades, research has shown that this model is faulty, that women are at least as likely to attack their male partners as vice versa, and that a significant percentage of injuries in heterosexual domestic violence are sustained by men. Research shows that women use weapons and the element of surprise to help balance the domestic scales...

"Recently an authority in the domestic violence field sent me and others this new Domestic Violence Wheel which 'visually represents some of the obstacles that reform-minded individuals such as yourselves have had to encounter over the years.'"

Jeff writes:

"Ah, Glenn Sacks. For a guy who says he thinks women should be free and equal, he sure spends a lot of time finding reasons that we should repeal all the domestic violence laws. Take his latest creation, the Domestic Violence Wheel, which documents the massive amount of power women have gained by having legal recourse to get out of bad situations.

"While reading through this little wheel of inanity, it occurred to me that I'd seen this sort of rhetoric before. The complaints about the mainstream ignoring them, anger that ideas had been hijacked. It was all so familiar. And then it hit me: I've seen the same words coming out of the mouths of the global warming deniers and the evolution deniers!

"I don't know what it is about denialists that leads them down the same path, but boy, they sure seem to find it...apart from their rhetoric, these three breeds of denialists all share another thing in common: they're all absolutely, 100% wrong."

A few points:

1) I realize that Fecke compares me to "global warming deniers and the evolution deniers" as a way of discrediting me, but the analogy seems rather attenuated. Worse, he doesn't factually contest what is asserted in the DV Wheel, but instead merely tells us it must be wrong because it's somehow like those who deny global warming and evolution. It's not much of an argument.

Some feminists have a bad habit of doing this--if you're against something a feminist group wants, it's like you're against women voting. If you say something positive about fathers' previous role in society, they say, "People used to think slavery was good."

(As an aside, I believe in evolution, and I think the preponderance of the evidence shows that global warming is real, too. However, I know nothing of science, so I rarely comment on such matters.)

2) Everybody makes mistakes, but Fecke's sloppiness seems to be more than an occasional thing. He calls the wheel "[Sacks'] latest creation," even though it's right there in my original post that the wheel was designed by "an authority in the domestic violence field." This authority currently prefers to remain anonymous, though that may change. I'd happily claim credit for the Wheel, but it isn't mine.

3) Fecke implies that when I and those who agree with me describe the domestic violence establishment as an "industry," we are considering it a "conspiracy." I don't believe the DV establishment is a conspiracy, but I do believe that it's an industry. This doesn't mean that I think the average DV shelter worker is getting rich any more than I think the average oil field roustabout is getting rich. But the domestic violence establishment (and, even more so, the child support enforcement establishment), often do behave like industries or government bureaucracies. They work to protect and expand their funding, they exaggerate and distort problems in order to justify keeping or increasing their funding, they lobby (officially or unofficially), and they work the media.

The DV industry, like most industries, certainly does some good but, like most industries, also does some harm. Society rightfully despises the wifebeater, but the specter of the wifebeater has been used to justify many destructive policies and civil liberties violations. I don't want to get rid of the domestic violence establishment--I want to reform it.

There's a good quote, by Lenin of all people, that the proper way to win a political debate is to counter your opponents' best arguments, not their worst. If Fecke and his friends are interested in countering myself and others who advocate reform in the domestic violence establishment, they'd do better to deal with our actual arguments, rather than painting spurious analogies between us and groups they consider extremist.

Fecke's full post can be seen here.

To discuss this issue on my blog, click here.

My Family Has Two Houses...and I'm Okay A workshop for children of separation or divorce in a workbook! In the privacy of your own home, you can provide your child with a safe way of looking at their thoughts and feelings and help to open discussion of relevant issues for them with you. This workbook can make the difference between your child surviving your divorce and thriving despite it! To learn more about My family has two houses ...and I'm Okay! and to order, click here. How to Win Shared Custody Here are the litigation secrets to winning shared physical & legal custody from Boston trial lawyer  Nick Palermo, Esquire  who has won these cases for 24 years.  It costs $5,000 or more in legal fees to gain the knowledge and guidance contained in this $10 handbook--The Ten Essential Elements to Winning Joint Shared Physical and Legal Custody. www.TenEssentialElements.com

I'm usually not one for crime shows, but I saw a touching episode of NCIS while on an airplane recently. It's about a father's love for his daughter, and I'm a sentimental sucker on the subject, so be forewarned before you proceed.

NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) is an action drama starring Mark Harmon as NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, a former Marine who is now a skilled investigator. Gibbs' daughter Kelly died 15 years ago, when she was 7. In the recent episode "Requiem," Kelly's best childhood friend Maddie is in trouble and later kidnapped, and Gibbs saves her.

When Kelly was little she and Gibbs made a time capsule (pictured) out of one of her lunchboxes and buried it in the front yard. When Maddie first contacts Gibbs, he digs up the time capsule from his front yard but can't bring himself to open it.

At the end of the show, he takes out a picture of the two girls with their arms around each other as children and a picture of him with his arm around Maddie as an adult, puts them together, and starts to open the time capsule. To watch this final scene, click here.

When it comes to the time capsule, open the letter little Kelly wrote to her dad when he was deployed to Kuwait in 1990, and also click on the dog tags.

It's nice to see an accurate TV portrayal of father-daughter relationship.

To discuss this issue on my blog, click here.

Parental-Alienation-Awareness.com Stop Parental Alienation--a terrible form of Child Abuse. Nine states have now officially recognized Parental Alienation Awareness Day. To learn more, go to Parental-Alienation-Awareness.