'It just kills me that you're a man...'
Some biting commentary from the New Yorker's
Danny Shanahan
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. |
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David Harris Lied, so He Deserved to Die?
 "What
has he done to wear so many scars? Has he changed
the course of rivers? Has he polluted the moon and
stars?"--Bob Dylan
Convicted Texas 'Murder by Mercedes' Killer Clara
Harris, her attorneys and her supporters have been
largely successful in concealing the true nature
of Clara's crime. Whereas Clara has successfully
portrayed herself as the innocent victim of a philandering
husband, in reality David Harris was killed while
trying to exit a bad and possibly abusive marriage.
Clara's defenders also ignore the fact that considerable
evidence was presented that Clara--who played the
crying, betrayed wife--was also having an affair
at the end of their marriage.
In my co-authored column
Suppose roles had been reversed in Harris case–Murdered
dad deserves sympathy being shown Clara (Houston
Chronicle, 1/27/07) I wrote:
"While many see the Clara Harris case as one
of love and betrayal, it is in fact a garden-variety
domestic homicide. Clara Harris is no better than
high-profile wife-killer Scott Peterson. Perhaps
Clara is even worse -- at least Peterson spared
us the crocodile tears."
To learn more, also see my column
In Defense of David Harris (LewRockwell.com,
3/4/03), or click
here.
I sometimes get hate mail from Clara's defenders
and/or the operators of the website
www.claraharris.org.
Recently a woman identified as "April" wrote:
"[David Harris] said [the affair] was over and
wanted to meet with Clara to reconcile. Then he
did this adulterous deed at their HONEYMOON hotel?!
"Bullshit Glenn....go drink ANOTHER mug of that
Kool-Aid. He made a vow. They had children. He lied
multiple times...................
"He had it coming. It was too quick for my liking.
"FREE CLARA HARRIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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. |
|
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'The assistant district attorney started reading
me the riot act as if I were a piece of pond scum'
"The assistant district attorney started reading
me the riot act as if I were a piece of pond scum...When
I informed her that I had already paid the arrears,
she told me I was lying and that I was going to
jail. I stood my ground and demanded that they recheck
their records...After yelling at me for another
10 minutes, the payments clerk came in and informed
the assistant DA that indeed I had sent in the payment...I
demanded an apology..."
The letter below is mostly about child support
system's abuses, but there's an interesting side
element, too. I've mentioned before the problem
in family court of mothers extorting money from
fathers in order to allow the fathers to see their
kids. Because courts begin with the presumption
that the mother is the real parent and the father
is extraneous and caused the divorce anyway, mothers
can force financial concessions from fathers in
exchange for allowing them more parenting time.
In reality, as long as both parents are fit, each
should have a right to 50% time with their children
as a matter of course.
The letter also touches on the problem of the
child support enforcement system threatening jail
as a way to shake down a child support debtor's
elderly parents.
From Robert, a reader:
"I had a very bad experience with the local DAs
office in Tarrant County, Texas several years ago
regarding child support. I had been out of work
for about nine months and was just getting by while
taking care of my two children, who lived with me
50% of the time. My ex had extorted child support
out of me during our divorce settlement as a precondition
of going along with joint managing conservatorship.
Thus even though the kids spent equal time with
me and I was out of work, the family court kept
demanding that I continue to pay her child support,
even though she was working full time as a teacher.
I never quite figured out the rationale for this
except that there is a built-in bias in the courts
on behalf of women.
"After getting no relief from the court on my
petition to reduce the child support until I was
again working, I eventually fell behind about two
months on the payments and got a nastygram from
the DA's office threatening me with jail if I did
not pay up. I managed to borrow some funds from
my elderly parents and did send the payment to the
DA's office. A week later, I got a summons for failing
to pay the arrears.
"When I showed up, the assistant district attorney
started reading me the riot act as if I were a piece
of pond scum. Honestly, I have never seen
a person so angry at life and at me. When I informed
her that I had already paid the arrears, she told
me I was lying and that I was going to jail..."
To read more and to discuss this issue on my
blog, click
here.
All Parents Have Felt Like This at One Point or
Another...
 I
love having kids and being a father, but there are
probably times when all parents feel at least a
little bit like the man in this commercial.
Probably the closest I ever came was when I was
home with my daughter the first few years of her
life and she was teething, and thus miserable and
crying constantly.
To watch the video, click
here.
Apparently the commercial was banned.
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
|
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Female Reader Has Interesting Perspective on NY
Bill to Make Staring at Women a Crime
 Background:
Recently I told you about a
new
New York bill which would make staring at women
a crime. I wrote:
"I agree that in some cases staring at women
can be rude. Making it a crime is quite another
matter. I would also add that some women do everything
they possibly can so men will look at them. Or if
that's not their intent, they sure make it seem
that way."
Sheba Jones, a reader, had an interesting comment
on this issue. Sheba wrote:
"Ladies, keep in mind you can't pick and choose
who gets to see your butt when you wear a short
skirt to try and impress the boss or the hunk in
the mailroom. If you're that worried about it, wear
something else. You can't always depend on someone
else to be polite and not look when it's right in
their face."
This seems very fair to me. Much of what women
complain about is not that men are looking at them,
but instead that the wrong man is looking
at them. It's not fair to condemn male onlookers
for this (within reason), particularly since a man
usually doesn't know whether he's the right man
or the wrong man.
I offer for example the picture above. The woman
is clearly dressed to bring as much sexual attention
to herself as possible. She goes a little overboard
for my tastes, but what man wouldn't look? And why
shouldn't he? And what does she have to complain
about?
To discuss this issue on my blog, click
here.
'Now that our last is off to college...
New Yorker cartoonist Liza Donnelly
makes a good point. I think many, many couples get
so lost in everything they need to do for their
kids and their households that the actual relationship
between the couple gets lost.
To discuss this issue on my blog, click
here.
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Families Against Confiscatory Child
Support (FACCS)
FACCS is the national voice for
fair and reasonable child support.
FACCS believes all parents have
an obligation to support their children
financially. However, in high income
cases, state and federal laws often
result in excessive awards that
are effectively alimony in disguise
and have little to do with supporting
children. Huge child support awards
lead to protracted custody disputes,
undermines co-parenting, and leaves
children worse off financially.
www.faccsonline.org /
contact@faccsonline.org
|
|
Fathers & Families New Digest, 12-4-07
 Below
are some recent articles and items of interest from
Fathers & Families' latest News Digest.
Planet feels heat of divorce (The Sunday
Times, 12-2-07)
New child support debit card system hits glitches
(Wisconsin-Madison News, 11-27-07)
Wrongly convicted man upset over child support case
(WRAL.com, 11-28-07)
Carver County gives aid, not jail, to deadbeats
(Minneapolis Star-Tribune, 11-28-07)
Mothers scrimp as states take child support
(New York Times, 12-1-07)
Missed child support ends up costing him plenty
(Associated Press, 11-30-07)
Disabled father feels ignored by the system
(WLBT3, 11-27-07)
Deputy assaulted during domestic violence in Anderson
County (Anderson Independent-Mail, 11-29-07)
Divorce often doesn't bring the expected results
(Houston Home Journal, 11-28-07)
To discuss this issue on my blog, click
here.
Brook
Benton's Rainy Night In Georgia
 Since
it was pouring rain here all day and into the night,
I was reminded of this video of R & B singer Brook
Benton doing his classic "Rainy Night in Georgia"
live in 1982. I traveled a lot in my late teens
and early 20s, and Benton's song's strong imagery
captures some of the feelings one gets when alone
on the road.
Benton is pictured with Elvis. The lyrics are
below--to watch the video, click
here.
Rainy Night In Georgia
Brook Benton
Hoverin' by my suitcase, tryin' to find a warm
place to spend the night
Heavy rain fallin', seems I hear your voice callin'
"It's all right."
A rainy night in Georgia, a rainy night in Georgia
It seems like it's rainin' all over the world
I feel like it's rainin' all over the world
Neon signs a-flashin', taxi cabs and buses passin'
through the night
A distant moanin' of a train seems to play a sad
refrain to the night
A rainy night in Georgia, such a rainy night in
Georgia
Lord, I believe it's rainin' all over the world
I feel like it's rainin' all over the world
How many times I wondered
It still comes out the same
No matter how you look at it or think of it
It's life and you just got to play the game
I find me a place in a box car, so I take my
guitar to pass some time
Late at night when it's hard to rest I hold your
picture to my chest and I feel fine
But it's a rainy night in Georgia, baby, it's a
rainy night in Georgia
I feel it's rainin' all over the world, kinda lonely
now And it's rainin' all over the world
Oh, have you ever been lonely, people?
And you feel that it was rainin' all over this man's
world
Rainin', rainin' rainin', rainin', rainin'
To discuss this issue on my blog, click
here.
 |
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. |
 |
Free US Rx Prescription
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Available now to all United
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to assist with
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today on prescription drugs
This card can be used by
people who have Medicare,
Medicaid, who are insured
or uninsured. Everyone qualifies.
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. |
|
|
CNN's Nancy Grace & the Duke Lacrosse Case
 Carey
Roberts' interesting new column
The Disgrace of CNN's Nancy Grace (MensNewsDaily.com,
11/27/07) details the way Nancy Grace beat the drums
against the falsely accused Duke lacrosse players.
Roberts writes:
"Shortly after the alleged March 14 assault,
wild stories began to circulate about what had transpired
at 610 North Buchanan. Within days Nancy Grace was
claiming--falsely--that the players had refused
to provide DNA samples...Grace then invited a series
of guests who would take orgiastic delight in the
demonization of three young lacrosse players...
"Nancy Grace even vilified those who cautioned
the rush to judgment might be premature. During
one interview, Stephen Miller of the Duke Conservative
Union began to worry that 'two innocent people may
have possibly ...' But Grace quickly cut him off:
'Oh, good lord! ... I assume you've got a mother.
I mean, your first concern is that somebody is falsely
accused?'"
Jon Stewart of The Daily Show also skewered
Grace over her enthusiastic support of the false
accuser, noting that Grace is "the person who had
staked the most on this case." On April 11, 2007
North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper announced
they were dismissing the charges and said that the
accused players "are innocent." The next day Stewart
asked "Put through hell for over a year--how will
the media show contrition?" He then said "let's
see how Nancy Grace handled it" and cut to Grace's
April 11 show--and there was a substitute host!
To watch the Stewart video, click
here. To read Roberts' column in full, click
here.
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
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Illegal Immigrant Hero Father Deserves Medal and
Visa, not Deportation
 "The
capacity to love is a vital, rich and all-consuming
function...you can find nobility and sacrifice and
love wherever you may seek it out..."--Rod Serling
Hero father Manuel Jesus Cordova Soberanes gave
up his attempt to come to the United States and
instead turned himself over to the Border Patrol,
all to save the life of a injured nine-year-old
American boy. Cordova found the boy wandering in
the Arizona desert after the boy's mother was killed
in a car crash on Thanksgiving Day. Cordova, who
was promptly deported, said:
"I am a father of four children. For that, I
stayed. I never could have left him. Never."
Cordova and the boy are pictured. According to
the Associated Press:
"The 26-year-old bricklayer was two days into
his walk and about 50 miles from Tucson when he
saw the boy, who had walked away from the crash...Christopher
had scrapes on his leg and was dressed in shorts
despite the desert cold. The boy had his dog with
him and was holding a side mirror from the wrecked
van.
"Neither Cordova nor Christopher spoke the other's
language, but the boy took the migrant to the edge
of a canyon and showed him the accident site...
"'I felt frustrated and sad because I couldn't
do anything for the mother,' Cordova said. 'And
I didn't know how to console the boy, so I just
sat next to him.'"
"Cordova gave the boy the sweater he was wearing,
climbed down to the van, and found chocolate and
cookies to feed him.
"He then built a bonfire, and the two hunkered
down. The boy slept most of the night; Cordova kept
watch and tended the fire [which he hoped the Border
Patrol would see]. Fourteen hours later, a group
of hunters found the pair and called for help. U.S.
Border Patrol agents took Cordova into custody,
and Christopher was flown to a hospital in Tucson."
The story is
Illegal immigrant 'never' thought to leave boy:
Man comforted child after mom died in Arizona desert
crash, officials say (Associated Press, 11/28/07),
and be sure to watch the MSNBC video on the same
page.
According to the story, the Mexican consulate
in Nogales is "working to obtain a short-term visa
for Cordova so he can come to Arizona and be recognized
for his actions." I think instead the US government
should send him a legal permanent Visa and invite
this hero to come to the US. I have a nine-year-old
child and am grateful that, were she ever in a desperate
strait, there are men like Cordova out there who
are willing to make sacrifices like this in order
to help a child.
The next time you hear some immigrant-basher
refer to "those f***ing Mexicans," think of Manuel
Jesus Cordova Soberanes.
To discuss this issue on my blog, click
here.
Native American Reader Fires Back at Immigrant Bashers
 Recently
hero father Manuel Jesus Cordova Soberanes gave
up his attempt to come to the United States and
instead turned himself over to the Border Patrol,
all to save the life of a injured nine-year-old
American boy.
Cordova found the boy wandering in the Arizona
desert after the boy's mother was killed in a car
crash on Thanksgiving Day. Cordova, who was promptly
deported, was a noble good Samaritan--to learn more,
see my recent blog post
Illegal Immigrant Hero Father Deserves Medal
and Visa, not Deportation.
The Mexican consulate in Nogales is trying
to obtain a short-term visa for Cordova so he can
come to Arizona and be recognized for his actions.
I suggested instead that the US government should
send him a legal permanent Visa and invite this
hero to come to the US. I noted, "The next time
you hear some immigrant-basher refer to 'those f***ing
Mexicans,' think of Manuel Jesus Cordova Soberanes."
(I do understand and respect critics of immigration
who say "yes, we can understand why people from
poorer countries would want to come here for a better
life, and we sympathize, but we do need to do something
to control immigration".)
Most readers were very supportive of Manuel Jesus
Cordova Soberanes, but any discussion of immigration
invariably brings forward a few racists, and this
was no exception. One commenter wrote:
"Who's to say the crash most likely happened
when the poor woman lost control trying to avoid
one of these criminal vermin, resulting in her death?
Look, it's nice that he stayed and did the right
thing while the other cowards took off and fled
but he is an illegal thief breaking the law and
needs deportation. I say we don't bust his head
in with a baseball bat like we should to the rest
of them as we kick their worthless asses out."
Kelly, a Native American long-time reader of
mine, wrote back a scathing remark which merits
a post:
"Wow, these comments make me proud to be an American
sometimes, sort of. I am a Native American. Let
me tell you what I think of you pathetic immigrant
bashers. You and your families have no right to
be here. You are the descendents of liars, thieves,
and genocidal murderers. Your ancestors have no
honor. We gave you help, food and shelter when you
needed it, and guided Lewis and Clark across the
continent. In return, you broke every promise you
ever made, shot us in back whenever you could, cut
down the forests, killed the wildlife, and stole
everything that was not nailed down.
"Laws, treaties, boundaries, borders, and promises
meant nothing to you if you thought that, as a white
man, you deserved to have it. Gold on our sovereign
land, here comes the white man! Shortcut to the
West, we don't need to pay any damn Indians no damn
toll fees. There is very little moral difference
between your ancestors' actions and some gang member
who is helping himself to your grandma's wallet.
A squatter is a squatter. So I tell you squatters
to get off your high horse. Unlike your ancestors,
Mr. Soberanes didn't murder anyone while he was
here."
To discuss this issue on my blog, click
here.
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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.
|
|
'Fathers typically have to go through mom
if they want to become more involved in
their kids' lives'
 "Minnesota's
Voluntary Recognition of Parentage form,
which establishes a legal relationship between
father and child when the parents are not
married to each other, spells out dads'
rights in black and white: 'When a child
is born to parents who are not married to
each other the law gives custody of the
child to the mother. If the father wants
a different custody arrangement, he must
go to court'...
"...state law leans heavily toward
the mother in custody cases, and fathers
typically have to go through Mom if they
want to become more involved in their kids'
lives."
There are several great things about
the recent Minneapolis Star-Tribune
feature article
More and more single dads (11/24/07):
1) They profile some of the many young,
unwed fathers who do want to be there for
their children.
2) They clearly acknowledge that for
young dads, their children's mothers are
often the biggest barrier to father involvement.
3) They clearly acknowledged the stacked
deck fathers face in family court.
Better than that is the way the piece
details the lives of single fathers like
Lee Cody Wilson (pictured), who is raising
his three kids, including his baby daughter.
The article is below.
More and more single dads
By Curt Brown
Minneapolis Star Tribune
November 24, 2007
The sun is peeking up outside the frosty
window, but Lee Cody Wilson is already juggling
at full speed in his Minneapolis apartment.
He's ironing the white school shirts
for his sons, 7-year-old Jontae and 4-year-old
Jameeko. He's handing a bottle of formula
to Kennon, his 11-month-old daughter, in
her playpen. Jameeko can't find a shoe,
so the search is on.
"Brush your teeth and gargle and then
I'll get you a Pop-Tart," he tells the boys,
dangling an incentive.
The hectic routine is one faced by an
increasing number of fathers. As a single
dad, Wilson is part of one of the fastest-growing
segments of Minnesota's population. By 2030,
the number of single-father families is
expected to climb 55 percent -- from 6 percent
of all households counted in the 2000 census
to nearly 10 percent, according to state
projections. It's not certain why that number
is growing, but it is clear that single
dads often face additional challenges in
raising a family. Surveys show they often
have more employment and housing problems
than the mothers of their children, as well
as less education...
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
|
LaMusga
Divorce
Financial
Planning
Divorce
brings about
a myriad
of financial
challenges
and changes.
Often divorcing
couples
make important
decisions
in a rash
manner,
with emotions
impairing
their judgment.
These decisions
may at times
serve the
parties
well in
the short-term,
but can
result in
damaging
and unnecessary
long-term
financial
hardships.
Gary has
successfully
completed
the training
and testing
required
for designation
as a Certified
Divorce
Financial
AnalystTM
and can
assist you
and your
attorney
in the process.
To learn
more, click
here
or call
925-287-1567.
Tracking
Number
6790, DOFU
11/07 |
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Postcards from Splitsville (Part II)
The drawing above was taken from Kara
Bishop's
www.postcardsfromsplitsville.com. Bishop
works with Children of Divorce, a class
run by Tucson, Arizona-based Divorce Recovery.
The class did an art project that included
"sending away" the frustrations of divorce.
The website is a place where Kara says "children
can share their divorce-related feelings
anonymously and parents can get a new perspective
on how this life-changing experience impacts
their children's lives."
To learn more, click
here. Kara can be reached at
Kara@PostcardsfromSplitsville.com.
To discuss this issue on my blog, click
here.
Chris Rock on Single Mothers by Choice
 In
one of my columns on Single Mothers by Choice
(Are
Boys Really Better off Without Fathers?,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8/31/05),
I referenced Chris Rock on fatherlessness,
writing "As comedian Chris Rock famously
noted, yes, certainly women can raise children
without men, but that doesn't make it a
good idea."
I couldn't actually quote the Chris Rock
routine on fatherlessness because of Rock's
language. It's funny as hell, though, and
straight to the point. To listen to the
actual Chris Rock comedy clip on fatherlessness,
click
here (Warning--explicit language).
We once tried to splice the routine together
to use as part of the intro to
His Side
with Glenn Sacks, but with the
new, post-Janet Jackson FCC there was no
way to get it on.
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 |
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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
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Society's 'Woman Good/Man Bad' Norm
on Reproductive Issues
 This
editorial cartoon from Steve Kelley
from the New Orleans Times-Picayune
pretty well sums up society's "woman
good/man bad" norm on reproductive
issues. I expounded on this at greater
length in my co-authored column
Respect a Man's Choice, Too
(8/1/06) for the left-wing website
AlterNet. I wrote:
"...5 million American women
legally walk away from motherhood
every year through adoption, abortion
or abandonment. In over 40 states
mothers can completely opt out of
motherhood by returning unwanted
babies to the hospital shortly after
birth. If men like [Choice for Men
lawsuit plaintiff Matt] Dubay are
deadbeats and deserters, what are
these women?
"Whenever a child is born outside
of the context of a loving, two-parent
family, there are no good solutions.
[Feminist critic Kai] Ma overstates
her case, but she is correct that
'Choice for Men' is a flawed solution.
However, the current regime, which
provides women with a variety of
choices and men with none, is also
flawed.
"Dubay's conduct is not particularly
admirable, and he's certainly not
a candidate for father of the year;
however, he does have a point. Over
the past four decades women's advocates
have successfully made the case
that it is wrong to force a pregnancy
on an unwilling mother. Despite
the backlash against Dubay, hopefully
his lawsuit will result in a greater
societal awareness that it is also
wrong to force a pregnancy on an
unwilling father."
To discuss this issue on my blog,
click
here.
Leading Feminist Blog Takes Cheap
Shot
 
For better or worse,
www.feministing.com is one of
the top blogs on the web, ranked
#337 by Technorati. Regrettably,
yesterday lead Feministing blogger
Jessica Valenti, author of Full
Frontal Feminism: A Young Woman's
Guide to Why Feminism Matters,
took a cheap shot at me, inverting
the meaning of my recent blog post
The Sexist Pencil Sharpener v. the
Sexist Knife Block. Valenti
wrote:
"Recently 'men's
rights activists' scoffed at
the idea that we were offended by
the pencil sharpener (pictured above),
which blogger
Glenn Sacks wrote 'depicts a
conventional, common sex act which
women enjoy.'"
Sounds like I "scoffed at the
idea" of women being offended by
the sharpener. Yet I actually did
the exact opposite, quoting Valenti's
criticisms of it and adding "I don't
blame Valenti for being unhappy
over the pencil sharpener."
As for my comment "the pencil
sharpener depicts a conventional,
common sex act which women enjoy,"
I took the pencil sharpener as depicting
normal, conventional heterosexual
sex, which women certainly do enjoy.
The feminists instead see the pencil
sharpener as depicting rape, sodomy
and/or bondage. They're welcome
to their opinion, but it's an interpretation
which I think the average person
generally would not share.
Among Valenti's many blog commenters,
not one could bring themselves to
acknowledge the obvious problem
that Valenti had misstated my views
on the sharpener. There's no shortage
of loonies who comment on either
of our blogs, but this omission
did surprise me.
Amidst this temporarily brain-dead
wasteland, I will praise one notable
exception--Megan, of the feminist
blog
The Mad Scientist. On her own
blog Megan had the decency to note,
in between ripping me, that "Personal
aside: I do give Glenn credit for
stating the pencil sharpener is
offensive.
The knife block pictured on
his site is also offensive."
As I've noted before, someday
men and women are going to have
to come together on gender issues.
When leading figures in the women's
and men's movements insist on distorting
the other camp's arguments, sadly,
both sides move further apart.
To discuss this issue on my blog,
click
here.
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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
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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
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I felt coerced into filing a no contact order...Shouldn't
I have a right to not file one? As the 'victim',
why are my options limited?A letter from
Felicia, a reader, about the domestic violence system:
Dear Glenn:
I was reading an article you wrote about Restraining
Orders/Protective orders being overused in our judicial
system. I wanted to share a story with you that
has me really upset and I thought you might be interested.
My husband drank too much one night and we got
into a nasty physical confrontation, ultimately
resulting in a call to the police. He was taken
to jail and charged with domestic violence. I teach
Cardio kickboxing classes and when I mean we got
into a fight, both of us were involved. I wasn't
a so-called "victim" and protected myself fairly
well. As it turned out, my husband had more visible
wounds than I did. When he was booked, the officer
asked if his wife was arrested too based on his
injuries.
He served four days in jail prior to me bailing
him out. Since his release, he has gone to AA meetings
and is seeing a counselor as well as a couples counselor
with me. We are on the right track to making things
better and our relationship has taken a positive
turn. All this work has been done without any court
orders, as my husband decided to do them on his
own.
I attended his arraignment with the intention
of fighting a restraining order. (I just want to
note that I get nervous in court even for a traffic
ticket). The commissioner asked me to step up to
speak (standing about 10 ft away from my husband
and near the sheriff). He said he was required to
give me 2 options: file a no contact order or a
peaceful contact order. Based on those 2 options,
I chose the lesser of the two. I wasn't given the
option of not filing an order at all.
Once we left the courtroom, I felt coerced into
filing a no contact order, whether that be a no
contact or peaceful. Shouldn't I have a right to
not file one at all?...
To read more and to discuss this issue on my
blog, click
here.
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Background:
We've done several
protests against
ads which portray
men and fathers
as clowns--see
