My new co-authored column, Virginia's New Putative Father Registry Violates Fathers' Right to Raise Their Own Children (Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star & others, 8/16/07) criticizes an outrageous new anti-father Virginia law. The law has been debated in the press, but commentators have missed its central purpose--to remove fathers' rights to prevent their children from being put up for adoption against their will. The law asks any Virginia man who has had non-marital sex to register with the State. Men who fail to register waive all parental rights to children they may have fathered.

The column appears below. To write a Letter to the Editor of the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star regarding Fatherhood rights being stripped away (8/16/07), write to letters@freelancestar.com.

Virginia's New Putative Father Registry Violates Fathers' Right to Raise Their Own Children

By Mike McCormick and Glenn Sacks

Virginia's controversial new Putative Father Registry law asks any man who has had heterosexual non-marital sex in Virginia to register with the State. Supporters say the law will help connect fathers with their children before the children are put up for adoption. Critics see it as another example of the erosion of citizens' privacy. Both sides miss the real point of the Registry--to remove a father's right to prevent his child's mother from giving their child up for adoption without his consent.

Incredibly, under the new law, putative fathers who fail to register waive their right to be notified that their parental rights are being terminated. They also forfeit the right to be notified of the adoption proceedings and to consent to the adoption. Rather than being required to make a legitimate effort to find and notify the father, the state can now simply check the Registry and, if the man has not registered, give his child away.

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My latest His Side with Glenn Sacks radio commentary for KLAA AM 830 in Los Angeles concerns former Los Angeles County District Attorney Gil Garcetti. Garcetti, an enemy of fathers who should be sitting in a prison cell alongside Duke prosecutor Mike Nifong, recently had the gall to lecture Los Angeles on the 'ethical challenges' it faces. In my commentary, I explain how Garcetti treated Los Angeles fathers very...um, "unethically" while in office.

To listen to the commentary, click here. To learn more about the story, click here.

His Side with Glenn Sacks radio commentaries are broadcast daily on KLAA AM 830, a 50,000 watt talk station in Los Angeles and Orange County. KLAA AM 830 is owned by Arte Moreno, owner of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. KLAA hosts include Glenn Beck and Michael Savage. From 2003-2005, His Side with Glenn Sacks ran in a syndicated talk show format in Los Angeles, New York City, Boston, Seattle, and other cities. To listen to show archives, click here.

To discuss this issue on my blog, click here.

This story details the hard lives and heroism of two women who remained loyal to their husbands for three decades as the men were incarcerated for crimes the FBI knew they didn't commit. Both women raised their children, and kept up theirs and their children's relationships with their husbands as best they could.

Recently, their husbands and their families were awarded $102 million for the FBI's withholding of evidence of the men's innocence.

These two women, Marie Salvati and Olympia Limone, are heroines (Olympia is pictured with her husband).

Hard lives for wives of men wrongly imprisoned: Ruling that frees spouses ends 30-year wait for Mass. women
The Associated Press, 8/16/07

BOSTON - For three decades, Marie Salvati and Olympia Limone essentially lived as widows, struggling to make ends meet as they raised four children on their own. Their husbands grew old behind bars after being convicted of a murder the FBI knew they did not commit.

Now the women hope a judge's ruling awarding them and two other families nearly $102 million marks the end of their struggle in a long story of love, devotion and survival.

For many years, the two women would see each other about once a month, across the visiting room of a state prison. Their conversations were rarely more than a wave hello or a "how's the family?" but they didn't need words to understand each other's lives.

In the days after the verdict, the two women and their husbands spoke to The Associated Press about living apart for so long, and the bonds that kept them together.

Never any doubt

For Marie Salvati, there was never a moment of doubt, even after her husband, Joe, was charged with murder, convicted and sentenced.

"He told me, 'Marie, I want you to know I had nothing to do with this,' and you know, from that moment on, I knew I was in this with him for his life sentence," she said.

"I used to tell him, 'You take care of yourself in there and I'll take care of the family on the outside'," she said.

And for 30 years, that's what she did.

Every week, she traveled up to two hours each way to visit her husband in prison. She and the kids endured humiliating pat-downs and searches. The visits, she said, were to buoy her husband's spirits and to preserve the bond between a father and his children.

It was hardly the life they had planned...

To read more and 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

I've often criticized what one might call the "paternal abandonment script"--the standard assumption that if a father doesn't remain in his children's lives after a divorce or separation, it's because he "abandoned the family" and/or chose to remove himself from his children's lives. One example is discussed in my blog entry Dick Allen & the Misleading 'Paternal Abandonment Script'.

Recently I've been watching and following the ESPN mini-series The Bronx Is Burning. The series discusses the year 1977 in New York--the famous power outage and subsequent riots and looting, the "Son of Sam" killings, the upset in the mayoral election, and the controversies surrounding the New York Yankees and their 1977 championship season.

One of the main figures in the mini-series is Yankee manager (and former player) Billy Martin.

(FYI for non-baseball fans, Martin was super intense and something of a nutcase, but had an uncanny ability to take over wretched baseball teams and turn them into winners. He was repeatedly fired from jobs, including a record five times from the Yankees by Yankee owner George Steinbrenner, in part because of his drinking and propensity to get in fistfights. Martin is pictured with Reggie Jackson, his star slugger with whom he often clashed. This includes a fistfight in the dugout at Fenway Park after Martin pulled Jackson out of a game on national television because, Martin claimed, Jackson wasn't hustling.)

One of my childhood friends admired Martin (as did many New Yorkers), and I followed Billy Martin's career as a kid. One way or another I've read a great deal about him over the years. Billy was scrappy, just like his mother Joan, who he idolized. We were always told that Joan raised him as a single mother after his father abandoned him. These two descriptions of Martin's father's "abandonment" from the mainstream media are typical:

"His father walked out before he was born, leaving Billy to be raised by his strong-willed mother and his grandmother."

"Billy's natural father left the family when Billy was eight months old."

In watching The Bronx Is Burning and reading some related material, it turns out that Martin's father did not desert the family--he was driven away. (This is not to say that he was a great guy--we're told he repeatedly cheated on his wife). A few things:

1) In The Bronx Is Burning, the character playing Billy Martin--apparently quoting the real Billy--says, "One time my mother caught my father cheating and she split his head wide open."

2) According to ESPN, Martin's father "was a philanderer whom [his mother] tossed out of their lives before Billy was born."

3) Sportswriter Maury Allen interviewed Joan, and in All Roads Lead to October, Joan says:

"[Martin's father] was no good. He told everybody he left me. I threw him out...When I found out about [his cheating], I busted his car with a hammer...He's still alive around here someplace. I'll spit on his grave."

Speaking of the only surviving picture of the young Billy Martin with his father, she says, "Nobody's ever seen this picture. Nobody ever will."

4) Martin's mother had been divorced twice--quite unusual for a woman during the 1930s. She called her first husband a "bum," as she did Martin's father, her second husband.

Conclusion? Perhaps both of Joan's ex-husbands really were "bums"--or perhaps Joan wasn't so easy to get along with. Or perhaps both. Given Joan's temper and violence, and her raging fury at her ex 50 years after their divorce, it's unlikely that the breakup was all the father's fault.

Billy Martin's father may have been a bad husband, but--contrary to what I've heard and read for 30 years--he didn't abandon his child.

To discuss this issue on my blog, click here.

I'm opposed to prison sentences for certain statutory rape situations--in many countries, a 21-year-old man having a relationship with a 17-year-old woman is perfectly normal.

A friend's grandparents recently celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary, and it was publicized in local papers, as it should be, since it's such an achievement. But looking at the story and doing a little math made me realize that if the two of them had gotten married yesterday, he would go to jail--he was 21 and she was 17 when they got married in 1922. This is absurd.

On the other had, if it's a 24 year-old and a 14-year-old, well, that's another story. But however one feels about the statutory rape laws, they should be enforced without gender bias, and that is clearly not the case. Another example is below.

In this case, a 24-year-old woman who statutorily raped a 14-year-old boy will avoid jail. Ironically, the boy's older brother is serving a 3 1/2 year prison sentence for the exact same crime. He statutorily raped a girl when he was 22 and she was 14.

This gender bias is typical. A five-year study conducted by a Kansas State University professor found that male teachers are likely to get 15 to 20 years in prison for sexual relations with students, whereas female teachers usually are placed on probation or go to prison for one to three years. Paul Logli, president of the National District Attorneys Association, says:

"There is no question it's more likely that as a case winds its way through the court, in more cases the woman is going to get probation, whereas the man, under the same circumstances, is going to get prison."

The story is below--thanks to Thomas, a reader, for sending it to me.

Mom who has child by teen gets probation
By Joe Elias
The Patriot-News, 8/22/07

NEW BLOOMFIELD -- A 24-year-old woman who gave birth to a 14-year-old boy's child won't go to jail so that she can take care of the newborn, a Perry County judge ruled Tuesday.

Angela Nicole Rudy of the 600 block of Lewisberry Road, Fairview Twp., York County, received probation and a suspended sentence of 3 to 18 months in prison.

The 14-year-old's mother, however, said that's a double standard.

"If she was a man, she would already be in prison," the mother said. "She's only out because she's a woman. A criminal should not be able to hide behind the fact that they have a child."

The teen's mother is not being identified to protect the identity of her son. The Patriot-News does not identify sex-assault victims.

The teen's mother compared the case to that of her 23-year-old son, who is serving a 2 1/2- to 4 1/2-year state prison sentence for his second statutory sexual-assault offense. The offenses occurred in Perry and York counties. A 15-year-old York County girl gave birth to his child in late 2006, court records said.

"I don't see a difference," the mother said. "The issue is the crime, not who will be watching the child."

To read more and 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.

One of the reasons for the dramatic increases in child support guidelines over the past 20 years is the pervasive and mistaken notion that divorced fathers gain economically from divorce while women suffer from it. The myth stems from a now-discredited study conducted over two decades ago by feminist Lenore Weitzman, author of the 1985 book The Divorce Revolution.

Weitzman concluded that women's standard of living after divorce dropped by three quarters while men's rose over 40%. The media trumpeted her research--some have called it one of the most widely reported studies in media history--and it led to sharp increases in child support guidelines. However, years later Weitzman was forced to admit that her findings were vastly overstated, due to a huge mathematical error.

Despite this, the myth that men gain economically from divorce remains pervasive, and is repeated even today by numerous writers and commentators, including conservatives like Dennis Prager, feminists like Ann Crittenden, and even by masculists like Tom Leykis.

Sanford Braver, Ph.D., one of the nation's leading experts on the economics of divorce, helped uncover and expose the Weitzman hoax. His research demonstrates that when all relevant factors are taken into account, including the numerous tax advantages custodial parents enjoy, the "men gain/women lose" idea is badly in error. In fact, his new research indicates that the opposite outcome may be more common. To learn more about Braver's research, click here.

Child support expert Jane Spies of the National Family Justice Association also discusses the Weitzman hoax in her recent article The Myth of the Successful Child Support System.

MSNBC reported:

"After a divorce, a woman's cost of living can increase dramatically, hence the reason why court-ordered alimony and child support payments most often go to women. Even so, experts report the average woman experiences a 45 percent decrease in her standard of living after going through a divorce. Meanwhile, the average man experiences a 15 percent improvement in his standard of living."

These statistics are in error. The MSNBC report is From money to emotions: Get over your divorce How to deal with the financial and emotional pitfalls of a split (8/21/07).

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

Background: In the highly-publicized Roman v. Roman Texas frozen embryo case, Augusta Roman and her then-husband Randy Roman had tried for several years to have a child (and had one miscarriage) before undergoing infertility treatments. The day before the embryos were to be implanted, Randy told her that he was troubled by certain aspects of their relationship and wanted to wait to implant the embryos until they had resolved their problems. They went to counseling for six months and later divorced.

Augusta, 47, still wants to have the children, and Randy has refused. While undergoing the infertility treatments they had both signed a form which clearly stated that in the event of divorce, the embryos would not be implanted.

The original trial judge in their divorce granted Augusta custody of the frozen embryos. Randy appealed the case, and in February the Texas Court of Appeal sided with him. Augusta and her attorney Rebecca Reitz appealed the case to the Texas Supreme Court, which requested briefs.

My belief is that while it is unfortunate for Augusta Roman that she will never have a biological child, two people create a child, not one. Neither should be compelled to do so against their will.

I did some media on the case. These include:

My debate with Augusta Roman and her attorney on Fox's nationally-syndicated Morning Show with Mike and Juliet (pictured)--to watch the video, click here.

My co-authored column Texas Frozen Embryo case--In Defense of a Man's Right to Choose (Houston Chronicle, 6/14/07, Baltimore Sun, 6/17/07)

Several radio discussions--to listen, click here and here.

I'm pleased to hear that the Texas Supreme Court has refused to hear Augusta Roman's appeal. The story is below.

Texas Supreme Court refuses to hear custody battle
The Associated Press, 8/24/07

AUSTIN -- The Texas Supreme Court on Friday refused to consider the case of a woman who wanted custody of three frozen embryos following her divorce.

After her divorce from Randy Roman, Augusta Roman wanted to keep the embryos they had once hoped would bring children.

A Houston trial court had ordered the embryos turned over to Augusta Roman, but Randy Roman appealed that ruling and won. The case then went to the Texas Supreme Court...

To reads 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

I've noted on countless occasions that when a woman commits domestic violence, we don't call it "domestic violence." In this story, Rebecca Harvey allegedly rammed her ex-husband's car while their three children were in his car.

She's been arrested, and is being charged with felony charge of reckless conduct and three misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child. I'm sure she will probably be sentenced to a fine of at least $25 and a minimum of a half hour of community service. It will hurt her in family court, too--possible sanctions include a disapproving look from the judge.

Beyond Rebecca Harvey's violence--which, since it was committed by a woman isn't really violence at all and will not be treated as such--she's a real charmer. She's an attorney and, according to the story, during her divorce:

"In spite of her membership in the N.H. Bar Association and law degree, Rebecca asked the court to rule she should not have to work outside the home while their children were minors and cited depression as limiting her ability to work. The court ruled her depression was short-term and brought on by the divorce -- which included splitting $2.9 million -- and ordered her to establish an income source.

"She also asked for alimony for life and argued that $3,000 a month in alimony -- in addition to $6,000 a month in child support -- was insufficient."

Rebecca Harvey's chump mother-in-law and father-in-law also loaned her and her ex-husband $275,000 while they were married, and she won the right in court to stiff the elderly couple.

The domestic violence story is below. A previous story about their divorce can be found here.

Mom reportedly rams car with kids inside
By Elizabeth Dinan
August 21, 2007 1:27 PM

PORTSMOUTH -- A local lawyer who took her multi-million dollar divorce to the state Supreme Court is facing four criminal charges alleging she rammed her car into one driven by her former husband with their three children inside.

Rebecca Harvey, 44, of 48 Ball Street, was arrested July 4 by Portsmouth police on a felony charge of reckless conduct and three misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

According to the complaints, filed by Officer Adam Kozlowski, Harvey placed her former husband -- Islington Street dentist Paul Harvey Jr. -- "in danger of serious bodily injury" when she "used her vehicle to push his vehicle while he was inside."

The three counts of child endangerment allege she "purposely violated a duty of care" by endangering the welfare of their three children who were in Paul's car when she struck it with hers.

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. 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.

Wall Street Journal--'Are We Teaching Our Kids To Be Fearful of Men?' Background: In my blog post If You See a Father Holding His Child's Hand, Call the Cops!, I first called attention to the man-bashing Virginia Department of Health poster pictured above. I wrote: "If dad goes for a walk with his daughter and holds her hand, apparently Virginia Department of Health officials wants you to pick up the phone and destroy his life by reporting him as a possible sexual abuser. I would've thought this article about this campaign was from The Onion or some satirical publication, but it's for real. The picture above of a man holding a child's hand--a touching little scene--is actually supposed to make us think he's sexually abusing the child. Unbelievable." Rush Limbaugh saw my commentary on the issue and covered it on his nationally-syndicated broadcast--to read the transcript of his comments or to listen to the radio archive, click here. Many of my readers called or wrote the Virginia Department of Health to express their views of the ad. The article Are We Teaching Our Kids To Be Fearful of Men? (WSJ Online, 8/23/07) points out numerous examples of men being treated like predators by businesses and government, including the "Prevent Child Sexual Abuse" poster above. Are We Teaching Our Kids To Be Fearful of Men? By Jeff Zaslow WSJ Online, 8/23/07 When children get lost in a mall, they're supposed to find a "low-risk adult" to help them. Guidelines issued by police departments and child-safety groups often encourage them to look for "a pregnant woman," "a mother pushing a stroller" or "a grandmother." The implied message: Men, even dads pushing strollers, are "high-risk." Are we teaching children that men are out to hurt them? The answer, on many fronts, is yes. Child advocate John Walsh advises parents to never hire a male babysitter. Airlines are placing unaccompanied minors with female passengers rather than male passengers. Soccer leagues are telling male coaches not to touch players. Child-welfare groups say these are necessary precautions, given that most predators are male. But fathers' rights activists and educators now argue that an inflated predator panic is damaging men's relationships with kids. Some men are opting not to get involved with children at all, which partly explains why many youth groups can't find male leaders, and why just 9% of elementary-school teachers are male, down from 18% in 1981. People assume that all men "have the potential for violence and sexual aggressiveness," says Peter Stearns, a George Mason University professor who studies fear and anxiety. Kids end up viewing every male stranger "as a potential evildoer," he says, and as a byproduct, "there's an overconfidence in female virtues." In Michigan, the North Macomb Soccer Club has a policy that at least one female parent must always sit on the sidelines, to guard against any untoward behavior by male coaches. In Churchville, Pa., soccer coach Barry Pflueger says young girls often want a hug after scoring a goal, but he refrains. Even when girls are injured, "you must comfort them without touching them, a very difficult thing to do," he says. "It saddens me that this is what we've come to." TV shows, including the Dateline NBC series "To Catch a Predator," hype stories about male abusers. Now social-service agencies are also using controversial tactics to spread the word about abuse. This summer, Virginia's Department of Health mounted an ad campaign for its sex-abuse hotline. Billboards featured photos of a man holding a child's hand. The caption: "It doesn't feel right when I see them together"... 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 She's not a Violent, Would-Be Killer, She's Just 'Lovelorn' Background: On numerous occasions I've discussed the Lisa Nowak case and the kid gloves treatment she's received from the media and prosecutors--click here or see my co-authored column Scott Peterson in a space suit (Philadelphia Daily News, 2/26/07). Lisa's weapons are pictured above. It's not often that someone who tried to kidnap and murder a coworker is described as "lovelorn"--at least if they're male. "Lovelorn" female astronaut/would-be killer Lisa Nowak--who shouldn't even be out of jail--is asking that her "uncomfortable" ankle monitor bracelet be removed. Were it a man, the perp would have been described as having been in a "jealous, violent rage," not "lovelorn." He probably would be held without bail. If not, he would be laughed out of court if he told the judge he'd like to have his ankle bracelet removed for his "comfort." Lovelorn astronaut seeks relief in court Asks ankle monitor bracelet be removed; Alleged victim 'still afraid' By Travis Reed ORLANDO, Fla. - Former astronaut Lisa Nowak, accused of attacking a romantic rival, asked a judge Friday to let her remove her electronic monitoring ankle bracelet, saying that it cuts her ankle and gets in the way of her military boot laces. Nowak promised to abide by all court orders if the GPS monitoring device is removed, including not having any contact with Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman, the woman she is accused of pepper spraying in an airport parking lot. Shipman's attorney fought the request. On the witness stand, Shipman told the judge she is still afraid of Nowak. "When I'm home alone and there's nobody there with me, it is a comfort," she said of the Nowak's monitoring bracelet... 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

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

In almost all editorial cartoons, men and only men are blamed for global warming. This cartoon by Chan Lowe, editorial cartoonist for the Sun-Sentinel, South Florida, is another example.

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 If you are an active, engaged, committed, dedicated, loving parent facing a divorce, family law attorney Nicholas Palermo's The Ten Essential Elements to Winning Joint Shared Physical and Legal Custody can help you protect your relationship with your children. www.TenEssentialElements.com Is being a Disneyland Dad taking its toll? Does your 'career' get in the way of seeing your kids? Having dealt with the family law system for over two decades, I understand the frustration of working long hours at a job while dealing with the unfair rules that our system imposes on dads and their kids. I finally found a life-changing income opportunity that allows me the time and money freedom to be there for my kids on my terms. If you would like to learn more about how to take back control and live your life without limits, click here.

Ned Holstein of Fathers & Families first pointed out the "Man Mom" advertising campaign to me. The campaign is for Combos Snacks, and is another example of the common TV theme of men as irresponsible, uncaring parents.

In the ads, whatever the problem (illness, stress, whatever), the only solution the male parent can come up with is Combos Snacks--"what your mom would feed you if your mom were a man."

In this ad, named "Heart to Heart," a despondent son takes a personal problem to his "mom." To watch the ad, click here.

To discuss this issue on my blog, click here.

Help for Los Angeles/Orange County Dads--Because They're Your Kids, Too If you're a dad facing a divorce or separation and you need quality legal representation in Los Angeles or Orange County, the Law Office of David Stone can help. Remember, they're your kids, too. www.help4dad.com Parental-Alienation-Awareness.com Stop Parental Alienation--a terrible form of Child Abuse. Eight states have now officially recognized Parental Alienation Awareness Day. To learn more, go to Parental-Alienation-Awareness.com.

"For all the women who are on that 'black man ain't jack' kick, there is one Alicia Crowe who constructively thinks, 'Hey, brother, here's a book to get yourself together."

In Real Dads Stand Up!, Alicia Crowe advises fathers how to avoid baby mama drama and remain a meaningful part of their children's lives. Sidik Fofana of www.AllHipHop.com recently did a nice review of Crowe's book--see below.

I did an interview with Crowe a couple months ago--her transformation from someone who figured divorced or separated fathers had always caused their own problems into an advocate for dads is a great story. To read the interview, see 'I experienced how vicious and manipulative an angry custodial parent can be.'
 

Real Dads Stand Up!
By Sidik Fofana

Baby fathers exhale, finally. Alicia M. Crowe's book Real Dads Stand Up! (Blue Peacock Press) serves as a reference guide to get through all the child support payments, the supervised visitations, and custody battles that characterize the "baby mama drama." As a deputy attorney with a law degree from Howard University, Crowe has seen her share of court proceedings. Crowe knows that in order for daddies to benefit from the system, there are rules to this legal sh*t. So, she wrote herself a manual.

Real Dads Stand Up! acts as a legal guide, an etiquette book, and motivational speech all in one. In it, Crowe includes very practical resources like income tax statistics, info on property seizures, employment options, and so on to help men become good parents even when they are in the midst of legal wear and tear. The way this "if you don't have a lawyer, one will be appointed for you" system is going these days, a man in legal strife is better off with a copy of Real Dads than an in the flesh lawyer.

The book owes much of its force to its positive outlook. Alicia M. Crowe is on the bullhorn encouraging fathers to dust off their blazers, shine their shoes, and reverse their sullied reputations.  In the chapter about custody battles, she writes, "It ain't over! As some of you may have already learned, Family Court orders are not etched in stone. Circumstances change. Parent move. Schedules change." If all else fails, just the optimism in her writing is useful enough.

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

How Does Sex Discrimination Affect Men and Boys? The National Coalition of Free Men Los Angeles is a non-profit educational & civil rights organization that looks at the ways sex discrimination affects men and boys. NCFM-LA helps provide men a unified voice on important political and social issues. www.NCFMLA.org

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