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partially adopted the approach we suggested for the
film. Earlier this year Fathers & Families wrote to
Dave Iverson, the film's producer and host, and suggested
that he make shared parenting the central theme of the
new PBS film. We are pleased to see that Iverson took
the suggestion seriously--much of Kids & Divorce
concerns shared parenting.
The film made two overriding points.
Much of the mainstream media (particularly left-leaning
institutions, of which PBS is one) engages in divorce
happy talk. However, from Kids & Divorce's opening
moments the film powerfully depicts the way children
suffer in divorce. Also, throughout the film it was
clear that children want and need both parents, that
they are very aggrieved when their parents don't get
along, and that two-parent involvement is important
after divorce.
The film also had its weaknesses. The
film devoted much time to the ways in which conflict
between parents is bad for children, but did not devote
enough to why such conflicts exist. My belief
is that much post-divorce conflict is because the playing
field is not level, and mothers believe, often correctly,
that if they push hard they can drive fathers out of
their children's lives. The film focused too much on
"can't we all just get along" generalities instead of
on the need to protect both parents' right to have a
relationship with their children.
Judicial discretion in divorce cases
was defended in the film without pointing out the harm
that excessive discretion can create. Shared Parenting
was criticized as a "cookie cutter" or "one size fits
all solution." However, Ned Holstein, president of Fathers
& Families, refuted this in the film, pointing out that
we already have a cookie cutter--sole custody to mom,
dad gets every other weekend visitation.
Women's advocate Dr. Peter Jaffe said
that Shared Parenting "coerces" women into co-parenting
arrangements with their abusers. Psychologist Dr. Richard
Warshak, who made several excellent points in the film,
pointed out that Shared Parenting presumptions do not
apply when there is domestic violence. However, nobody
pointed out that the presumption of sole custody to
mom coerces fathers to relinquish much of their fatherhood
after a divorce.
The film also devoted much time to divorce
education and collaborative law, particularly in the
first half. Both of these can be good things, but their
utility is limited without a level playing field.
However, I do not want to belabor the
film's negatives. PBS spent a considerable amount of
money on the film, and made an honest and effective
effort to be balanced. The film had many positives,
particularly in the second half. Some of them include:
1) The film provided a detailed and
very positive depiction of a divorced couple practicing
Shared Parenting, including an interview with the divorced
couple's 16 year-old son and 12 year-old daughter. The
boy emphasized the importance of having the love of
both his parents.
2) The film made it clear that kids
do not like seeing their other parent badmouthed or
belittled. Three times the film quoted a young boy who
thanked his mom for ceasing her badmouthing of the boy's
father.
3) The film pointed out that it's important
that each parent accommodate their children's desire
for contact with the other parent. For example, we were
told that when a child tells his or her mother that
he or she misses dad, the mother's best response is
a cheerful "OK, let's call him."
4) Los Angeles County Family Mediator
Ernest Sanchez applauded a father who came into his
court and stood up and repeatedly asserted that he was
a father, "not a visitor" in his child's life. Sanchez
also brought up the need to "equalize the playing field."
5) I expected a large focus on domestic
violence and monster dads, and was pleasantly surprised
to see that while this side was represented fairly,
it was not given undue weight. In fact, Iverson said
"domestic violence is a factor in only a small number
of divorce cases," and this assertion was repeated later
in the film.
6) In the final segments Dr. Richard
Warshak was excellent, bringing home many of our movement's
key points. He discussed the way custodial parents "use
their extra time with their children" to turn them against
or alienate them from the other parent. Warshak agreed
with Jaffe that we must protect kids from domestic violence
but also said we must protect them from the "emotional
violence" of parental alienation. Surprisingly, Jaffe
did (briefly) concede that there is too much alienating
behavior by parents in divorces.
7) Underscoring the film's central message
that kids need two parents, not two warring parties,
one child caught in the middle of a divorce said "I
don't want to vote."
8) The film showed a meeting of
Fathers & Families where two dads briefly described
how painful their separations from their children
are.
9) The film showed Ned Holstein lobbying
at the Massachusetts capital and quoted him as saying
that before you even get into the courtroom, you can
tell which parent is going to win custody--"it's the
parent wearing the skirt."
10) In the film Iowa state legislator
Danny Carroll said something we hear all too rarely.
Carroll never knew his father. However, he did not make
the standard assumption that because dad wasn't there
he must be at fault or have "abandoned" the family.
Instead he explained that he didn't really know why
his dad wasn't there, and speculated that if there had
been a presumption for Shared Parenting when he was
a child, perhaps he would have had his father in his
life. He is one of the main legislative supporters of
the Iowa shared parenting law, which the film discussed.
11) Our opponents often say that divorced
couples can't co-parent, so it's best to give sole custody
to mothers. In the film Dr. Isolina Ricci asserted that
"most parents can co-parent" and emphasized the importance
of co-parenting after a divorce.
12) In closing, Hofstra Law Professor
Andrew Schepard accurately described the problems in
divorce and family law as a "public health problem,"
and Warshak emphasized the need for post-divorce parenting
plans which do not have a "secondary parent."
In summation, we've come a long way
in a year. We never asked PBS to pull or cease airing
Breaking the Silence. Instead we asserted that
there is another side to these issues which merits an
airing. We succeeded. Last fall on PBS dads were portrayed
as evil, scheming abusers. This week dads were portrayed
as an important and valued part of their children's
lives. Thanks again to all who participated.
Where to See the New PBS Film
Below is a partial list of some of the
stations and dates where Kids & Divorce: For Better
or Worse is scheduled to air. If you know of an
airing of Kids & Divorce which is not listed,
please email us at
glenn@glennsacks.com.
KCET in Los Angeles, California (9/14)
KERA in Dallas, Texas (9/17/06)
Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) (9/14)
KQED in the Bay Area/San Francisco (9/15/06, 9/16/06,
9/17/06)
KTSC in Denver/Rocky Mountains (9/28/06)
KLRN in San Antonio, Texas (9/14/06, 9/17/06, 9/19/06)
WGBH in Boston (9/12/06, 9/15/06, 9/17/06)
KUHT in Houston, Texas (9/16, 9/17)
KNME in Albuquerque, New Mexico (9/17/06)
WNET in New York City (10/25/06, 10/26/06)
WXXI in Rochester, New York (9/15)
CET in Cincinnati (9/16, 9/17, 9/18)
KAKM in Anchorage, Alaska (9/23)
KLVX in Las Vegas, Nevada (9/15)
GTE in Toledo, Ohio (9/14/06, 9/18/06)
WTIU in Bloomington, Indiana (9/14)
New Hampshire Public Television (9/21/2006)
Alabama Public Television, (9/15/06, 9/19/06, 9/21/06)
KLRU in Austin, Texas (9/15/06, 9/16/06)
Louisiana Public Broadcasting (9/14/06, 9/15/06)
Wisconsin Public Television (9/14/06)
KUED in Salt Lake City (9/14/06, 9/16/06, 9/18/06)
WPSU in Central Pennsylvania (9/16/06, 9/18/06)
KTWU in Topeka, Kansas (9/15/06, 9/17/06)
MPTV in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (9/16/06, 9/17/06)
Iowa Public Television (9/14/06)
KTNW in Washington state (9/15/06, 9/17/06)
Kentucky Educational Television (9/14/06, 9/16/06, 9/17/06,
9/18/06)
KACV in Amarillo, Texas (9/14/06, 9/15/06, 9/18/06,
9/20/06)
NMU in Michigan (9/14/06, 9/18/06)
WTVP in central Illinois (9/17/06, 9/18/06)
KEDT in Corpus Christi, Texas (9/14/06)
WNED in Buffalo, New York (9/24/06)
Vermont Public Television (9/15)
KNPB in Reno, Nevada (9/14)
PBS is also selling DVDs of Kids
& Divorce: For Better or Worse at Shop PBS
here.
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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
custody calendar software program designed
for divorced families to track visitation
schedules. Includes a built-in percentage
calculator, schedule templates, free
training and excellent customer assistance.
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 TRIAL SOFTWARE
AVAILABLE by clicking
here.
The Second Wives Club
The Second Wives Club is what women
in blended families are looking for:
Remarriage, divorce, child custody,
and step-parenting discussed in a solution-oriented,
mature, and intelligent way; articles
and news written by thought-provoking
experts and journalists; personal accounts
and advice from some of life's most
interesting women.
www.SecondWivesClub.com
|
Schwarzenegger's Office Flooded with Letters
Opposing AB 2051
The California Assembly just
passed a domestic violence bill which deliberately
perpetuates the state's harmful policy of excluding
men and their children from receiving state-funded
domestic violence services. Under AB 2051, only
"battered women" are eligible for the shelters,
hotel vouchers, counseling and legal services
the state provides victims of domestic violence.
We're calling on California Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger to veto this misguided legislation.
Governor Schwarzenegger's
office has been flooded with letters opposing
AB 2051 since our campaign began last week.
I want all of you to write to the Governor to
tell him to veto AB 2051 by clicking
here. By filling out the form you will be
sending a fax to the Governor.
Remember, what happens in California
has a major impact on the laws and policies
of other states and also at the federal level.
Sacramento lobbyist Michael Robinson and
the
California Alliance for Families and Children
have been working to make the bill gender neutral
for several months. AB 2051 is based on the
discredited premise that men are rarely the
victims of intimate partner abuse. However,
more than 50 domestic violence researchers and
treatment providers have signed an opposition
letter to the Legislature in which they state:
"The data is without question--domestic violence
affects both men and women. The politicization
of this issue must stop and services must be
provided to all children and their parent victims."
Court-certified batterer intervention provider
John Hamel, LCSW, author of Gender-Inclusive
Treatment of Intimate Partner Abuse: A Comprehensive
Approach, asserts that research shows that
a third of domestic violence-related injuries
are incurred by heterosexual males.
According to domestic violence researcher
Richard Gelles, co-author of the groundbreaking
1980 book Behind Closed Doors: Violence in
American Families, it is very difficult
for fathers who are being abused by their wives
or significant others to protect themselves
and their children. They can't leave because
this would leave their children unprotected
in the hands of an abuser. If they take their
children they can be arrested for kidnapping.
If they divorce or separate, they'd probably
lose custody of their children in the divorce,
again leaving their children in harm's way.
Tens of thousands of California children
are being denied needed domestic violence services
solely because their victimized parent is male.
By ignoring the needs of these children, we
are increasing the risk that they will continue
the cycle of violence when they become adults.
AB 2051 was originally introduced for the
purpose of addressing domestic violence within
the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender communities.
Neither Robinson, the CAFC, nor I have any problem
with this. However, while the bill's original
language was gender-neutral, the author later
amended the bill back to gender-specific, discriminatory
language, and therein lies the problem.
By vetoing AB 2051, Governor Schwarzenegger
can make it clear that it's time to end the
state's discriminatory policies. His veto will
return the issue to the Legislature next year,
so that a solution can be crafted to serve the
needs of all victims of domestic violence--including
men and their children.
Again, I want all of you
to write to the Governor to tell him to veto
AB 2051 by clicking
here.
To learn more about AB 2051,
see my co-authored column
AB 2051 Moves California in Wrong Direction
on Domestic Violence (Daily Breeze
[Los Angeles], 6/1/06). To read the bill,
click
here. The bill references "battered women"
31 times, yet never once mentions "male victims"
or "men."
ACFC Releases Program for This Weekend's Family
Law ConferenceAs we've previously discussed,
the
American Coalition for Fathers & Children
is holding its National Family Law Reform Conference
this Friday and Saturday (9/15 and 9/16) at
the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA.
To learn more about the conference, click
here.
The ACFC has released the schedule for the
conference. The biographies of the Conference's
speakers are
here. Speakers include: Longtime conservative
leader Phyllis Schlafly; Dr. Warren Farrell,
a former leader of NOW whose ideas helped shape
our movement; Michael McManus, the founder of
Marriage Savers; Constitutional Law Scholar
Herb Titus; Child Protective Services critic
David Wagner, Esq.; Judith Brumbaugh, Founder
and President of Americans For Divorce Reform;
Stephen Baskerville, president of the American
Coalition for Fathers and Children; David Levy,
Esq., Executive Director of the Children's Rights
Council; Comedian Carl LaBove; ACFC leaders
David A. Roberts and Mike McCormick; family
law attorney Jeffrey Leving, Esq.; child support
expert R. Mark Rogers; and myself.
The conference agenda is
here. Some of the panel discussions include:
"Moving Society Toward Shared Parenting" with
David Levy, Ned Holstein, Gordon Finley, Mike
McCormick and myself; "Divorce Reform Initiatives"
with Michael McManus, Judy Brumbaugh, John Crouch
and Stephen Baskerville; "VAWA and DV Issues
in Shared Parenting" with David Heleniak, Edward
Bartlett, Stephen Baskerville and myself; "Moving
Legislation & Electoral Processes" with Jim
Semerad, Jeffrey Leving, Jim Hays, Tim Fittro
and Mike McCormick; "Child Support Reform" with
Michael Ross, David Roberts, R. Mark Rogers
and Mike McCormick; "Parental Rights" with David
Wagener, Herb Titus, Stanley Charles Thorne
and Stephen Baskerville; and "Communicating
with the Media" with Stephen Walker, John Maguire,
Mike McCormick and myself.
Dr. Warren Farrell will be speaking at dinner
Friday night, and Comedian Carl LaBove will
be performing at 9:00 p.m. Phyllis Schlafly
will speak at Saturday's lunch.
To learn more about the conference, click
here.
Finally What Child Support Payers
Need
Child Support obligors face
a stacked deck when squaring
off against CS Enforcement's
army of lawyers and agents,
all pitted against some beleaguered
father who's working 50 hours
a week to pay his child support
and support his family. The
burden of proving compliance
with court-ordered support falls
on the obligor, not the custodial
parent or the enforcement agencies.
Very often fathers are forced
to pay money they don't really
owe, or are saddled with fake
arrearages and the concomitant
interest and penalties.
Since the state provides
a ton of free assistance to
custodial parents, fathers need
quality, affordable representation
for these battles.
Child Support Liberation's Child
Support Audits and Record Management
Program helps obligors challenge
arrears by producing professional,
top-quality self-audits which
include all the necessary records
in the proper form.
CSARMP then conducts quarterly
audits that will alert obligors
to overcharges. In addition,
they will maintain ongoing records
of obligations, payments and
interest.
CSARMP costs only $13 a
month ($38 for the first month
only) and can be cancelled with
only 30 days notice. To learn
more or to sign up, click
here and
here. If you have any questions,
write to Michael Kennedy of
Child Support Liberation
by clicking
here.
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An Intelligent Look at Parental Alienation
Syndrome
Dr. Robert A. Evans of
Tree House Solutions takes an intelligent
look at Parental
Alienation Syndrome in his recent article
Treatment Considerations with Children Diagnosed
with PAS
from the Florida
Bar Journal. His list of the specific symptoms
of severe PAS is illuminating:
"Campaign of denigration:
denigration of the targeted parent completely,
especially in the presence of the alienating
parent. The children express profound hatred
for the targeted parent.
"Weak rationalizations for the denigration:
The children base their justification for their
alienation on rationalizations that are completely
irrational, and ludicrous (for example, "he
takes me to Disney World too much"). These children
are unable to provide more compelling reasons
for their rejection.
"Lack of ambivalence: Denigrating statements
are often made with a complete lack of ambivalence
by the child. That is, there are no mixed feelings
with these children; the targeted parent is
all 'bad' and the alienating parent is all 'good.'
"The 'Independent Thinker' phenomenon:
The child proudly professes that his or her
rejection of the targeted parent is their own
doing. They will deny any contributions from
the alienating parent, who supports the child
in their proclamations. The alienating parent
reinforces this contention by making statements
such as, 'I can't force her to see her dad,
if she does not want to.'
"Reflexive support of the alienating parent:
The child automatically takes the position of
the alienating parent; even the alienating parent
may not present the argument as forcefully as
the supporting child.
"Absence of guilt: A PAS child typically
has no guilt or remorse over the exploitation
of the targeted parent. There is frequently
a complete absence of gratitude for gifts, support
of any kind, or any involvement by the targeted
parent in their lives. This lack of guilt cannot
be attributed solely to the child's cognitive
immaturity, but is related to the brainwashing
and programming by the alienating parent.
"Presence of borrowed scenarios: The
child's presentation carries a rehearsed quality.
They use language and expressions that are clearly
not their own. Their verbalizations appear to
be coached and rehearsed, and the only source
of the borrowed scenarios appears to be the
alienating parent.
"Animosity toward the extended family of
the alienated parent: The targeted
parent's extended family (e.g., aunts,
uncles, cousins, grandparents) is included in
the animosity. These individuals are also perceived
as having negative qualities or using inappropriate
actions since they are associated with the targeted
parent. Any attempt by the extended family to
counter the denigration of the targeted parent
is viewed by the child as an attack on his or
her beliefs.
The Fatima Loeliger Alienation Case
Many of these elements are present in the
Fatima Loeliger alienation case. The Loeliger
case became publicized after PBS aired Breaking
the Silence: Children's Stories last fall.
Her father, Dr. Scott Loeliger, is one of the
most well-known and long suffering target parents
of PAS.
During our campaign against PBS's film, we
made the bombshell announcement that Fatima's
mother Sadia Loeliger, who was portrayed as
a heroic mom in the film, had been
found culpable of multiple acts of child abuse
by a California Juvenile court. While Breaking
the Silence: Children's Stories claims that
the mother lost custody of the daughter because
of the father's legal machinations, in reality
the Juvenile court transferred custody to the
father to protect the girl.
Evans' description of the alienated child's
"Animosity toward the extended family of the
alienated parent" is practically a word for
word description of the
Loeliger case. Perhaps the saddest part
of the case is the way alienated Fatima has
rejected and poured derision upon her little
brother--an 8 year old who loved and looked
up to his older sister, and has no clue or way
to understand why she has cruelly turned against
him.
To learn more about the Loeliger case, see
The Alienation of Fatima Loeliger.
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Accurate Paternity Testing
There are many important reasons
why people choose to have a
paternity test done. A child
is entitled to the sense of
belonging and identity that
comes from knowing his/her parents.
An alleged father also has the
right to know if a child is
biologically his. Paternity
fraud in the United States is
unfortunately a fairly common
occurrence, affecting perhaps
millions of men. Now you can
get the accurate, fast and affordable
answers to your paternity questions.
Visit
www.accuratepaternity.com
or call 877-434-0292 to talk
to a DNA testing expert or to
order a confidential test today.
Do You and Your Kids Go Camping?
The WoodGas Camp Stove burns
almost any fuel nature provides--including
twigs, pine cones or any plant
based fuel--and provides the
cleanest heat in even the remotest
area. It's light and compact
and it burns for long cooking
sessions--great for camping,
backpacking, or s'mores anywhere.
Developed by a scientist with
30+ years experience in biomass
energy, it generates the heat
of a normal kitchen stove, and
is great for emergency preparedness.
www.woodgas-stove.com.
Attention California Child Support
Obligors
Under the
Compromise of Back Child Support
Program, when money is owed
to the government (not the mother),
the government may compromise
on back child support for up
to 90% off. This law was passed
in recognition of the fact that
there have been many inequitable
child support judgments that
can no longer be appealed. We
operate anywhere in California--to
learn more about this program,
contact family law attorney
Robert Ackermann at (310) 442-8240
or at
ChildsupportLA@aol.com.
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A Well-Known Feminist Inadvertently Confirms
Key Facet of PASEvans describes one of
the hallmarks of alienation as "Lack of ambivalence..there
are no mixed feelings with these children; the
targeted parent is all "bad" and the alienating
parent is all "good."
Last year I had a long, interesting conversation
with a prominent leader of the National Organization
for Women--sorry, I must respect her privacy
and not name her--about her childhood. We'll
call this leader "Jane." Jane's father suffered
from a mental disorder and was violent and abusive.
Jane described numerous terrible things he did,
including violence against both Jane and her
mother. In between, Jane shared many warm memories
of him, and spoke glowingly of him, often at
some length.
The point? The child who really is abused
is usually ambivalent about his abuser. He or
she is afraid and/or angry at the parent, but
also has loving feelings towards the parent.
By contrast, as Evans notes, for the alienated
child, the target parent is the enemy and all
normal human feelings have been expunged.
The National Organization for Women
passed a resolution against PAS at its national
conference in July, labeling PAS a "defense
strategy for batterers and sexual predators
that purports to explain a child's estrangement
from one parent, or explains away allegations
against the estranged parent of abuse/sex abuse
of child, by blaming the protective parent."
Jane is an intelligent woman, but somehow I
doubt she noticed the contradiction.
I've written about PAS on various occasions--probably
the most detailed one is my co-authored
PBS Declares War on Dads (World Net Daily,
10/20/05).
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The Myth of the Good Divorce
Psychology professor
Gordon E. Finley
recently wrote an interesting review of Elizabeth Marquardt's
Between Two Worlds: The Inner Lives of Children of
Divorce for PsycCRITIQUES, a publication of the
American Psychological Association. Marquardt's book
powerfully depicts the way even civil divorces can shatter
a child's world and force a boy or a girl to grow up
long before their time.
Unfortunately, due to copyright restrictions, the
piece is not available on the Internet. However, I've
quoted a few sections of it below. Finley writes:
"Marquardt's uniquely outstanding contribution is
her new look at the inherent structure of the post-divorce
family--from the point of view of the child of divorce--wherefrom
she argues that it is structurally impossible to have
a 'good' divorce. Central to her argument is the thesis
that although marriage structurally constitutes one
world and it is the parents' job to reconcile differences
and make one unified sense of their joint world, divorce
inherently creates two worlds and, most critically,
makes it the child's inherently impossible job to unify,
reconcile, and make sense of the increasingly divergent
worlds of the child's father and mother. To borrow the
vocabulary of the STEP Parent Training Program, in marriage,
it is the parents who 'own' the problem of creating
a unified whole, whereas in divorce, it is the child
who 'owns' the problem of reconciling the increasingly
diverging worlds of his or her mother and father. As
Marquardt writes,
"'Our [divorced] parents were related to one another
not through a structure that emphasized their unity--marriage--but
rather through one that emphasized their difference
and opposition: divorce. Unlike the banner of marriage
announcing their unity to the world, the banner of divorce
announced to everyone, including us, that the differences
between them were larger than anything they might share
in common. Even if they did not feel starkly opposed
to one another the structure of divorce nevertheless
made them seem that way to us.'"
Finley continues:
"...the obsession with parental 'conflict' in the
divorce literature really is a red herring designed
to deflect attention from the true problems of divorce.
In Marquardt's view, divorce does little or nothing
to dispel conflict between parents (in fact, she argues
that two thirds of divorces come from low-conflict families),
but what divorce does for children is to create a very
high level of conflict within the child. Marquardt's
insight can be described as 'conflict shifting.' In
marriage, the conflict is between parents. By contrast,
in divorce the conflict is shifted to within the child.
The parents have relinquished the job of reconciling
their conflicting and increasingly divergent worlds
and foisted that job on their children."
While rightly commending Marquardt for most of her book,
Finley also calls her on her misguided rejection of
shared physical custody. Finley writes:
"[Marquardt] does not believe that post-divorce cookie-cutter
formulas--such as equal shared physical custody--can
address the needs of children. Her position here, however,
is odd in that she ignores the fact that a worse post-divorce
cookie-cutter formula already exists. This is where
one parent, usually the mother, is given almost all
physical custody. Sole mother physical custody has been
documented to have worse outcomes, in general, for children
than shared physical custody. She also fails to recognize
that shared physical custody is an anti-divorce tool
and--above all--what of the children's right not to
be disenfranchised from either parent?"
Finley can be reached at
adoptaowl@aol.com.
Has Your Career Been Impacted by Custody Issues?
After empowering people's careers for over 20
years, I was duly initiated into family law
just like you--through a 30 month, $520,000
custody suit. I learned that a solid home-based
business could be the best option, allowing
one to shake the financial shackles while still
experiencing a "no limits" career. More than
ever, our kids now need a free and available
parent. Be there for them...and for yourself.
Darrell W. Gurney,
www.CEOinShorts.com
Concerned about Financial Issues in Your Divorce?
If you're concerned about financial issues in
your divorce, contact
Jim DiGabriele of DiGabriele, McNulty &
Co by email
here or at 973-243-2600.
Letters From a Deadbeat Dad
Have you ever been framed as a "deadbeat dad"
while you were just trying to be a father? Have
you ever been forced to pay child support while
being denied your basic rights? Have you ever
had to explain Parental Alienation Syndrome
to your own child? Have you ever heard about
fighting family law battles outside the law
by following principles of non-violence--and
winning? Read
Letters From a Deadbeat Dad by
Cosmo Monkhouse.
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Hunger-Striking Father John Murtari Interviewed
from Jail
I've written recently about John Murtari, a loving
father to his 13 year-old son Domenic, who refused food
and water after his incarceration on July 31 for a questionable
child support arrearage. Murtari subsequently received
a feeding tube. I've read John's e-newsletter for the
past several years, and while at times I've disagreed
with his tactics, I do respect his courage, courteous
manner and fighting spirit.
Murtari recently did a radio interview from jail.
To hear the interview and read a recent newspaper article
about John, click
here.
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Expose False Allegations with Technology
Don't let the anti-male bias in criminal
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New Jersey Divorce and Family Law
New Jersey family law attorney David
Perry Davis, Esq. can help you through
your divorce. In Pasqua v. Council
(2006) Davis successfully challenged
New Jersey's unconstitutional practice
of failing to appoint attorneys for
indigent child support obligors at enforcement
hearings where they face incarceration.
As a result of this suit, trial courts
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Answer to Reader Queries About a Couple Other Possible
CampaignsMany of you have written
to me urging me to launch a campaign based on a couple
of current events. Below are my views of them.
One of the proposed campaigns is in
opposition to AB 2781, a California Child Support bill.
California fathers' rights activist William L. Spence
has distributed emails on this. Spence writes:
"AB 2781 (Leno) Child Support Collectors
has passed the Legislature and will reach Governor Schwarzenegger's
desk by the end of the week. It provides that, beginning
in 2010, all child support orders include language establishing
a judgment in favor of any private collector the obligee
may choose to contract with, by which the obligation
may be increased to cover the collector's fee, by up
to 33.3...% of any arrearage and up to 50% of the total
fee (which thus may be as high as 66.6%). To the best
of my knowledge this is the first time a law has enabled
a private contract to directly obligate a non-party.
It seems to me especially dangerous that this extraordinary
power is being granted in the context of circumstances
that tend to arise as a result of serious financial
hardship, and in which mischief---the vindictiveness
of ex-intimate partners---is unfortunately all too common.
It is, moreover, alternatively possible for warranted
collection fees to be recovered through a tort action,
or perhaps a new cause modeled on that by which litigation-related
attorney fees are customarily handled."
Spence is calling for the Governor to
veto AB 2781.
I'm not sure what Spence means about
"may be as high as 66%." However, Spence makes several
good points. Like Spence, I hate to see any more debt
or burden placed upon California child support obligors,
because they are already very overburdened. In my co-authored
column
Some Progress for California Fathers, but Still a Long
Way to Go (Pasadena Star-News & Affiliated
Papers, Daily Breeze [Los Angeles], 6/18/06)
I wrote:
"In 1992 the California legislature
dramatically increased the financial burdens shouldered
by fathers. Many child support orders doubled and tripled
overnight, quickly placing California among the five
states with the highest child support guidelines.
"The legacy of this legislation is a permanent underclass
of fathers buried alive under crushing debts. According
to an Urban Institute study of California child support,
the average arrears owed is $3,000 higher than the median
annual earnings of employed child support debtors. Those
in the poorest category have a child support debt amounting
to their full net income for seven and a half years."
Spence is also correct in his concern that the law "has
enabled a private contract to directly obligate a non-party."
I investigated AB 2781 as the subject for a possible
column back in April, and this was one of the first
issues I raised with one of Leno's staffers. She was
stumped by it, too. Apparently the California legislature
has found some way around this, and Spence is correct
to be concerned about its implications.
On the other hand, there are many positive
aspects of this bill which also merit consideration.
Noncustodial fathers are treated horribly by private
collection companies--many conclude that it's worse
to deal with them than with the state enforcement agencies,
which is saying a lot. AB 2781 represents the first
time California has reined in these private child support
collection agencies, addressed their abusive tactics
and brought them under government oversight. Noncustodial
fathers will benefit from these protections.
In addition, custodial mothers are often
the victims of predatory private child support collection
agencies, and this bill will help them, also. While
custodial mothers are not my primary constituency, I
certainly support anything that makes life easier for
them as long as it doesn't harm children of divorce
and/or their fathers.
In addition, some of AB 2781's provisions
about obligating noncustodial fathers aren't as unfair
as they may seem. When a noncustodial father doesn't
pay his child support obligation, under current law
the custodial mother must pay the full cost of the private
agency's collection actions. It's not unreasonable to
spread that burden out between both the custodial and
noncustodial parents.
My conclusion? I have mixed emotions
about AB 2781. I won't be heartbroken if Governor Schwarzenegger
signs it, but I won't be unhappy with a veto, either.
The full bill can be seen at
AB 2781.
Help for Maryland Fathers
Family law attorney
Dawn Elaine Bowie works to protect
parents' relationships with their children
and reduce post-divorce conflict. She
practices in Montgomery, Anne Arundel
and Prince George's Counties. Contact
her at
attorneydawn@marylandfamilylawfirm.com
or go to
www.marylandfamilylawfirm.com.
Tree House Solutions
Tree House Solutions, LLC is
a growing and evolving resource designed
to meet the emotional and informational
needs of parents who are going through
divorce and those already divorced.
Tree House activities are composed of
live, real time teleconferences on a
weekly basis. These sessions are conducted
by two highly experienced mental health
practitioners, versed in high conflict
divorce. Drs. Bone and Evans offer a
wide spectrum of suggestions and education
regarding the divorce process and co-parenting
with difficult former spouses.
www.treehousesolutions.org
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The New Ford Divorced Dad Ad
The other campaign many readers have urged me to launch
is against a new Ford commercial. We've done campaigns
against TV commercials before--in 2004 our
Campaign Against Anti-Father Verizon Commercial
was covered by over 300 media outlets, including CNN,
Fox News, ABC, NBC, CBS and several hundred newspapers.
The commercial, which can be viewed
here, portrayed an idiot father bumbling to try
to help his daughter with her homework as his wife barked
at him to "go wash the dog." A few weeks after our campaign
was launched Verizon informed
us that the ad would
no longer be aired. I explained my reasons for doing
the campaign in my column
Why I Launched the Campaign Against Verizon's Anti-Father
Ad (Pasadena Star-News & Affiliated Papers,
11/18/04).
The new Ford ad, which can be seen
here, is described by Slate as follows:
"A family drives through some gorgeous
hills and along a pretty coastline, making picturesque
stops at a roadside farm stand and a beach. 'The Ford
Freestyle crossover,' says the voiceover. 'More than
500 miles on a tank of gas.' Then the SUV pulls to a
stop in front of a housing complex, where the dad gets
out with his luggage. 'Thanks for inviting me this weekend,'
he says to the mom. He hugs his kids, they say their
goodbyes ('See you next week'), and the SUV drives off...
"The ad begins with ho-hum
familiarity. The stock shots of the smiling family;
the artfully filmed vehicle; the announcer's cheerful
pitch about fuel efficiency. We're waiting for the lease/buy
figures to pop up on screen when...BAM! With no warning,
we find ourselves in the grip of a stern domestic drama.
The music goes quiet. Dad gazes wistfully at mom, thanking
her for this time with his kids. Mom looks back with
wet eyes, barely able to muster a reply. The camera
pulls out and we see Dad standing alone, with his sad
little duffel bag, in front of what one reader termed
the 'Recent Divorce Condo Complex.'"
One reader wrote "The bottom line is
that it makes the fact that Dad gets the kids every
other weekend OK and he should be grateful for anything
else that he gets that is parceled out according to
the mother's wishes. It treats as normal the fact that
the father is a second class parent."
Perhaps, but I can't help but wonder
how Ford could have made a divorced dad commercial without
angering many in the fathers' rights movement.
If the ad had portrayed a shared parenting
arrangement instead of an every other weekend dad, our
side would complain that Ford is papering over the oppression
of divorced dads by pretending that shared parenting
is standard.
If Ford had made a commercial where
it was the mother who was left behind, our side would
be angry because it shows a victimized woman when, in
this context, it's usually men who are victimized.
If the dad hadn't appeared cheerful
and "grateful," our side would say that Ford is portraying
divorced dads as angry, bitter men.
Some are angered that dad was dropped
off in front of the sad 'Recent Divorce Condo Complex,'
but if he had been dropped off at a big house then we'd
accuse Ford of perpetuating the rich divorced dad/Porsche/trophy
wife stereotype.
I can't see how Ford could have approached
this much better than they did. And when television
doesn't show divorced dads or pretends they don't exist,
we complain that our culture makes divorced dads invisible.
My conclusion? I'm not crazy about the commercial, but
I don't see it as something that merits launching a
protest.
One of my readers sent me an interesting
letter about the ad:
"Personally, I thought the ad was bold
and innovative. It portrays a post-divorce husband and
wife who are working together to provide a normal life
for their children.
"Ford's ad suggests that divorce, while difficult for
all concerned, doesn't need to mean an end to co-parenting.
By his presence, the ad suggests that although divorced,
he is still important enough in his kids lives for his
ex-wife to overcome whatever rancor she no doubt felt
towards him, and invite him along. You want shared-parenting?
Sometimes that's what shared-parenting looks like.
"She COULD have invited 'the new daddy,' you know..."
He makes some good points.
Michigan Family Law Official Calls Glenn a 'Moron'
Apparently dad-bashing child support hardliner Dean
Winnie of the 30th Circuit Court Family Division in
Ingham County in Michigan is full of love for me. According
to a Dads of Michigan member, at a recent lunch meeting
he blasted me for being a "moron reporter" who felt
sorry for "deadbeat dads." Read a short account of the
lunch meeting
here.
Winnie is a supporter of Michigan Attorney General
Michael Cox, who has taken numerous punitive measures
against noncustodial fathers. I've criticized Cox on
many occasions. In early 2004 Cox launched a billboard
campaign which featured a large pair of handcuffs, and
boasted of jail time for fathers struggling with child
support obligations. We did two
His Side with Glenn Sacks shows on it--to listen,
go to
Michigan Fathers Under Siege (3/7/04) and
Showdown in Motown: Michigan Dads vs. Leader of ACES
(4/18/04).
That fall Cox announced an even more misguided and
asinine billboard campaign--a contest wherein children
would draw billboard designs critical of noncustodial
fathers who have allegedly not paid child support. Fox
News quoted me on the subject as follows:
"Custodial mothers are encouraged to coach their
children to make designs critical of noncustodial parents
behind on child support. And it doesn't take much imagination
to figure out which noncustodial father many mothers
will be encouraging their children to denounce."
I and others launched a
Campaign to Help Michigan Activists Defeat Anti-Father
Billboard Contest, and the Michigan activists did
an excellent job protesting Cox's campaign. Cox pulled
the contest in response to the protests. To listen to
my radio call to action on the issue, click
here To read it, click
here.
I did two
His Side with Glenn Sacks shows on the issue--see
Michigan's Top Cop Tells Kids: Denounce Your Daddy
(10/3/04) and
Fathers Targeted by Cox Speak Out (10/10/04).
Help for Seattle Fathers
The Law Offices of O. Yale Lewis III
is a one-person law firm that focuses
on customer care. Mr. Lewis can help
you identify and focus on the outcome
that you want and implement the steps
necessary to get there.
www.yalelewislaw.com.
Help for California Divorced Dads
The Divorced Fathers Network helps dads
in Los Angeles, the Bay Area and Santa
Cruz. Local chapters sponsor free weekly
co-parenting classes, individual mentoring
for fathers and much more.
www.divorcedfathers.com.
The Secrets of Happily Married Men
How can a man achieve a long and happy
marriage? If you've been checking out
advice columns or seeing a therapist,
you may have been looking in the wrong
place. Despite all the advances in brain
technology, and all of that we have
learned about developmental psychology--men
and women are given the same advice
about solving problems. But when we
ask men what works for them, we hear
a different story.
www.SecretsofMarriedMen.com
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The North Dakota Shared Parenting Initiative
There were two more good articles about the North Dakota
Shared Parenting Initiative last week--Wendy McElroy's
North Dakota Debates Shared Parenting Law (Fox
News, 8/29/06) and
Dave Usher's
Trust Parents, Not the System (Men's News Daily,
8/22/06).
Both authors question the legality and propriety
of state and federal officials openly campaigning against
the Initiative. The campaigning is also revealing as
to how the government bureaucracies gain from the sole
custody norm. Usher writes that, for these officials,
"the only thing that matters is maximizing federal income
to the state, even if it means senselessly destroying
the lives of children and, indeed, fatherhood itself...[HHS
Executive Director Carol Olson] cares only about maximizing
federal revenues, pretending that decreases in state
expenditures [and correspondingly federal entitlements]
somehow represent a 'loss' to the state."
To learn more about the events in North Dakota, see
ACFC's North Dakota Shared Parenting Battle Heats Up.
AlterNet Controversy Over Leving/Sacks Piece
Our AlterNet debate over reproductive rights
last month drew so many reader comments that AlterNet
Associate Editor Laura Barcella wrote a whole separate
piece--Birth
Control and 'Men's Rights'--on the controversy.
Family law attorney Jeff Leving and I had squared off
against feminist columnist Kai Ma--our column was
Respect a Man's Choice, Too, Ma's was
The Difference Between a Womb and a Wallet. Our
column was the 3rd most read on AlterNet that
week.
Barcella's article doesn't give much space or chance
to our side of the issue, and she dismisses many of
our side's viewpoints as "tired anti-feminist ideas,"
etc. She also put men's rights in quotation marks. However,
I do try to be positive when I can, so, to Barcella's
credit, while she misspelled my co-author Jeff Leving's
name all three times, she did manage to spell mine correctly
two out of three times...
I Get Letters Like This All the Time
The Associated Press story
Police: De Queen woman slaps self, tells cops that husband
did it sounds like something out of my email box:
"DE QUEEN, Ark. Police at De Queen say a woman slapped
herself several times in an effort to fake injuries
from domestic abuse after she had stabbed her husband.
But the effort didn't prevent police from arresting
Dorris J- Holcombe on a charge of second-degree domestic
battery.
"The 41-year-old Holcombe pleaded not guilty to the
charge in Sevier (suh-VEER') County Circuit Court. Her
38-year-old husband Gary said his wife beat herself
in the face after he called police to report she had
stabbed him on August Tenth.
"Deputy Cameron Petross said Gary Holcombe suffered
a minor cut in his chest. A police report filed in the
case said the couple's landlord saw Dorris Holcombe
slapping herself.
"Police said that, while in the back of the patrol car
following her arrest, Dorris Holcombe started hitting
her head on the restraining cage, causing a small cut
near her right eye."
If it weren't for the witness, and had the woman
behaved herself in the patrol car, the scam probably
would have worked...
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In Defense of the National Organization for Women
Obviously I'm a frequent critic of the
National Organization for Women. A few examples
include:
NOW at 40: Group's Opposition to Shared Parenting Contradicts
Its Goal of Gender Equality (New York Daily News,
7/27/06);
Alito and the Rights of Men (Los Angeles Times,
11/1/05);
HB 5267 Will Help Michigan's Children of Divorce
(Lansing State Journal, 5/28/06);
California NOW Takes Stand Against Working Mothers
(Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 2/23/04);
New California Move-Away Law Hurts Children of Divorce
(Long Beach Press Telegram, 10/18/03);
Fathers Bear the Brunt of Gender Bias in Family Courts
(Insight magazine, 8/19/02);
and Why Are There so Many Women in the Fathers' Movement?
(Minneapolis Star-Tribune, 6/21/02).
However, though NOW is often wrong, it doesn't mean
that they're always wrong, and it certainly doesn't
mean they're responsible for every damn thing which
is wrong in the world of gender relations. NOW is often
scapegoated, and is the target of incessant stupid criticism
from both men's activists and conservatives. On
His Side with Glenn Sacks I once explained:
"Over the past three decades women and feminists
have locked men into endless double-binds, where whatever
men do, they're wrong. However, on a much smaller scale,
men's activists have begun to lock women into double
binds, too.
"For example, when groups such as the National Organization
for Women oppose the war in Iraq, we accuse them of
betraying the men who are abroad putting their lives
on the line for our country. Yet when women support
military action (like the war hawk columnist/talk show
host Tammy Bruce) we say 'yes, you want to send all
the men off to die and women don't even have to register
for the draft!'
"When women want a larger role in the military, we point
to biological gender differences and say women will
screw up the military. When they don't, we talk about
how unfair it is that only men get drafted.
"When a mother pursues her career, some MRAs blame her
for putting her self-fulfillment above her kids. Yet
if she doesn't work, she's condemned for burdening her
husband and not pulling her weight.
"Many, such as radio talk show host Tom Leykis, condemn
women for grinding out children they and their husbands
can't afford. Yet they are the first ones to call a
woman who looks for a high-earning man a 'gold-digger.'
And the guy who blames feminists for the loose sexual
morality and mores of modern society is the first guy
to condemn the woman who won't put out."
One example of this incessant stupid criticism is
political commentator
Carol Liebau's recent criticism of NOW on the Independent
Women's Forum blog. In the blog entry
"Misplaced Outrage" Liebau writes:
"The New York Times runs
a blood-chilling piece on the disregard for human
rights--and brutal mistreatment of women -- that's taking
place in Chechnya.
"So what do the American feminists have to say?
Typically, NOW has chosen instead to focus on the
really important things...like complaining that
Plan B's placement behind pharmacy counters may mean
that a woman seeking emergency contraception must endure
'a moralizing lecture from the cashier or pharmacy clerk.'
Oh, the horror."
A few points:
1) As far as I can tell, NOW's position that Emergency
Contraception should be available over-the-counter is
correct. NOW President Kim Gandy's statement on it is
here.
2) More importantly, what on earth does one issue
have to do with the other? NOW wasn't immediately on
top of the Chechnya story, so that means they're wrong
for taking a public position on Emergency Contraception
in the US? Because there's something else horrible going
on in the world, efforts to change the things which
we have the power to change are invalidated? NOW is
often criticized by men's activists and conservatives
this way, and while it's sometimes fair, it usually
strikes me as a cheap shot.
It also reminds me of some of the logic of critics
of my
Campaign Against 'Boys are Stupid' Products. I was
slammed in newspapers and on TV and radio because, after
all, "Boys are Stupid" products aren't the most important
thing on the planet, and there are other, more pressing
problems in the world. Gee, no kidding...
The best one was some guy who saw me on TV and told
me that I was wrong to use my radio show to attack the
"Boys are Stupid" T-shirts when there's so much hunger
in the world. I told him "You're right--you've got me.
I should've used my radio show to end world hunger instead."
Best Wishes,
Glenn Sacks
GlennSacks.com
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