excerpt:

“We’ve seen the impact that fathers make on a child’s life. In the past, it had been the idea that the father is the breadwinner, and the mother stayed home and took care of the kids. That thinking has changed,” said Larry L. Klinger, who oversees family and community programs for the intermediate unit. “Changing a thought process is one barrier.”

Institutions such as courts and schools have been slow to adjust and still often treat fathers as second-class citizens, dads and advocates say. That can be a decimating experience, both financially and mentally, said Thomas Tessaro of Franklin Park, a board member with the Pittsburgh chapter of the National Congress for Fathers and Children.

He frequently gets calls from fathers desperate for help, he said. Divorce lawyers often push ex-wives to pursue unnecessary protection-from-abuse orders just for leverage in custody battles, and decades of stereotyping often lead people to be unfairly leery of fathers, he said.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/today/s_599223.html

To some people John Murtari is a deadbeat parent. Others see him as a good parent and man of faith. Graduating Cum Laude from the Air Force Academy with a degree in Astronautical Engineering, Murtari went on to Pilot Training and became an Instructor Pilot. Divorced with one son, he now owns a small internet company and serves as a Lector at St. Michael’s, his local Church.

Murtari was arrested in front of his home in Lyons on Monday night for an unpaid traffic ticket. Police used pepper spray when Murtari began passive resistance. Murtari is the founder of akidsright.org, a parents group that advocates for a Federal Family Rights Act. He says the law is unjust and plans on continuing to be passive while incarcerated.

In an affidavit for the court Murtari wrote, “The backdoor connection between Child Support payments and driving is a violation of individual rights to due process. Family Court Support proceedings operate with reduced levels of proof and evidence. I now face numerous criminal charges with no real means of defense. If my license had been suspended due to DWI, speeding, or other traffic violations I would have been protected during those proceedings by strict rules of evidence and a strong burden of proof.”

Two years ago Murtari also passively resisted arrest and went 10 days without food or water before he was given a feeding tube by his jailers. Murtari appeared in court yesterday looking drawn and tired. Members of the Equal Parents for Children group in Rochester observed the hearing and said he didn’t look well. Today is Murtari’s third day without food or water.

Laurie Reilly Radio Show, John Murtari Interview, Sept 10, 06

news10now, John Murtari In Jail Interview, 2006

John Murtari was arrested last night in front of his home. Police
officers were there waiting for him. The arrest was in repsponse
to his unpaid traffic ticket.

John was polite with the officers, but he remained passive. They
ended up having to use pepper spray on him. For some reason his
car was towed away. He is being held in the Wayne County Jail
and has a court appearance tomorrow morning at 8:30 a.m.

As he did several years ago, John will be non-cooperating with the
unjust sentence by remaining passive and not following jail orders
while in captivity. He will not voluntarily eat or drink, but expects
the State to completely take care of him by tube feeding (as happened
two years ago). He does not want to hurt himself and this is NOT a
hunger-strike.

For more details see and updates:
http://www.AKidsRight.Org/support/traffic_jm.htm

Teri Stoddard will be coordinating our response, please contact her
if you can help: teri.sharedparentingworks@gmail.com

You are also welcome to call/write these officials on his behalf.m

* DA Richard Healey , Hall of Justice, Suite 202, Lyons, NY 14489
(Phone: 315-946-5905 / Fax: 315-946-5911)

* Mr. Richard Wunder, Ass. District Attorney, 54 Broad St. Lyons, NY 14489
(Phone: 315-946-5905 / Fax: 315-946-5911)

* New York State Assemblyman Robert Oaks, 10 Leach Road, Lyons, NY 14489
(Phone: 315-946-5166 / Fax: 315-946-5229)

* Judge Nicholas Forgione, 79 William St., Lyons, NY 14489
(Phone: 315-946-1204)

The State of Minnesota is considering whether in divorce cases, joint physical custody should be the starting point. This reflects a significant change in the thinking about what’s best for children after a divorce.

Back in the 1970s, mothers usually got custody. Joint custody was a strange experiment. Thirty years later, one family looks back on their experience.

Three decades later, dad and daughter reflect on joint custody
by Sasha Aslanian, Minnesota Public Radio
October 27, 2008

St. Paul, Minn. — Molly Brom made the newspaper at age 6. Her father, John Bujon saved a copy. The yellowed Family Living section of the Minneapolis Tribune is headlined “After Marriage Break-up, Children Can Still Live with Two Parents.”

Sitting in her father’s home near Lake Harriet in Minneapolis, Molly Brom is 36 now. Blond curls still frame her face, though now she wears a pair of brown rectangular glasses.

Brom and her dad have agreed to talk about their foray into joint custody in the 1970s. Her mom died in 1994 from cancer. more from MPR

FREE WEBINAR: THE IMPACT OF DIVORCE ON KIDS
Wed, Oct 22,12:30-2pm EDT

Host: the National Healthy Marriage Resource Center (NHMRC)

Presenters: Paul Amato and Robin Deutsch on the latest research on how divorce is affecting child well-being, including academic achievement, social functioning, and mental health status. The webinar will provide information on the differing outcomes of divorce on children coming from low-conflict and high-conflict homes and discuss what parents and marriage educators can do to help reduce the negative impacts. The webinar is open to anyone interested in learning more about the topic.

A Webinar is a seminar presentation that allows you to simultaneously listen to (on the phone) and watch the presentations (on your computer).

Joining the webinar is a two step process - first link on via your computer and then call in to listen on your phone.

1. Use this link to log on:
https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/gc_min_pro_usa/join?id=NHMRC&role=attend&pw=nhmrc01

2. After you have signed on on your computer, call: 800- 747-0365. An operator will ask you a few questions and then add you to the conference call.

It is recommended that you sign on 10-15 minutes in advance of the Webinar.

To listen ONLY: Skip the computer log-in and simply dial: 1-800-747-0365
An operator will ask you a few questions and connect you to the call.

The complete, combined audio/video recording and all presentation materials will also be posted on the NHMRC website, 7-9 days after the Webinar at http://www.healthymarriageinfo.org

If you have questions, contact Stephanie Wofford at info@healthymarriageinfo.org.

October 14, 2008, SACRAMENTO, CA

APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of Sacramento

“We find the gender-based classifications in the challenged statutes that provide programs for victims of domestic violence violate equal protection. We find male victims of domestic violence are similarly situated to female victims for purposes of the statutory programs and no compelling state interest justifies the gender classification. We reform the affected statutes by invalidating the exemption of males and extending the statutory benefits to men, whom the Legislature improperly excluded.”

more…

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100008_01/10/2008_100943

A new draft bill, to be submitted in Parliament this week, foresees a swifter process for issuing divorces, provisions to promote the joint custody of children when a couple divorces and the simplification of the state adoption system.

The brainchild of Justice Minister Sotiris Hatzigakis, the bill also proposes a controversial cohabitation provision that would grant heterosexual couples living together the same rights as married couples.

If the bill is approved, married couples who file for divorce will have to wait only two years for the decision to be made final, compared to four years now.

Another significant aspect of the bill is geared toward protecting the children of couples seeking divorce by proposing that custody of the children be shared by the two parents, unless a court deems that there is “significant reason” for just one parent to assume responsibility. The bill contains a long list of possible reasons for such an arrangement, including the indifference of one parent, displayed through their failure to see the child regularly or live up to their financial responsibilities, and attempts by one parent to stop the other from seeing the child.

The same bill also seeks to facilitate those trying to adopt a child through the state system, a notoriously complex process that can take up to six years. The bill contains provisions aimed at reducing to a minimum each child’s stay at adoption homes.

Finally the reforms would give the rubber stamp to a proposed cohabitation law. The law would allow unmarried couples to acquire all the tax, insurance and social benefits currently enjoyed only by married couples simply by signing a standard notary contract.

WASHINGTON, September 25, 2008 – Domestic Violence Awareness Month begins on Wednesday, October 1. That day a group of scholars, policy experts, and victim advocates will convene in Washington DC to assess whether the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), first passed in 1994, has met expectations that the law would curb intimate partner abuse.

Meeting at The Heritage Foundation, Phyllis Schlafly, Robert Rector, Elaine Donnelly, Stephen Baskerville, and others will present on a range of topics, including the impact of domestic violence policies on marriage, children, military readiness, and African-American communities.

The theme of the conference is “The Conflict between Federal Domestic Violence Policies and Traditional Family Values.”

Many believe federal domestic violence policies have fallen short. According to Angela Moore Parmley, PhD, of the Department of Justice, “We have no evidence to date that VAWA has led to a decrease in the overall levels of violence against women.”

Others believe domestic violence laws have given rise to false allegations of abuse and weakened families. Two weeks ago Wendy Flanders of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, was convicted of making 40 false claims of domestic violence and committing perjury.

The invitational meeting is co-sponsored by the Eagle Forum and RADAR Services. To attend, persons are invited to register at barbara@mediaradar.org. The conference schedule can be seen at: http://www.mediaradar.org/docs/RADARconf-2008-10-01.pdf.

This year the theme of Domestic Violence Awareness Month is “False Claims Hurt True Victims.” More information on the effects of VAWA can be found at http://www.mediaradar.org.

R.A.D.A.R. – Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting – is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of men and women working to improve the effectiveness of our nation’s approach to solving domestic violence. http://www.mediaradar.org.

Divorced Fathers Claim Gender Bias in Family Court
Private bill calls for changes to Canada’s Divorce Act
Aug 27, 2008

excerpt:

[U]niversity of British Columbia sociology professor Edward Kruk, Canada’s foremost expert on custody, says the removal of one parent from the life of the child is widespread. He calls the family court system “a national shame.”

“I don’t actually see this issue as one that only affects fathers because there are increasing numbers of mothers who are losing their children and children who are losing their mothers,” says Kruk. “I like to see it more from the child’s perspective because it is a form of child abuse to have a fit and loving parent forcefully removed by a court in the absence of any child protection concerns or issues.”

Numerous studies show that equal parenting is best for children and is actually desired by children themselves. Growing up fatherless can result in a host of problems, including depression, teenage pregnancy, delinquency, bullying, drug abuse and suicide.

Non-custodial fathers, too, are “a very at-risk group,” says Kruk, with homicides and suicides disproportionate to the rest of the population.

And while a 2007 survey by SES research found that 80 per cent of Canadians support equal parenting, Kruk says Canada currently has one of the highest removal rates in the world.

The divorce industry is booming in many western countries including Canada, where a contested divorce costs an average of $25,000, according to F4J. This is why, says Kruk, “there’s a very strong vested interest in maintaining the status quo on the part of the legal professionals.”

original Epoch Times article