Posted on 08/24/2008 1:45:30 PM PDT by buccaneer81
Obama/Biden: Escalating the War on Fathers and Families
2008-08-24 at 8:21 am ·
Tragically — but true to the radical feminist agenda — the Obama/Biden Democratic ticket portends an escalating war on boys, men, fathers, and families. On Father’s Day 2008, Sen. Obama could have spoken on any number of topics. His choice was to castigate African-American fathers and blame fathers, and fathers alone, for the ills of the African-American family.
He called upon African-American fathers to be more involved in their children’s lives (certainly a worthwhile call) but he also castigated them for failing to endorse “responsible fatherhood” which essentially means signing up for 18 years of overly highly calculated child support. Economists understand, but Sen. Obama ideologically overlooks, the reality that child support currently is calculated at a level far above what the majority of fathers — including poor and unemployed fathers — actually are capable of paying or that children require (see W. S. Comanor, The law and economics of child support payments, 2004).
So, what then does Sen. Biden bring to the ticket? Sen. Biden brings the divisive Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) which he originated, expanded, and vigorously supported in subsequent years. Unfortunately, substantial evidence now indicates that VAWA not only fails to protect women from domestic violence but in many cases increases their risk of harm and contains much fraud. What VAWA does best, however, is squander billions of taxpayer dollars annually to finance the war on fathers and families.
As promoted by divorce lawyers (see The American Bar Association’s position on Domestic Violence at www.mediaradar.org) and domestic violence shelter operators, mothers are advised that the surest path to fortune and child custody is to obtain a restraining order through VAWA by telling a judge that they are “afraid” of their husband. No physical evidence of violence or abuse is required, only her claim of “fear.” Based on this “evidence,” judges routinely and immediately grant ex-parte temporary restraining orders against husbands.
With the restraining order in hand, Sen. Biden’s VAWA removes the father from his home at any hour of the day or night, separates him from his children, requires him to stay away from his wife, and immediately orders him to begin paying child support to his wife based only on her self-reported “fear.” VAWA explicitly denies the father his Constitutionally guaranteed due process protections. Children explicitly are denied the love and companionship of fit fathers. In short, the feminist objective of destroying family life is achieved and the only real beneficiaries are the lawyers.
While Sen. Biden’s contribution to the war on fathers and families is clear, much remains to be learned about Sen. Obama and his attitudes towards fathers and families. The problem is that Sen. Obama’s book Dreams from My Father and material emanating in the media and on the web differ very substantially from one another.
In closing, and of critical importance for the balance of the presidential race, it must be noted that “change” was the seminal issue which propelled Sen. Obama from obscurity to the Democratic Nomination. Is it then not fair to ask– after three decades in the Senate — where voters are going to find “change” in Sen. Biden? And, above all else, what does Obama’s selection of Sen. Biden portend for his future appointments and the future of the American family?
Gordon E. Finley, Ph.D. is Professor of Psychology at Florida International University in Miami.
personal ping
Honestly I detest Obama, but black men not paying their child support is a huge problem. I have no sympathy for people who act irresponsibly and father children (mostly out of wedlock) and then refuse to support them. This is the reason why crime runs rampant in black communities. The test scores of children from married black families are just about the same as the test scores of children from married white families.
Obama would be a terrible president, but I think he is dead-on whenever he speaks about black men needing to step up, even if it is just talk.
Forgot to mention that the real problem is not the lack of child support being paid, but the lack of fathers IN the houses, if that wasn’t obvious.
“This is the reason why crime runs rampant in black communities”
The breakdown of the family and victim mentality are why crime runs high in many predominately black communities.
Being poor does not cause crime. Lacking a stable family and moral teaching does.
I am wondering...When did it become required to bash fathers on Father’s Day?
My son and his wife live in Nebraska. They only want their family of four together and they have no issues with each other. But this war on fathers by the feminists have taken their children away and after four months wonder why these 23 year old parents are feeling suicidal. What’s a young mother, who’s purpose in life is her kids, to feel and do? Four months tolerating her kids under the direction of the state of Nebraska; they feel helpless.
My wife and I are the kids grandparents and are willing to provide custody. My son’s lawyer is telling him that he and his wife cannot even direct this. They have to surrender their custody and take the chance that the almighty state will send the kids to their grandparents.
Biden has done well.
I'm unclear how the presence of a criminal thug father is of great benefit to children. Please explain it to me.
What did I say that contradicts what you said?
I agree. It’s not a poor thing.
Married black people, regardless of income, raise better families than single people of any race, but certainly black mothers as well.
Agreed, but that's only part of the story. Some support orders are ridiculously high, and a job loss can put a father behind real quick. But many men want at least 50/50 custody, and that is almost always ignored. And the jailing of innocent men based on lies is a national scandal.
The biggest losers, in the end, are the kids.
St. Joseph, pray for us.
About the same time women started telling men off when men tried to hold a door open for them in public.
How can a father with multiple bastard children by multiple, often under age, mothers live with the children at home.
Which is worse, Morman polygamy where fathers live with their wives and children at home, or black urban society where they don’t.
American Society disallows the former but tolerates the latter.
Truth is not racism
I’m truly sorry for you and your family. I hope things turn out well.
Yet at the same time, more and more money is poured into social programs that make it more lucrative and more attractive for young parents NOT to be married. Married couples have their incomes counted together, making them ineligible for Medicaid/Medi-cal, food stamps, Section 8 housing, child care subsidies, and a good many other programs that make it more attractive for struggling young couples to stay unmarried. It is one of the reasons for the explosion of illegitimacy, especially among the lower class.
Those criminal thug fathers probably grew up without a dad in their home. They can stop the cycle if they want to.
There is also a lack of respect for Dads. One of my pet peeves is commercials that makes fathers look like idiots and moms run the house.
At the risk of sounding like a tin foil hat wearer, it’s all part of the long march of Marxism. Destroy the family, have the state take control of the children (just look at the schools) and dictate the living conditions of the masses. The ‘Rats have it down to a science; keep poor people down and dependent on government and call anyone who objects to their policies racists or elitists.
Sitcoms, too. Men's News Daily keeps track of advertisers who malign men and families.
“At the risk of sounding like a tin foil hat wearer, it’s all part of the long march of Marxism. Destroy the family, have the state take control of the children”
Not ‘tin foil hat’ at all.
I think what you are saying is pretty well established.
The nanny state is alive and well.
STE=Q
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.