Posted on 08/27/2003 4:20:35 PM PDT by DaveRWH
In the last two weeks, more than 60 family court offices in Britain received hoax bombs that were apparently sent by fathers' rights extremists: perhaps by one individual.
The issue of fathers' rights in the U.K. may be entering a more violent phase. If so, this should act as a cautionary tale for North America.
No one was injured by the "bombs" but Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Services were closed down, streets were cordoned off and businesses disrupted. More importantly, the "bombs" clearly threatened violence. An anti-terrorism team is investigating.
Violence is the worst possible "strategy" for anyone who seeks social reform. It is not only immoral and illegal, it is also counter-productive to the cause being advocated. The first time an innocent human being is injured, a movement using violence loses all moral credibility; it also creates a justified backlash of anger from the public and repression from authorities.
The abandonment of argument is one of the characteristics that distinguishes a revolutionary movement from one seeking reform. Reformers work to change a system of laws or attitudes, which means changing the hearts and minds of people. By contrast, revolutionaries have given up on the possibility of reform and, so, wish to sweep the system away -- a process that does not require consent. The distinction is captured in the difference in how Martin Luther King and the Black Panthers each approached black rights in the '60s.
A question confronts anyone who cares about family and children in our society: How do we prevent the fathers' rights movement in North America from becoming revolutionary? This question does not shift the blame for violence onto the shoulders of society. Those who initiate force are responsible for their criminal actions and no one should negotiate with someone who is threatening them. That is the point at which negotiation and reason end. Having stated this, however, it is productive to ask why people become frantic or enraged enough to use violence.
Child custody and visitation rights are becoming flashpoints in our society: Men are desperate to be a part of their children's lives. And, if they are non-abusive, such involvement should be the right of every parent, male or female. Moreover, children should grow up knowing both of their parents.
The problem usually arises through divorces in which no private agreement on child custody can be arranged and, so, the decision is left to the court. There is a growing trend toward joint physical custody -- with more than one in five divorces handling child custody in that manner -- but courts still overwhelmingly favor sole custody for the woman.
(Excerpt) Read more at dondodd.com ...
voilence is not the answer . someone should also tell this to the courts and the jailers .
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