Lets' Set a New Agenda

[POC]

>POC; please consider :

>Every bit helps but like efforts have been accomplished over
>many years by many individuals and groups and very little has
>been accomplished.

Consider that this issue was more than a huge rock, it was a mountain. Millions of dads were caught flat-footed, and lumped together will a very small percentage of dads and then labeled as dead-beats. But, in just the last couple of years, there have been victories. There have been unconstitutional rulings on child support. Iowa has passed equal parenting time legislation. California ex-governor, Gray Davis was repealed after he vetoed paternity fraud legislation. Since then CA has passed paternity fraud legislation. Joining CA has been Georgia, Maryland, Alabama and others. On Tuesday, 85% of Massachusetts voters voted in favor of a joint physical custody referendum. Yes, there is much to do. But, things were totally entrenched before. Now, there is some movement in our direction.


>In the absence of wrong-doing BS is a big part of the problem.
> Moreover you're ASKING for a response to a question that
>practically everybody will affirm.  

Geesh, now you're blaming me for structuring the quesiton in its proper conotation. Of course, they will agree. They are supposed to be shaking their heads yes before they respond. I don't care what their response is as long as I get to pick the question.

Ask yourself this, How assenine will they look if they negatively respond to the quesiton? Question 2, if affirmatively respond to the question, will the situation not be drastically improved?

[Kitty C.]

One comment I hear all the time is that two parents who are at each other's throats cannot effectively co-parent 50/50.  I tell them exactly what I told Gov. Vilsack, in my letter urging him to sign HF22.  If those same two parents walk into court KNOWING that the kids will NOT be fought over, it takes all the animosity right out of the situation.  Because the current judicial system is the one who has created the adversarial atmosphere........where NONE should exist in the first place.  There should be no 'winners' or 'losers' in divorce, only a division of property, a plan to co-parent, and a dissolution of the marriage contract.

I honestly think that the real key here is taking out that adversarial atmosphere in the judicial process.  Then there is NOTHING to fight for and you're only going to court to do it legally, since the marriage contract is legally binding and you have to undo it legally as well.

Just my thoughts........

[StPaulieGirl]

While I am not in a position to do so at the moment, others can become active with their local party headquarters. Run for local office.  Sometimes babysteps can lead to better opportunities.

Imo, the first thing that needs to be done is to crack down on "no fault" divorce.  That will slow down the tide of people looking for greener pastures.  The next thing to do is to find a way to throw out corrupt judges and GAL's.  Incompetent attorneys should have their licences revoked.

I understand where you're going, but until we address the real problem in our society, nothing will change.  A country is nothing without family structure, and so the family structure has been systematically destroyed for the last 40 years.  I could write a post so long that your eyes would cross, so I won't.  

Speaking of the eGray Hooker, Free Republic and John and Ken from KFI (am 640) were instrumental in giving that bum the heave ho.  When Davis was running for reelection, I went to a couple of rallies with Free Republic, and my poster mentioned the paternity bill that Davis vetoed.  In Century City, the Secret Service guys were across the street, and were checking out my sign.  They were there protecting the Hilldabeast.

See?  That's what's wrong with our system.  Corrupt politicians who pander to the lowest common denomitor, which would be the Federal Government.  They seize your states tax dollars, then make you dance to their tune.  Want to try and fix that?

I don't want to be negative, but this is a huge task. Anyone who is able to, should try and run for local office in their town.  Quietly make your way up the ladder.  It's all I can think of.

[StPaulieGirl]

Excellent point!  Take the incentive away for the usual bitchery, and the kids win.  Have you thought about running for office?  See my post somewhere on this thread....

[Kitty C.]

No way.......I sound a LOT better on paper than I do in person.  And I have a tendency of bucking a conservative system in a rural backwater.  This past election, in our county, proved the 'good old boy' system is alive and well.  Just in our little hamlet alone (pop. 2300+), if the fire chief and his cronies are in favor of one certain candidate, others will follow the Pied Piper almost blindly........I've seen it happen over and over again.  And this is a family situation as well, where the chief position is literally handed down thru the generations.  No democracy here!

And with me in our volunteer EMS unit (our pres. is nephew to the chief) and having to work with these guys all the time, it makes it tense at times.   Let's just say that I don't see that town getting a female firefighter, not in my lifetime and I doubt in DS's either.

BUT, I have made the rounds of the state reps.  I haven't been able to verify if my state rep. won his election, but he has already promised me that if I and/or others can come up with a prospective child-friendly bill, he would support it and do his best to sell it to the other reps.

Unfortunately, we also need the judges to uphold those laws and get society to think differently about it.  A LONG row to hoe.........

[MYSONSDAD]

Illinois, same as my son

[MYSONSDAD]

I could not agree more, Kitty. Taking the fight out of it makes it easier on the kids. Their not put in the middle. I also think the divorce rate would come down. Make things equal from the get go.....Would make parents stop and think before they decide to pack up and leave.

"Children learn what they live"

[Kitty C.]

You have to start at the core, the root of the problem.  Anything else is just a band-aid, a temp. fix with no perm. solution and open to change on a whim by whomever is in the decision-making position, whether it be a lawmaker, judge, atty. or some other professional.

[StPaulieGirl]

I'm the same way.  You're one up on me, regarding  contacting your state reps.  Someday I'd like to run for local office, but that would primarily focus on bringing jobs to the Victor Valley.  I think once you have your foot in the door, you can talk to people who can bring the changes we want.

It would be nice to have bi-partisan support for proposed measures.  After all, you're a Democrat, and I'm a Republican :)

[Kitty C.]

I think the reason I hesitate is because I've watched and helped a friend run for the sheriff's office 3 times now, and lost again on Tues. to a newcomer.  The old guard finally is retiring after 28 years in office and they picked one of their own to run on the Rep. ticket.  I live in an EXTREMELY saturated Rep. county!

I've often thought about the school board, which could be a starting point, I guess.  It's getting that 'foot in the door' that's the hardest part.  For me and this community, it would be more like shoving a battering ram thru a door, LOL!  I think that's how hard I'd have to push to get in!