Letters to the Editor – A Forum for Father's

“Debtors Prison is Alive…in America” 

My sympathy is going out to the mum who has been it appears separated from her youngsters and, because of unemployment because of incarceration, not able to pay criminal charges.   Concern for the youngsters must be sufficient to attract sympathy from the courts however, as I’ve come to comprehend firsthand, an establishment can also be dispassionate in such issues – even under the title of justice and such notions as “innocent until proven guilty”…   

Specifically in regards to the feedback of Wallace:  “There’s no such thing as debtor’s prison”, my letter is to tell the readership that there's…in America, jail for individuals who can not or haven't paid kid fortify.   Before you leap to conclusions, learn on…

Non-custodial oldsters – mostly men – are subjected to debtor’s prison because they have not or will not pay child support…and are in arrears.   Publicly portrayed as “Deadbeat Dads”, all these males have persisted a few stage of loss in the course of the bias and coverage of divorce courts:  so much males coming into a court docket (for divorce) are the defendants and, traditionally, shall be diminished to a non-custodial (if youngsters are concerned, after all); debtor’s jail places them in a Catch-22 the place employment is interrupted by way of incarceration and so forth.   

The tragedy of dropping your proper to be discern can also be crushing – as males are oldsters too.   Your rights are misplaced – now not as a result of any chance to your kids – however as a result of bias and coverage of the courts that regulates your visitation and strips any authority in your kids’s lives.   It is a tragedy of which I am individually conscious…as is my youngsters.    Consider that suicide amongst males is no less than seven occasions larger in submit-divorce…

No-fault divorce has been the impetus for the surge of the divorce fee in America and, even as divorce charges are down (so much not too long ago carried out to financial prerequisites), the wedding fee may be in decline.   Some say that marriage is a demise establishment; others say that divorce is by way of a ways the most important danger to marriage as an establishment. I imagine each to be actual.           

Speaking of establishments, our courts methods are essentially accountable (for this surge…).   Besides No-fault divorce, Child Support enforcement is some other federally sponsored gadget that imputes the non-custodial – stripped in their proper to be a discern – to monetary responsibilities that are sometimes untenable for purposes past their regulate.   

The bias and coverage of the so-referred to as gadget of justice has perpetuated divorce (and the death of the circle of relatives) thru unfair scales and a blindfold lifted for the wishes of the only over the desires of the numerous.    To finish a wedding for comfort is hardly ever lead to for the prices born by way of the youngsters; but, No-fault divorce incorporates the day…with Child Support ready within the wings as a benefit heart for the state.   One establishment is destroying the opposite establishment and the spine of a loose Democracy…     

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Regarding article on April twenty fifth, “Fatherless boys want function fashions to show them easy methods to be males” by way of Carol Hagan, Jacksonville, AL

“The Cry of the Fatherless…and the Fathers” 

Thank-you Carol for the submitted article on April twenty fifth.  I agree wholeheartedly that boys want male function fashions – and that the absence of fellows in households is correlated to delinquency and a complete host of different issues of our boys…and youngsters.   

I were a father, a step-father, a Big Brother, and a scout chief; but, in every and all of those instances, stay deeply occupied with the woes of the fatherless.    Recent reads by way of David Popenoe (Life with out Father) and David Blankenhorn (Fatherless America) were each enlightening and disheartening in relation to the value and severity of this social hindrance.  

What I could make of the hindrance is that there's extra at lead to than the willful abandonment or denial of fathers; however besides, a winning stigma and remedy of fatherhood.  

David Popenoe describes it in this fashion: 

• The culmination of many cultural, social, and financial developments…is a society             strangely unsupportive of fatherhood.  Indeed, if one had been in particular to  layout a tradition and a social gadget for the specific objective of undercutting   fatherhood and males’s contribution to the circle of relatives lifestyles, our present society may  be with reference to what may outcome. 

Similarly, David Blankenhorn signifies: 

• Men, on the whole, and fathers particularly, are more and more seen as superfluous to circle of relatives lifestyles:  both expendable or as a part of the issue. Masculinity itself…is usually handled with suspicion or even hostility in our cultural discourse.   

I come with those observations most effective to convey to gentle that the fatherless have suffered partly as a result of devaluing of fatherhood.   Whether in the course of the media, the courts or tradition, the erosion of the daddy has prepared the ground for the dilution of the circle of relatives – and the kid undergo the entire extra.  

Believe it our now not, there are fathers out-there that wish to be oldsters to their youngsters; however were diminished to one thing less as a result of mal-remedy and discrimination by way of the courts; and there are males who need to supply management and function modeling to youngsters – however are scared to loss of life of a few sick-conceived allegation or pretense that is bound imprisonment and perpetual profile.       

Fatherhood is an integral part of the normal circle of relatives, and males are wanted as function fashions to boys (and ladies); and our society is unfortunately lacking them each….Perhaps it’s time so as to add a line to the Pete Seeger tune:   “Where have all the fathers gone…” 

Perhaps it’s time so as to add a line to the Pete Seeger tune:   “Where have all the fathers gone…” 

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 “Unanimous Underwriting of Families Ties” 

 Much way to the House for balloting unanimously to fortify grandparents’ rights to be a “stabilizing force” to their grandchildren; possibly the Senate has (or will) percentage an equivalent stage of fervor in assisting the households of our state—to incorporate the ones broken by way of divorce.   

I should imagine that grandparents are deeply thankful for this piece of regulation, the “Paw Paw bill”—in mitigating the numerous terrible effects of marital dissolution.   I realize of grandparents (and clan) that experience had to simply accept the unlucky and unjustified lack of such relationships by way of affiliation to the non-custodial circle of relatives. 

In the vintage case observe, Judith Wallerstein describes the prospective instances for kids (Second Chances: Men, Women and Children a Decade after Divorce): 

• Children really feel excessive loneliness.  It amazes me how little fortify they get right now, even from grandparents.  Divorce is an acute, painful, lengthy-remembered revel in that youngsters should regularly negotiate with the feel that they're by myself on this planet (p.thirteen)

 In The Custody Revolution, Robert Warshak describes the as soon as-clan:  “Grandparents are the forgotten victims of modern divorces.”   (p.24) 

 Thanks once more for giving fortify to youngsters, grandmas and grandpas.  

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 “Who’s at Fault for Marriage Rights?” 

In her editorial, not anything is discussed of the rising devaluing of marriage on the whole.    In this as soon as-sacred sacrament of our society, who’s at fault?  Specifically, why is marriage a civil establishment whilst custom and historical past display it a non secular one?  

Is it greater than cash – a type of taxation…?

Since the 1970′s (the advent of No-fault divorce), marriage has been devaluing:  a covenant – and even a freelance – has given method to a courting of comfort.   Everyday, spouses and fogeys are dragged into courtroom for divorce towards their will or need.   No-fault has devalued marriage to the stage that such radical deviations as defined within the supply article can also be regarded as – even followed – into an establishment that has served loose society smartly in the course of the a while…steeped in faith.   

What of the youngsters – emotionally or paternally destitute by way of divorce?  The gadget that created No-fault lays declare to paintings of their absolute best passion towards the information of submit-divorce issues which can be overwhelmingly upper than in standard households.   If the gadget is operating is their absolute best passion, why are the youngsters being adversely suffering from the effects?    

The civil establishment doesn't recognize marriage, circle of relatives, or spiritual sacraments.  

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“Thanks for Program” 

I am grateful for this system to assist dads be “better fathers”. 

The remedy of imprisoning borrowers is a Catch-22 as a result of being in prison disables any possibility to fortify one’s youngsters and, because of this, establishes a cycle for which no resolution exists.   

Some would possibly not have in mind the genesis of a countrywide kid enforcement type; however briefly, the type used to be derived by way of an lawyer, Bob Williams, who has made thousands and thousands thru this trade project.   States that install this type download federal finances on kid fortify collections; therefore, kid fortify orders change into a part of state sales in a few share to that ordered and picked up as taxes.

If a dad is disparaged as a discern but is imputed with taxes, he reviews taxation with out illustration.   He would possibly earnestly wish to fortify his personal youngsters—now not as simply a debtor or paycheck, however as a dad or discern.    If dismembered from his youngsters thru an undesirable and unjustified divorce, he is of course broken—disowned from his offspring by way of the legislation and courts just because of gender.   

Any attending discern may fight with the painful situation of dropping youngsters thru such strategies, and any ardent citizen may fight with taxation with out illustration.   

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Regarding Leonard Pitts’ column, “Rand Paul…”

I suppose the item—or blast approximately “a blast…”—proves the purpose of why generalizations and establishments err.  Do all “social conservatives”, from the prior to the current, hang to racial prejudice?  Was Rand in point of fact speaking approximately racism…? 

Rand’s ideals hang to restricted govt (despite the fact that “tiny” could be excellent).  I suppose he holds to the ideals that exact duty (over institutional imposition) rendered freedom.  (In protecting with the Constitutional clause that all are created equivalent…).

The downside comes whilst an establishment imposes such “equality” most effective to perpetually create extra inequality; and even as reparations are worth, the outcome can by no means be enough for all who suffered—as justice can by no means be…whilst due procedure is the exception instead of the guideline.           

Where commonplace flooring are available is the easy reality that establishments can not shop us from the prior or the existing; subsequently, every person have to be accountable to select on the foundation of one thing greater than arbitrary legislation.  

“Freedom is not a gift received from the State or leader, but a possession to be won every day by the effort of each and the union of all.” – Albert Camus

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“Time for new…Corrections in Alabama”, Sue Bell Cobb,

With restricted wisdom at the overcrowded penal gadget (state and nationwide), I am happy the issue is being made extra public (ultimate week, the Jefferson county prison and, this week, the state’s gadget). The developments that experience lead our country to the top incarceration fee on this planet (in line with capita and in general inhabitants) must be regarding to everybody.  

As a naïve query, must “the obvious need of change” come with reform of the legislation?  Consider plea bargaining utilized in over ninety% of prison instances; the place the defendant isn't blameless till confirmed to blame (past an affordable doubt), however is arguably to blame as charged.  

In the plea cut price is the ambiguity of the jail gadget:  one of the most methods’ avid gamers win, or scale back prices, and a few lose; in particular, the courts and council win by way of proscribing the associated fee for conviction even as the jail gadget loses with overcrowding and inadequate budgets.  Justice or due procedure is of little attention.      

As a lot overcrowding has been attributed to the battle on medication, the similarity to precise wars is hanging:   the ever rising prices with the fake feel of safety, the stakeholders that win and the servants that lose, and the injustices that by no means finish.    

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