The McCain/Fathers? Rights Incident (Part II)
In John McCain Testily Dismisses Fathers’ Rights at Iowa Town Hall Meeting–Video Available, I discussed the incident Friday when aspiring Republican presidential candidate John McCain contemptuously dismissed fathers’ concerns over family law at a mid-day town hall meeting in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Shared parenting activist Tony Taylor asked McCain if he “would be bold enough to address the issue of equal access to children for fathers that have gone through divorce,” and McCain testily replied, in essence, that he wasn’t going to do a damn thing. To learn more, click here.
What hasn’t been mentioned is that Taylor’s question was framed in the context of the rights of military parents. As I noted in my co-authored Veterans Day 2006 column Protect Deployed Parents’ Rights:
“Divorced or separated military parents often lose custody of their children–and sometimes permanently forfeit any meaningful role in their lives–simply because they have served their country. Many married parents deploy overseas, never suspecting that their parenthood essentially ended the day they left home.”
This is a major issue for deployed service personnel–I often receive letters from men in Iraq or Afghanistan who are losing their children or being put through the wringer by the child support system, and who are unable to defend themselves. There have been a few–but only a few–legislative efforts to solve this problem. To learn more, click here. It’s bad enough that McCain dismissed fathers’ concerns–it’s even worse that he dismissed the concerns of deployed fathers (and mothers). My column detailing deployed parents’ problems appears below.
Protect Deployed Parents’ Rights
By Jeffery M. Leving and Glenn Sacks
(Tucson Citizen, Trenton Times, Macon Telegraph and others, 11/11/06)
Â
Divorced or separated military parents often lose custody of their children–and sometimes permanently forfeit any meaningful role in their lives–simply because they have served their country. Many married parents deploy overseas, never suspecting that their parenthood essentially ended the day they left home.
The divorce rate in the Armed Forces has skyrocketed during the long deployments necessitated by the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The scenario is a common one–a marriage crumbles during a long separation, and the stateside military spouse moves to another state and files for divorce, knowing that he or she is virtually certain to gain custody through the divorce proceedings in the new state. Given service personnel’s limited ability to travel, the high cost of legal representation and travel, and the financial hardships created by child support and spousal support obligations, it is extremely difficult for the deployed parent to fight for his or her parental rights in the new state.
For example, in one highly-publicized California case, Gary S., a San Diego-based US Navy SEAL, was deployed to Afghanistan after the September 11 terrorist attacks, and served in the Tora Bora region as US forces attacked Taliban and Al Qaeda strongholds. While away, Gary’s little son was permanently moved out of the country, with the complicity of a California family court. The 19-year Navy veteran with an unblemished military record has seen his son only a few times since he returned from Afghanistan, and has been pushed near bankruptcy by legal fees and stiff child and spousal support obligations. (more…)
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Stumble It!
March 18th, 2007 at 5:57 pm
During election campaigns, politicians at least feign interest in the concerns of the people. It is telling that in this issue as in any Father’s rights issue there is a total lack of interest. McCain has a duty. Politicians pass laws and are supposed to monitor the results to see if they are effective, altering them if they are not. By refusing to address the question at all McCain sends a loud message about his willingness to serve the people. He doesn’t give a damn.
Imagine a kidnapping or a robbery taking place and a nearby policewoman refusing to take any action when someone draws it to her attention. Not even call it in to her dispatcher. Ah, well, that’s not too difficult to imagine is it.
McCain goes even further, saying that it is too difficult. He might break a nail pressing the call button. He claims it will inconvenience the other policewomen back at the station.
March 18th, 2007 at 8:41 pm
McCain is of the opinion that the vagina vote, give the privileged princesses all they want.
Maybe he is too ignorant to realise that one half of the population does not have a vagina and will determine his future.
Women are “liberal” supporters as its to their advantage in doing so. Look how Bush and his feminist “missus” betrayed all men.
March 18th, 2007 at 9:23 pm
The McCain Mutiny.
The Straight Talk Express has jumped the tracks!
The error that McCain makes is that he attributes his large vote totals in his Arizona Senate elections to genuine popularity for his RINO politics, and not to the failure of the Democrats to produce a candidate who can credibly address conservatives’ desire for smaller government, immigration control, and sane family law practice.
March 23rd, 2007 at 7:08 pm
If you get on John McCain’s website, under blog you cam ask Mr. McCain A question. I have allready asked him why he does not support fathers rights. All the readers should politely ask him the same. Then he may actually look at the problem seriously.