Glenn’s E-Newsletter/Week in Review (11/25/08): 2 Action Items; DART Campaign Wrap-up
DART Campaign Wrap-up
As many of you know, the anti-father Dallas domestic violence bus ads we protested come down this week (11/30). While the ads remained up a few weeks longer than we desired, overall our campaign was very successful, and I am grateful that so many of you participated.
Among the campaign's achievements:
1) Widespread, positive media coverage which allowed us to educate the public on domestic violence and child abuse. Coverage included CNN, The Associated Press, FOX, CBS, hundreds of radio stations throughout the country, and many newspapers. This was particularly remarkable considering we launched the Campaign seven days before the presidential election.
2) To its credit, The Family Place, the prominent Dallas-area domestic violence service provider which placed the controversial ads on DART buses, backed away from the gender exclusivity which was previously prominent in their public materials. They changed several areas of their website to specifically include male victims, and issued a statement that "We are not a male-bashing organization. Our services support all victims—male and female, children and adults." Some examples are here and here. I commend them for this.
3) A sub-group of our protesters who I selected called over 50 of The Family Place's financial contributors to express our concerns about the ads. Most contributors said they sympathized with us, and many told us they thought the ads and the subsequent protest were an embarrassment to The Family Place. Many contacted Family Place Executive Director Paige Flink with their concerns.
Several of The Family Place's financial contributors withdrew or reduced the financial gifts they planned for the end-of-the-year giving season. I don't say this with pleasure--I would have preferred that The Family Place do the right thing from the beginning rather than lose the funding.
4) Father-bashing is so prevalent in the media today because there is little political cost to be paid for doing it. We launched the campaign in part because we wanted to show that there is a political cost to demeaning fathers, and in that regard we more than succeeded.
5) We compiled an impressive endorsers list which included some of the world's leading authorities on domestic violence, as well as many other experts, media figures, and prominent citizens.
6) Our efforts generated 10,000 calls, letters, and faxes.
7) Our contingent was gender-balanced, including many women who opposed anti-father stereotyping and the ads' noxious message to boys.
One of the Dallas journalists who covered the campaign told me "You guys got 98% of what you wanted." I think 98% is a little high, but we certainly did well. Both I and Fathers & Families--my partner in the DART campaign--again thank all who participated.
Campaigns cost money--to make a tax-deductible contribution to help defray our costs and do more protest campaigns in the future, click here.
All blog posts and updates on the DART campaign can be seen here.
Action Item #1: Tell Obama & the Democrats to Embrace Shared Parenting & Reform Divorce
Recently victorious Democratic Party presidential candidate Barack Obama asked people for their input on what his new administration's priorities should be.
The National Organization for Women and other feminist groups who have Obama's ear have sent out Action Alerts asking their members to urge Obama to adopt their agendas.
The Fatherhood Movement does not have Obama's ear and won't anytime soon, but we should still urge Obama and the Democrats to embrace Shared Parenting. To do so, click here.
Obama wrote:
There is no more important resource for changing the direction of this country and defining the ideas that will transform America than the American people. Tell us your ideas and be part of the change you're looking for.
The page is here--I suggest you click the buttons "Family" and "Civil Rights."
To learn more, click here.
Action Item #2: Tell RNC Chairman Duncan, Republican Party to Embrace Shared Parenting
Recently Robert M. "Mike" Duncan, Chairman of the Republican National Committee, sent out an email asking for "your input and your ideas" on how the GOP can recover from its November electoral defeat and "improve moving forward."
The most obvious answer to this is that the Republicans need to embrace shared parenting and family law reform.
To tell the RNC to embrace Shared Parenting, click here. Feel free to post what you told the RNC in the comments section of www.glennsacks.com. Please remember to be polite and credible.
To learn more, click here.
Some of the other issues I'm covering this week include:
A Typical Custody Battle, but With a Twist
A Touching Father-Daughter Scene in 'Spiderman 3' (Video)
'It's crazy--you have to convince the judge that you should be allowed time with your own children'
Follow-up on 'Teacher Forces 'Only Friend the Five-Year-Old Ever Made' to Denounce Him Publicly'
The Feminist Dissident: The Evolution of a Feminist
Tyra Banks Show survey finds that half of teen girls acknowledge they’ve hit someone
Woman accused of raping, keeping teen niece as slave let out on small bail
Wave of Japanese Mothers Killing Their Kids--Guess Who's Fault It Is?
Police Use Taser on Pallbearer at His Father's Funeral After Questionable DV Accusation
Dad Takes Dramatic Action to Protect Crippled 5-Year-Old Daughter (Video)
16-Year-Old Girl Drafted by Pro Baseball Team
Obama Admonishes Young Black Men: 'Brothers should pull up their pants...your underwear is showing'
An Exception to the Rule--Reporter Does Fair, Honest Job Reporting on 'Deadbeat Dads'
Reese Witherspoon's Admirable Post-Divorce Behavior
Outrageous Injustice: Man Jailed 4 Times over Failing to Support Someone Else's Kid
The Dumbest Obama-Bashing I've Heard Yet--with a Dose of Anti-Semitism, Too
To comment on what I've written or to join the lively discussion on my website, simply click on the "comments" link below each blog post on my website.
(To avoid the previous confusion, comments on the E-Newsletter itself are disabled--please comment on the individual blog posts themselves.)
Best Wishes,
Glenn Sacks
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