Status on Men calls for equality

If you want to read the Commision's report..
http://www.nh.gov/csm/downloads/nh_s...f_men_2005.pdf

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/1...news/75591.htm

Status on Men calls for equality

By Karen Dandurant


CONCORD - A recently released report indicates that women fare better than
men when it comes to acquiring state services.
The first biennial report by the N.H. Commission on the Status of Men says
women receive a better education and better health care, commit suicide less
often, and almost always fare better in the family court system.

The report also says men get a bad rap when it comes to reports of domestic
violence and are not considered equal to women in child-custody battles.

The commission has recommended that Gov. John Lynch issue a proclamation
declaring that both natural parents are of equal importance to their
children and for the courts to encourage both parents to share the rights
and responsibilities of raising children.

State Rep. David Bickford, R-New Durham, who sponsored the legislation that
formed the N.H. Commission on the Status of Men, said House Bill 529, which
demands that courts presume shared parental rights and responsibilities, has
been passed by the family law committee and may go to the Legislature this
January.

"HB 529 originally asked that custody cases go to the court with the
presumption that both parents have equal rights," Bickford said. "It has
been amended to say 'comparable,' but I think that solves the same purpose."

New Castle resident Michael J. Geanoulis is a member of the commission.
Reached by telephone, he said the part of the report that struck him most
surfaced during public testimony.

"I was surprised by the way men came forward to complain about how they are
treated in family court," Geanoulis said. "They comprised about 80 to 90
percent of the public input."

Geanoulis said the commission found a lot of children don't have their
biological fathers' names on their birth certificates.

"I think we could take a step closer to making a legislative charge to bring
fathers and children closer together by making sure biological fathers are
on birth certificates," Geanoulis said. "I would like to get a program going
to (use) public-service announcements to promote the importance of fathers
in children's lives."

The N.H. Commission on the Status of Men also recommends encouraging more
male teachers and educational programs targeted toward boys.

Citing programs and research funding for breast cancer in women and prostate
cancer in men, the report indicates there is a great disparity between the
amount spent on women's care and on men's. The report recommends that equal
funds be applied to both genders' health care.

"I first offered legislation on the status of fatherhood in recognition that
there were serious problems," said Dr. Joseph Mastromarino, who chairs the
commission. "It was soundly defeated in 1997, because we don't have a
commission on motherhood. It was suggested to make it the Status of Men
because we have one for the Status of Women. I found other issues -
education, health - and added them into (the) fatherhood issue and went
forward.

"This was a big joke to our predominantly male Legislature until I presented
the facts. Men are dying 10 years earlier. Prostate cancer is not being
addressed and is as prevalent in men as breast cancer is in women. We have
no statute on men's health, but have one for women."

Mastromarino said people should examine issues critically instead of
accepting what they hear as fact.

"Every year, we hear the Super Bowl is the day for the most domestic
violence," Mastromarino said. "The report came out of Detroit and within a
month of coming out, a local women's domestic-violence group admitted it was
pure fabrication in order to get advertising time during the Super Bowl ...
"

Mastromarino said UNH professor Maury Strauss did blind studies on domestic
violence, not knowing the gender of those polled.

"Later, when they broke the code, they found the correction rate - 55
percent men versus 45 percent women," he said.

Having served as an unfunded commission, the report also recommends it be
funded to continue work to educate and change policies toward parity between
men and women.
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Liberalism: that haunting fear that someone,
somewhere, can help themselves without
Government intervention.