Obama/Biden: Escalating the War on Fathers and Families

http://mensnewsdaily.com/2008/08/24/...-and-families/

Gordon E. Finley, Ph.D.

Obama/Biden: Escalating the War on Fathers and Families
2008-08-24

Tragically - but true to the radical feminist agenda - the Obama/Biden
Democratic ticket portends an escalating war on boys, men, fathers, and
families. On Father's Day 2008, Sen. Obama could have spoken on any number
of topics. His choice was to castigate African-American fathers and blame
fathers, and fathers alone, for the ills of the African-American family.

He called upon African-American fathers to be more involved in their
children's lives (certainly a worthwhile call) but he also castigated them
for failing to endorse "responsible fatherhood" which essentially means
signing up for 18 years of overly highly calculated child support.
Economists understand, but Sen. Obama ideologically overlooks, the reality
that child support currently is calculated at a level far above what the
majority of fathers - including poor and unemployed fathers - actually are
capable of paying or that children require (see W. S. Comanor, The law and
economics of child support payments, 2004).

So, what then does Sen. Biden bring to the ticket? Sen. Biden brings the
divisive Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) which he originated, expanded,
and vigorously supported in subsequent years. Unfortunately, substantial
evidence now indicates that VAWA not only fails to protect women from
domestic violence but in many cases increases their risk of harm and
contains much fraud. What VAWA does best, however, is squander billions of
taxpayer dollars annually to finance the war on fathers and families.

As promoted by divorce lawyers (see The American Bar Association's position
on Domestic Violence at www.mediaradar.org) and domestic violence shelter
operators, mothers are advised that the surest path to fortune and child
custody is to obtain a restraining order through VAWA by telling a judge
that they are "afraid" of their husband. No physical evidence of violence or
abuse is required, only her claim of "fear." Based on this "evidence,"
judges routinely and immediately grant ex-parte temporary restraining orders
against husbands.

With the restraining order in hand, Sen. Biden's VAWA removes the father
from his home at any hour of the day or night, separates him from his
children, requires him to stay away from his wife, and immediately orders
him to begin paying child support to his wife based only on her
self-reported "fear." VAWA explicitly denies the father his Constitutionally
guaranteed due process protections. Children explicitly are denied the love
and companionship of fit fathers. In short, the feminist objective of
destroying family life is achieved and the only real beneficiaries are the
lawyers.

While Sen. Biden's contribution to the war on fathers and families is clear,
much remains to be learned about Sen. Obama and his attitudes towards
fathers and families. The problem is that Sen. Obama's book Dreams from My
Father and material emanating in the media and on the web differ very
substantially from one another.

In closing, and of critical importance for the balance of the presidential
race, it must be noted that "change" was the seminal issue which propelled
Sen. Obama from obscurity to the Democratic Nomination. Is it then not fair
to ask- after three decades in the Senate - where voters are going to find
"change" in Sen. Biden? And, above all else, what does Obama's selection of
Sen. Biden portend for his future appointments and the future of the
American family?

Gordon E. Finley, Ph.D. is Professor of Psychology at Florida International
University in Miami.