The Detroit News interviewed Beverly Morris, Founder of NANCM, and was told that there are over 4 MILLION Non-Custodial Mothers throughout the United States. This fact was not well-represented in the above referenced story, and I think for good reason. The reality is that the statements made by the opposition of equal rights for children to access both parents absent a strong reason to the contrary would have been obliterated with the exposed reality that all of these non-custodial mothers think that Equal Parenting should be the norm, not the exception.
The Court has no clothes and if you missed the live episode of Get Off The Bench last Wednesday, you can listen to it right here by clicking Play on the below player.
Spread the word and help make this year's events, like the Equal Parenting Bike Trek a success by posting the information to media sources around the nation! Let everyone know that this affects everyone! Together, MOTHERS, FATHERS, GRANDMOTHERS, GRANDFATHERS, AUNTS, UNCLES, AND COUSINS can all make a difference for our Nation's children and families.
UPDATE!!! The Equal Parenting Bike Trek will be received by the National DC FESTIVAL 2008 at Upper Senate Park in Washington DC on August 15 and 16 (2008)
Robert Pedersen is highlighted in this FRONT PAGE article covering the Equal Parenting Bike Trek and Equal Parenting in the State of Michigan. Read below the picture for links to participate in the discussion and to see one of the comments that I have left. Robert Pedersen also made a brief appearance on Sunday Night's Get Off The Bench which you can listen to by pressing play on the player below.
Robert Pedersen plans to ride his bike from Lansing to Washington D.C. with five other supporters of Equal Parenting. View more about Mr. Pedersen at www.daddyblogger.com
The Court has no clothes, and are completely exposed in this article and with the numerous commenters that have already participated. Don't be left out.
My comment: Equal is as Equal Does
I am a producer and host of an online talk show called "Get Off The
Bench" where we have men and women join in and tell us what they
experience in the family court system. Although it is a national show,
with participants spanning every state in the United States, we have a
great deal of participation from Michigan. When I read this article I
was thankful of Michigan largest newspaper covering the single most
important topic that is affecting our economy, our communities, and our
government.
"They have always had more time and money to lobby lawmakers, while
mothers tend to devote their time to raising the children, she said."
The above is factually untrue. It shows time and time again that one
of the key reasons that a single-parent fights is over control and
money, not the best interests of the children. (The type of conflict
caused by an adversarial system promotes the same conflict that likely
resulted in the separation of the parents.) Somehow policy got skewed
where the best interests of a single-parent is the best interests of
the child. The adverse is the truth, single-parent households are the
WORST for children.
Of all of the child abuse and neglect to occur against a child it is
first by a biological Mom's live-in male roommate and seconded by the
biological mom. Removing Dads or excluding Dads not only removes the
primary protector of the children from their lives, but also
unfortunately excludes all of the secondary protectors, including
grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Michigan ranks last in undistributed collected child support money,
so Michigan enjoys the current high-conflict legal system that pits
parent against parent. In fact, 56 Million Dollars were collected by
Michigan and not distributed. According to law, if they get away with
it for 1-year, Michigan keeps the money. On the other hand, Michigan
claims to have distributed just over 30 Million to actual needy
families. This is a horrible track record for our State.
Children should never be a source of income for our State or
conflicting parents. It produces incentive to fight instead of get
along. We have a situation now to correct many of the problems with the
family law system and it begins by reinstating the value of both
parents not undermine it. We will see our economy, communities, and
government prosper from only dabbling in cases that meet a threshold of
interference. It has been proven time and time again that government
was never meant to handle everything, only certain things. Let fit,
willing, and caring parents equally enjoy their children and focus on
those families that truly need help.
Several Michigan Fathers will be pedaling bycycles 758 miles from Lansing, Michigan to Washington, D.C. The event... known as the Equal Parenting Bike Trek. The purpose? To raise awareness that children need both parents. The 2007 Equal Parenting Bike Trek was a smashing success! Review the complete media coverage of last year's event. 2007 Equal Parenting Bike Trek - Pictures.
The 2008 Equal Parenting Bike Trek is already shaping up to be bigger and better than our 2007 event.
"A grueling 758 mile cycling trek to raise awareness of a child's fundamental right to be loved, guided, educated and nurtured equally by both fit and willing parents."
Five Michigan fathers will pedal their bicycles 758 miles from Lansing, MI to Washington, D.C.
Robb MacKenzie - Upper Penninsula of Michigan - US EPBT Founder - 2007 cyclist
Robert Pedersen - West Michigan - 2007 Runner-Up Winner in Best Life Magazine's National Hero Dad Contest, Co-Founder of A Child's Right - 2007 cyclist
Brian Downs, Esq. - Grand Rapids MI - Running for Judge in Kent County MI in 2008
Derek Bailey, MSW - Traverse City MI - American Indian. Founder of Dance4Equality
Mike Saxton - Lansing MI - Dads of Michigan
Michigan Advocates continue to progressively advance equal parenting into the mainstream political and media channels. Many of the Michigan family organizations have taken a stance that equal parenting should be the status quo for fit, willing, and caring parents without government interference.
"Blood Money" Collected by Barry County Friend of the Court
Phillip Wurm, West Michigan Regional Director of A Child's Right, is once again published by a Michigan newspaper. Phil's editorials are very well written and this is just one of the reasons why he has been published in over 40 newspapers throughout Michigan.
Think child custody evaluations are fair in Michigan? Think again!
ALL TAXPAYERS PAY MONEY TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WHICH IN TURN ARE USED TO PAY STATES AND FAMILY COURTS THIS LUCRATIVE INCENTIVE TO STRIP A CHILD AWAY FROM ONE OF THEIR FIT AND WILLING PARENTS.
Why do most people who have been through this system vote Libertarian? Government intrusion into our families has reached an all time high! Parents, and not attorneys and state governments, should decide what is best for their children. Ultimately the better you are able to get along with your ex, the better off your children will be. The divorce is difficult enough for children, so do not deny them the God given right to be loved, guided, nurtured and educated by both fit and willing parents. They will thank you for this someday.
Robert Pedersen & Rob Mackenzie are preparing to venture from the Michigan State Capitol Building all the way to Washington D.C. starting August 11th, 2007.
Robert Pedersen, Author of DaddyBlogger and Co-Founder of A Child's Right, at the Barry County Equal Parenting Symposium also caught discussing Equal Parenting with Pat McElligot, another loving father who also attended the event.
In the past couple of weeks The Original Daddy Blogger, Robert Pedersen (www.daddyblogger.com), has been heard on both "The Big Show" in Lansing on 1240 AM WJIM and on the News at 930 AM WBCK! Robert Pedersen has frequently been highlighted at this website many times and is Co-Founder of A Child's Right (www.achildsright.net). He is participating in the upcoming Bike Trek for Equal Parenting which can be found at the www.daddyblogger.com website.
Both Robert Pedersen and Pat McElligot are loving fathers of their children and avid advocates of shared equal parenting between fit, loving, caring parents where school schedules can be maintained. In summary, that is also our House Bill 4564 that can be viewed http://www.squidoo.com/hb4564 along with How Federal Funding Stands partially in the way at http://www.squidoo.com/laryholland.
