Received: from beru.its.uow.edu.au ([130.130.68.31]) by anubis.ad.uow.edu.au with Microsoft SMTPSVC(6.0.3790.3959); Wed, 28 May 2008 00:21:35 +1000 Received: from febris-nat.its.uow.edu.au ([130.130.68.210] helo=febris.its.uow.edu.au) by beru.its.uow.edu.au with esmtp (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1K103T-0000Gd-5C for blane@uow.edu.au; Wed, 28 May 2008 00:21:35 +1000 Received: from ccm06.constantcontact.com (ccm06.constantcontact.com [63.251.135.98]) by febris.its.uow.edu.au (MOS 3.8.5-GA) with ESMTP id KWV16322; Wed, 28 May 2008 00:21:30 +1000 (EST) Received: from p1-ws103.ad.prodcc.net (unknown [10.250.0.101]) by ccm06.constantcontact.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8F4EAF2EE2; Tue, 27 May 2008 06:05:29 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: <885601481.1211882729594.JavaMail.ccwas@p1-ws103.ad.prodcc.net> Date: Tue, 27 May 2008 06:05:29 -0400 (EDT) From: Fatherhood Foundation Reply-To: info@fathersonline.org To: libertybm@bigpond.com, blane@uow.edu.au Subject: The Key to Happiness Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_Part_36467_126486410.1211882729581" X-Mailer: Roving Constant Contact 0 (http://www.constantcontact.com) X-Junkmail-Status: score=10/49, host=febris.its.uow.edu.au X-Junkmail-SD-Raw: score=unknown, refid=str=0001.0A09020B.483C18EE.0360:SCFSTAT1137939,ss=1,fgs=0, ip=63.251.135.98, so=2007-07-31 18:51:00, dmn=5.4.3/2008-02-01 Return-Path: ccbounce+info=fathersonline.org@in.constantcontact.com X-OriginalArrivalTime: 27 May 2008 14:21:35.0255 (UTC) FILETIME=[F7F5EA70:01C8C004] ------=_Part_36467_126486410.1211882729581 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Brian, This is the revised newsletter with amended date ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 26th May 2008 Inspiring Fathers Encouraging Families Issue 301 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Keys to Happiness ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dear Ron, Welcome to the Fatherhood Foundation newsletter and email information service for the fathers and families as we present the key to happiness. In This Issue Frontline...Children need a Father & Mother Laughter..Which shoes? Grandfathers...Children need love All You Need is Love..Healthy Marriage gives Healthy Person Single Dads...Continuing Bias against Men Special Feature...De Gendering Society News & Info..Dads4Kids Forum Dad's Prayer..What matters ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Next Week Gender Bias - True of False? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [http://visitor.constantcontact.com/email.jsp?m=1101938345415&id=preview] Join our Mailing List! [http://visitor.constantcontact.com/email.jsp?m=1101938345415&id=preview] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Quick Links Fatherhood Foundation [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=ah58qncab.0.0.horjkicab.0&ts=S0343&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fathersonline.org%2F&id=preview] Dads in Distress [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=ah58qncab.0.0.horjkicab.0&ts=S0343&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dadsindistress.asn.au%2F&id=preview] Men to Men [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=ah58qncab.0.0.horjkicab.0&ts=S0343&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mtmaustralia.org.au%2Fdefault.aspx&id=preview] Malachi Global [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=ah58qncab.0.0.horjkicab.0&ts=S0343&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.malachiglobal.org%2Fmalachi%2Fmalachi.html&id=preview] Choicez.com [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=ah58qncab.0.0.horjkicab.0&ts=S0343&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.choicez.com.au%2F&id=preview] Beyond Blue [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=ah58qncab.0.0.horjkicab.0&ts=S0343&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.beyondblue.org.au%2Findex.aspx%3F&id=preview] Australian Family Association [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=ah58qncab.0.0.horjkicab.0&ts=S0343&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.family.org.au%2F&id=preview] Fathers & Daughters [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=ah58qncab.0.0.horjkicab.0&ts=S0343&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dadsanddaughters.org%2F&id=preview] Raising Children Network [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=ah58qncab.0.0.horjkicab.0&ts=S0343&p=http%3A%2F%2Fraisingchildren.net.au%2F&id=preview] CSA Adverts [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=ah58qncab.0.0.horjkicab.0&ts=S0343&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fathersonline.org%2FtvRadio.html%232006f&id=preview] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thought of the Week All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. Edmund Burke ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Frontline Last week's fathersonline stated that this week's subject is 'The Key to Happiness'. It still is! Last week I received a call from one of my friends at the NSW State Parliament about a proposed bill. 'father' to go from birth certificates' was the headline from the Herald Sun on 18th May 2008. When I first read this story, I simply could not believe it was true. Unfortunately this is also happening in the UK. I ran the Same Sex Relationship Bill 2008 past some of my friends who are much smarter than I. Their comments were all much the same. The devil as always is in the detail. When our society, by an Act of Parliament, makes what was previously considered unnatural behaviour the norm, what was previously the norm then becomes unnatural. When we go outside the natural order of things we always create problems. Just look how we, as human beings, have stuffed up our environment, and how, environmentally, things have now run out of control. The natural order is a mother and a father. It is the natural biological imperative. Children need a mother and father. Not two mummies or two daddies! It is interesting to note that they are not removing the word 'mother' or 'maternity' only 'father' and 'paternity'. How quaint? So paternity is expendable but maternity is not. Where have I heard that before? In 1975 when the Australian Family Law Act was first brought in, every one thought it was reasonable. Let us remove 'fault' from divorce. The only person openly opposing its introduction outside Federal Parliament in Canberra was Fred Nile and other passionate pro-family groups. It didn't take long for the Family Law Act to be manipulated by greedy lawyers. This has now happened all over the world. The sum effect of the last three decades has seen millions of fathers torn from their children and families. How many men and how many children have committed suicide because of this seemingly reasonable law? Fault always has to be apportioned. The new fault in divorce became the male of the species. This new bill to derogate Fathers is simply an extension of that thought process. Fathers are expendable. Mothers are to be protected. All men are 'bastards'. All women are victims. Section 24.2b of the Anti-Discrimination Act is where this bill will get really interesting. You see, there is 57 pieces of legislation that are being amended. This is no small thing. It is being put through on the day of the NSW Budget on 3rd June in the hope that no one will notice. Section 24 will 'ban discrimination on domestic status'. This can easily be reversed by a clever lawyer to ban the use of the word Father but, interestingly, not Mother. I have been given several different legal opinions on it. It will happen. It is only a matter of time. It is happening in California in the USA. It is happening in Spain with Progenitor 1 and Progenitor 2 on Spanish birth certificates. Surely it can't happen here! That's what they said about family law. When you change the fundamentals you change everything. Moral relativism takes over. Children lose their fundamental rights to a mother and father. Fathers become expendable. Marriage is demeaned. Families are redefined and destroyed in the process. Children suffer with broken hearts. The fatherless society endlessly perpetuates itself until the civilisation itself crumbles from within and is no more. History is littered with such civilisations. The proposed relationship bill is flawed from the start. Its very foundation is flawed. The bill itself is an act of discrimination against the male of the species. This bill is another brilliant piece of social engineering by those who hate the fact that there is such a thing as man and woman. That very thought discomforts them. Gender is a social construct. We need to create a brave new world with neither male nor female. George Orwell eat your heart out. "Everybody is equal but some people are more equal than others." As Larry Norman sang, "And hoping to be wiser man has reached too far. Sometimes I think that we have advanced but then I look at where we are". There are other ways to protect lesbian women from unjust discrimination without trying to destroy the natural order of male and female. It is a well recognised fact that the majority of lesbian women have never experienced a father's love. In fact, it is usually the reverse. Many lesbian women have been abused by a male father figure or had bad experiences with men. That is why they hate men so perfectly. Errant patriarchy is the ultimate evil as the recent case in Austria has shown us. But one evil does not justify another. As Bettina Arndt said, 'No gender has a monopoly on vice. The Same Sex Relationship Bill, if it is passed, will only increase the number of boys and girls who will never experience the joy of a father's love and so reinforce the concept that all men are indeed evil'. It is likely that anyone who proposes in the years to come that children need a father and a mother will be labelled a bigot. Fatherhood might even become a discriminatory term as it is in California. As one expert from Harvard Medical School, who has studied over 40 years of research on the question of parental absence and children's wellbeing said, "What has been shown over and over again to contribute most to the emotional development of the child is a close, warm, sustained and continuous relationship with both parents". Lovework Children need a father and a mother. Help us fight this battle for the sake of our children. Please send a letter of protest to Mr Iemma, Premier of NSW, Parliament House, Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000. Come to our Dads4kids Forum on 3rd June at NSW Parliament House (details in News & Info). Tell others about the Forum. Most of all - love your children. Your love is one of the keys to their happiness as the expert from Harvard Medical School has pointed out. Yours for our children Warwick Marsh PS. Your Donation [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=ah58qncab.0.0.horjkicab.0&ts=S0343&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourcommunity.com.au%2Ffatherhoodfoundation&id=preview]would be greatly appreciated at this time as we make a stand for our children. ______________________________________________________________________________ Warwick Marsh has been married to Alison for 32 years. He is the grandfather of two children and father of five children, four boys and one girl, ranging in age from 27 years to 15 years. Warwick is a musician, songwriter, producer and public speaker who likes to think he can still laugh at himself. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Laughter Did you hear about the Montana teacher who was helping one of her kindergarten students put on his cowboy boots? Even with her pulling and him pushing, the little boots still didn't want to go on. Finally, when the second boot was on, she had worked up a sweat. She almost cried when the little boy said, "Teacher, they're on the wrong feet." She looked and sure enough, they were. It wasn't any easier pulling the boots off than it was putting them on. She managed to keep her cool as together they worked to get the boots back on, this time on the right feet. He then announced, "These aren't my boots." She bit her tongue rather than get right in his face and scream, "Why didn't you say so?" like she wanted to. And, once again she struggled to help him pull the ill-fitting boots off his little feet. No sooner they got the boots off and he said, "They're my brother's boots. My Mom made me wear 'em." Now she didn't know if she should laugh or cry. But, she mustered up the grace and courage she had left to wrestle the boots on his feet again. Helping him into his coat, she asked, "Now, where are your mittens?" He said, "I stuffed 'em in the toes of my boots." Her trial starts next month. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Grandfathers Children need love; especially when they do not deserve it. Harold S Hulbert ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ All You Need is Love Fact Sheet Jana Staton, PhD, LCPC 10/3/2008 What is the Relationship of Marriage to Physical Health? Headlines/Trends Decades of research suggest that a stable, marriage protects adult partners against premature death and illness, and provides children with the best physical health outcomes. The relationship of marriage to better health outcomes continues to be found in the most recent national health surveys and longitudinal studies. These studies indicate married adults live longer and enjoy better physical health than adults who are never married, divorced, separated or widowed. In fact, these benefits seem to persist even when factors that affect health outcomes, such as health status prior to marriage, income levels and race/ethnicity are taken into account (Johnson et al, 2000; Kaplan & Kronick, 2006; Lillard & Waite, 1995;; Wilson & Oswald, 2005; Wood, Goesling & Avellar, 2007). Also research suggests that married couples living in poverty have better physical health compared to their low-income peers who are unmarried, divorced, or widowed (Schoenborn, 2004). Research also indicates a man or woman's marital status at age 48 - that is, whether married, divorced, widowed, or never married -- strongly predicts their chances of either surviving to age 65 or dying prematurely. For example, as depicted in the charts below (Waite, 2005), divorced men have only a 65% chance of living to age 65, compared to a 90% chance for married men, and a never-married woman has an 80% chance of living to age 65, compared to a 95% chance for married women (Lillard & Waite, 1995, Waite, 1995). Studies reviewed by Wood et al in a recent synthesis article show that marriage also benefits the health of children. Children raised to adulthood by married parents live longer, and have better physical health as children and later in life as adults, compared to children raised in other living arrangements (Wood et al, 2007). In terms of incidence of intimate partner violence, a healthy marriage is also a relatively safe place for women compared with other types of partner relationships. Department of Justice statistics show that couples who are married and living together are much less likely to report domestic violence than couples who are living together and not married, or whose marriages are in process of ending or have already broken up and are divorced (Dept. of Justice, 2007). Full article: Download the full article here from Smart Marriages [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=ah58qncab.0.0.horjkicab.0&ts=S0343&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.smartmarriages.com%2Fuploaded%2FStaton.Health.and.Marriage.pdf&id=preview] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Single Dads Continuing Bias Against Men in Family Law Court By Barry Williams, Lone Father's Association www.lonefathers.com.au [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=ah58qncab.0.0.horjkicab.0&ts=S0343&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lonefathers.com.au%2F&id=preview] Recently I went to Sydney to meet with the Chief Federal Magistrate of Australia. This meeting took place on April 15th and I must say it was a very positive meeting with the Chief Magistrate, a representative from the Family Court, another Federal Magistrate representative, LFA ACT Vice President Jim Carter and LFA Sydney Branch President, Dick Honeyman. The meeting was strictly about denial of access to the non resident parent even when they have court orders, how these orders are breached by the resident parent and the failure of the system to uphold these court orders and punish the resident parent in breach of those orders. There are contravention orders written in the Family Law Act, but the Court in most cases fails to abide by them and uphold them, instead sending a clear message to the resident parent that it is okay to breach the orders as they will do nothing about it. This in itself puts the Court in breach of the Family Law Act. If the non resident parent has a lot of money they can fight it in court, but it can cost you a small fortune with legal fees and you are never guaranteed of success because, what we are witnessing on a large scale all around the country, is the bias of court report writers, counsellors and some Magistrates and Judges. We will be lobbying both sides of Parliament to bring about a change to the legislation, giving the Federal Magistrates more power to be able to punish the parent who breaks the orders, by imposing penalties on them under the contravention laws. In all fairness to the Federal Magistrates Court, there have been cases where they have punished the resident parent, only to have the Family Court overrule and remove the penalties. For instance, two mothers were jailed for continuous breaches, only to have the Family Court over rule the Magistrates Court and let them off. In reality our Family Law Act is not all that bad - it is the bias actions of counsellors, court writers and other officials that don't abide by the Act, and encourage the system to fail. And, of course, not forgetting the billions of dollars in revenue it creates for the legal industry. The new Family Relationship Centres have been set up to try and stop a lot of the conflict between parents, and most do try to help both parents. But again, if one parent refuses to attend it can hold up the process and delay the other parent seeing their children. These centres were set up as a better way for both partners to solve their conflict and come to an agreement about their children and parenting orders. There is no doubt it's a better system than giving countless thousands of dollars to the legal professions and the courts. There are very positive outcomes from the centres, but, again, if the primary carer does not abide by the orders and the courts continue to fail to enforce the orders, then the system will remain in the terrible state it is. A ridiculous and untrue statement was made by a Justice in Brisbane last year during the first part of a final trial on children's matters. He stated that Family Courts were doing just fine until the men's groups got involved. This just shows you how people like him are so out of touch with the real issues, There are countless thousands of children in Australia who can't see their Dad more than 4 times a year at the most (and many only once a year).. Does he really believe what he says? If he does, then how can he answer for the hundreds of thousands of calls for help that this organisation has received in the last 15 years, not to mention the hundreds of thousands in the previous 20 years. I said I was going to name and shame all of those one sided biased people no matter who they are or what office they hold. To date I have not named this Justice as I am waiting to see a copy of the transcript. We are also receiving mixed reactions about the new child support changes which come into effect in July this year. We have received emails and phone calls from Dads stating they will be paying a lot less; we are also receiving calls from others saying they will be paying more. Recently the CSA new assessments were sent out and we were flooded with calls from angry payers, many stating their payments had doubled. Unfortunately many of these assessments were misleading as they had not taken into account the payee's income. I have bought this to the attention of the CSA. If you have a problem with your assessment, the CSA have set up a special team scheme that you can ring. The number is 1300 885 437. Remember, if you are not happy with the person you talk to at the CSA, you have the right to speak to a supervisor, and to go to Social Security Tribunal. I have questioned some of the new amendments of the child support legislation, especially how they have been written up by the policy writers. We believe that the amendments we are concerned about have confused and destroyed many people's expectations throughout the country. I will be lobbying both sides of the Parliament on these issues requesting that a special committee be set up by the Parliament to review these few amendments. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Special Feature The De-Gendering of Our Society By Jennifer Roback Morse, Ph.D The "I'm against same sex marriage but favor civil unions" position is the major unheralded casualty of the California Supreme Court decision redefining marriage. Politicians from across the political spectrum have taken refuge in this dodge, believing it allows them to navigate the treacherous shoals of powerful but divided public opinion about same sex marriage. The court's ruling has shown beyond any shadow of a doubt that civil unions are not a stable political or social compromise, however rational and reasonable that position may appear to be. Here is why. California has had registered domestic partnerships since 1999. In the years since, the state legislature has steadily increased the rights for which registered domestic partners automatically qualify. Hospital visitation was granted that very first year. In 2000, the legislature granted domestic partners the right to make medical decisions for each other, the right to use stepparent adoption procedures to adopt a partner's child, and the right to sue for a partner's wrongful death. In 2002, the legislature gave domestic partners the rights to receive copies of each others' birth and death certificates. The legislature also changed the inheritance rules for domestic partners who die without a will, mandating that their property be distributed between the surviving partner and any blood relatives on the same terms as married couples. Legislation passed in 2003 required domestic partners to pay alimony and child support. Thus, registered domestic partnerships have been available in California since 1999, and their status has been continually upgraded. The benefits of domestic partnerships now mirror the benefits of marriage very closely. Yet, that has never been enough. The pressure for the complete redefinition of marriage has continued without missing a beat. Can we be confident that even same sex marriage is the ultimate goal? I think the honest answer is no. The freight train of same sex marriage will not stop at the station called simple "equality." The legal equivalence of same sex couples with opposite sex couples means that marriage will no longer be society's most reliable method of attaching mothers and fathers to their children and to each other. Marriage will become a gender-neutral creation of the state, which actively detaches children from at least one of their parents. Parentage will not flow automatically from the marital union, but will have to be assigned by the state. The final stop on this train is the complete de-gendering of society, along with the continual incursion of the state into civil society. The state must hold that mothers and fathers are completely interchangeable. Biological parents married to each other become officially equivalent to one parent plus their lover. The state will be indifferent as to whether children have any connection with their biological parents. The experiences of other countries with same sex marriage illustrate that this is no mere expansion of an existing institution. In Spain, the words "mother" and "father" were removed from birth certificates in favor of "Progenitor A" and "Progenitor B". Courts in Canada have assigned parental rights to three adults. Similar experiences from Massachusetts and the UK leave no doubt that the state will have to continually intervene to prop up same sex marriage, and the gender-oblivious society that comes along with it. Sexual orientation will be viewed as immutable, with sex itself as a mere social construct. As Douglas Farrow, a Canadian academic asks in his book, A Nation of Bastards, is this really what we intended to do? Gays and lesbians have as much political power in California as in any state in America. If civil unions could have ever been a viable political compromise position, it would have been here. Any candidate who favors civil unions, is really saying that he favors the continual progress of this train toward the destination of same sex marriage, and perhaps even beyond to the ultimate radical goal of a completely non-gendered society. This ruling gives the electorate the chance to gain genuine clarity from the candidates. The "I oppose same sex marriage, but favor civil unions," position is the equivalent of "I'm personally opposed to abortion but support your right to have one." It is a cowardly subterfuge that should no longer fool anyone. Jennifer Roback Morse, Ph.D. is the author of Love and Economics: It Takes a Family to Raise a Village, newly reissued in paperback. www.mercatornet.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ News & Info Thanks Dad Photo Competition [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=ah58qncab.0.0.horjkicab.0&ts=S0343&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dadsindistress.asn.au%2Fnews724.html&id=preview] _______________________________________ Dads4kids Forum Tuesday 3rd June 2008 - 10 am to 1.30 pm Theatrette - NSW Parliament House Macquarie St, Sydney Fatherhood & Family under Threat Children Need a Mother and a Father 'Father' to go from Birth Certificate is the headline of a story in the Herald Sun on 18th May 2008. The Same Sex Relationship Bill 2008 will radically alter 57 pieces of important legislation in a calculated attempt by the NSW Labor Government to discriminate against men, derogate fathers, fragment families and break the hearts of our children. Children need a mother and a father. To deprive them of that right by government regulation is callous and heartless. Legal advice has indicated that the proposed bill, as it affects Section 24 of the Anti-Discrimination Act (1977), could make the word 'father' discriminatory. Sadly this has already happened in California, USA after the passing of similar legislation. Studies from around the world show that children raised by their natural biological mother and father fare much better than those who are not raised in a natural-parent family. A recent Australian study showed that children who do not live with their natural biological father were between 17 and 77 times more likely to die from intentional violence or accident. These facts are corroborated by academics from around the world. The NSW Labor Government needs to see that you care about your children. Mr Iemma needs to know that the fathers and mothers of NSW will not accept such politically correct madness. Children need a father and a mother. Come to NSW Parliament House, Macquarie St, Sydney on 3rd June for the Dads4kids Forum. Show the government that you care for our children. Speakers: Warwick & Alison Marsh, Fatherhood Foundation; Wayne Butler, Shared Parenting Council; Richard Egan, Festival of Light; Barry Williams, Lone Fathers Association and many others from within the fatherhood/mens and pro-family movements including pro-family state parliamentarians. Registration for the Dads4kids Forum is essential as space is limited. Name ___________________________ Address _____________________________________ City ____________________________ Postcode ____________ Phone __________________ Email __________________________________________________ Mobile _________________ Fatherhood Foundation PO Box 542 UNANDERRA NSW 2526 Phone: 02 4272 6677 Fax: 02 4272 6680 Email: dads4kids@fatherhood.org.au www.fatherhood.org.au [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=ah58qncab.0.0.horjkicab.0&ts=S0343&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fatherhood.org.au%2F&id=preview] 'Father' to go from birth certificates ____________________________________________________________________ A JUDGE has allowed a 12-year-old Victorian girl to start a taxpayer-funded sex swap, despite objections from the child's father. The girl has begun court-approved hormone treatment in the first step toward a complete gender switch. The Family Court orders also permit the girl, who cannot be named, to apply for a new birth certificate, passport and Medicare card in a boy's name. Family Court allows Sex Swap!!! Read More of legalism gone mad. [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=ah58qncab.0.0.horjkicab.0&ts=S0343&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.news.com.au%2Fstory%2F0%2C23599%2C23753182-2%2C00.html&id=preview] _____________________________________________________________________ De Facto Couples WITHOUT children to have access to Family Court?? [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=ah58qncab.0.0.horjkicab.0&ts=S0343&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theaustralian.news.com.au%2Fstory%2F0%2C25197%2C23744363-5013404%2C00.html&id=preview] __________________________________________ Letters Editor's Note: Dr Elizabeth Celi is the author of 'The Battle for the True Man' and spoke at the Men's Health Forum convened by the Fatherhood Foundation in March 2008 at Parliament House, ACT. We encourage you to post your comments on Robin Riley's blog spot. Robin has publicly advocated for a national men's health policy. Her bravery requires our support. Please give your support. From small things, big things grow. Dear Fatherhood Foundation Good news - more posts have gone up on the Robin Riley blog [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=ah58qncab.0.0.horjkicab.0&ts=S0343&p=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.news.com.au%2Fheraldsun%2Frobynriley%2Findex.php%2Fheraldsun%2F2008%2F03%2F&id=preview] - exciting to get the momentum up. If you haven't seen it of late, Robin's latest comment on kick starting a campaign through the Herald Sun with more comments sounds encouraging. This momentum is heading in the right direction to put pressure on from the ground up, much harder to ignore the promise/proposal for a national men's health policy. The more evidence generated with someone like her and some influential presence can happen sooner. I'm putting the word out again. Can I encourage you to do the same? Have a great weekend gentlemen Regards Dr Elizabeth Celi PhD MAPS Health & Exercise Psychologist, Speaker 03 5982 1289 www.qualityliving.com.au [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=ah58qncab.0.0.horjkicab.0&ts=S0343&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.qualityliving.com.au%2F&id=preview] ________________________ Dear Fatherhood Foundation I notice that I have not received your regular newsletter for some time and wonder if my name / email has been deleted. As I send this onto to some 120 + people in different countries I would be grateful if you would list my name and email to receive the newsletter on an ongoing basis. I congratulate you on the wonderful content that I have found useful for young men who I mentor and for my reading information. Many thanks John Pocklington _______________________ Editor's Note:We received the following responses to Paul Hendrick's letter in last week's newsletter: Dear Fatherhood Foundation I did have a good chuckle at this joke, though I appreciate that we all have different sensibilities and senses of humour and that others might find it offensive. Cheers Greg _____________________ Dear Fatherhood Foundation I think the joke's funny and so does the young woman reporter sitting next to me. Some people just want to be offended - it gives their hopeless lives meaning. Regards John _______________________ Dear Fatherhood Foundation I love and appreciate the work that goes on at 'FF'. It has helped me and many of my friends in good and bad times. However, I tend to side with Paul Hendricks - not, perhaps, as downright offensive, but I did not see the humour in it from the perspective of a Pakistani. Call centres are another interesting phenomena - we all socially dislike them, for our phone calls go to "Bangalore", then why our companies (large Australian banks, phone companies and many more) outsource their support to call centres? We can't have it both ways. I listened to a presentation by Lifeline and their work in Australia - the phone lines are supported by local people who know the local language, customs and nuances. I would hope, wish and pray that should I be depressed, the person at the other line is not a call centre operator (however good and honest he or she might be). Anyway - having known you as a downright & forthright person, I know you will appreciate a feedback from another avid reader of 'FF'. The joke is not in the taste of 'fatherhood'. We do make occasional slip ups - many a times unintentional. Perhaps this is one such? Kind regards, and eager to receive the next issue. Bhuvan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dad's Prayer Dear God Help me make a stand for what matters. What matters most are our children. They were born into this world by the will of a mother and a father. They prosper in this world by the same. Help me appreciate what I have and what cannot be taken away. Help me speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. Most of all, let me follow in your footsteps of love. This is what will benefit my children the most. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Help Us! The Fatherhood Foundation is a Harm Prevention Charity. Fatherlessness and inadequate fathering has been proven to be a source of harm. The Fatherhood Foundation helps children by promoting excellence in fathering. Excellent fathers are in word and deed: responsible, involved, protective, loving and committed to the well-being of their children and their children's mother. If you would like to give financially to the Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund and receive tax deductibility: Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund (Name, address and amount details must be emailed for a receipt for tax deductibility) Westpac Branch Wollongong DONATE ONLINE [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=ah58qncab.0.0.horjkicab.0&ts=S0343&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourcommunity.com.au%2Ffatherhoodfoundation&id=preview] BSB: 032 695 A/C: 25-5558 Or mail cheque and address details to: PO Box 440 WOLLONGONG NSW 2520 AUSTRALIA The Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund is a public fund listed on the Register of Harm Prevention Charities under Subdivision 30_EA of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997. You have received the fathersonline.org newsletter because you have subscribed, or you have been subscribed by a friend. If you do not wish to receive future emails, please click the UNSUBSCRIBE button below. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Forward email http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?m=1101938345415&ea=libertybm@bigpond.com&a=1102109867027&id=preview This email was sent to libertybm@bigpond.com, by info@fathersonline.org Update Profile/Email Address http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?p=oo&v=001jm8CFGIzLJHYg-gJRLc-3WE9Zqa8OESM9MqR7kykWzczy45USVqnoKluxy0JcfH2cBAlt8TxAJtdwc2ns893ukY4iKW6AH1KgKvvOWhpYaqov4kjZQqEpk7bvfFqek00&id=preview.1101938345415 Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe(TM) http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?p=un&v=001jm8CFGIzLJHYg-gJRLc-3WE9Zqa8OESM9MqR7kykWzczy45USVqnoKluxy0JcfH2cBAlt8TxAJtdwc2ns893ukY4iKW6AH1KgKvvOWhpYaqov4kjZQqEpk7bvfFqek00&id=preview.1101938345415 Privacy Policy: http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jsp Email Marketing by Constant Contact(R) www.constantcontact.com Fatherhood Foundation | P.O. Box 542 | Unanderra | NSW | 2526 | Australia ------=_Part_36467_126486410.1211882729581 Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Brian, This is the revised newsletter with amend= ed date
=09 =09
=09 =09
3D"FF
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=09=09 =09 =09=09
=09=09 =09=09 =09 =09 =09=09 =09 =09 =09=09 =09=09 =09=09 =09 =09
26th May 2008   &= nbsp;        Inspiring= Fathers  Encouraging Families Issue 301
=09=09
The Keys to Happiness 
=09=09
=09
=09=09
Dear Ron,

Welc= ome to the Fatherhood Foundation newsletter and email information service f= or the fathers and families as we present the key to happiness.=

=09=09 =09=09 =09=09 =09=09=09 =09=09 =09=09 =09=09=09 =09=09=09 =09=09 =09=09=09 =09=09 =09=09=09 =09=09 =09=09=09 =09=09=09 =09=09 =09=09=09 =09=09 =09=09=09 =09=09 =09=09
In This Issue
Frontline...Children need a Father & Mother =09=09
Laughter..Which shoes?
Grandfathers...Children need love
All You Need is Love..Healthy Marriage gives Healthy Per= son
Single Dads...Continuing Bias against Men =09=09
Special Feature...De Gendering Society
News & Info..Dads4Kids Forum
Dad's Prayer..What matters
<= /table> =09=09 =09=09=09=09 =09 =09 =09=09 =09 =09=09 =09 =09 =09=09 =09 =09=09=09 =09=09 =09
Next Week&nb= sp;
 Gender Bias - True of False?
=09=09=09=09 =09=09
 
Join our Mailing List!
 
=09=09
Quick Links
=09
=09=09
T= hought of the Week
   3D"Man
 

All that is necessary for the triumph = of evil
is for good men to do nothing.
 
Edmund = Burke 
Frontline
 
     &nb= sp;     3D"Father
 
Last week's fathersonline stated = that this week's subject is 'The Key to Happiness'. It still is!
 = ;
Last week I received a call from one of my friends at the NSW State = Parliament about a proposed bill. 'father' to go from birth certificates' w= as the headline from the Herald Sun on 18th May 2008.
 
Whe= n I first read this story, I simply could not believe it was true. Unfortun= ately this is also happening in the UK. I ran the Same Sex Relationship Bil= l 2008 past some of my friends who are much smarter than I. Their comments = were all much the same.
 
The devil as always is in the deta= il. When our society, by an Act of Parliament, makes what was previously co= nsidered unnatural behaviour the norm, what was previously the norm then be= comes unnatural. When we go outside the natural order of things we always c= reate problems. Just look how we, as human beings, have stuffed up our envi= ronment, and how, environmentally, things have now run out of control.
 
The natural order is a mother and a father. It is the natural= biological imperative. Children need a mother and father. Not two mummies = or two daddies! It is interesting to note that they are not removing the wo= rd 'mother' or 'maternity' only 'father' and 'paternity'. How quaint? So pa= ternity is expendable but maternity is not. Where have I heard that before?=

 In 1975 when the Australian Family Law Act was first brou= ght in, every one thought it was reasonable. Let us remove 'fault' from div= orce.  The only person openly opposing its introduction outside Federa= l Parliament in Canberra was Fred Nile and other passionate pro-family grou= ps. It didn't take long for the Family Law Act to be manipulated by greedy = lawyers. This has now happened all over the world. The sum effect of the la= st three decades has seen millions of fathers torn from their children and = families. How many men and how many children have committed suicide because= of this seemingly reasonable law? Fault always has to be apportioned. The = new fault in divorce became the male of the species. This new bill to derog= ate Fathers is simply an extension of that thought process.  Fathers a= re expendable. Mothers are to be protected. All men are 'bastards'. All wom= en are victims.

Section 24.2b of the Anti-Discrimination Act is= where this bill will get really interesting. You see, there is 57 pieces o= f legislation that are being amended. This is no small thing. It is being p= ut through on the day of the NSW Budget on 3rd June in the hope that no one= will notice. Section 24 will 'ban discrimination on domestic status'. This= can easily be reversed by a clever lawyer to ban the use of the word Fathe= r but, interestingly, not Mother. I have been given several different legal= opinions on it. It will happen. It is only a matter of time. It is happeni= ng in California in the USA. It is happening in Spain with Progenitor 1 and= Progenitor 2 on Spanish birth certificates.

Surely it can't ha= ppen here! That's what they said about family law. When you change the fund= amentals you change everything. Moral relativism takes over.  Children= lose their fundamental rights to a mother and father. Fathers become expen= dable. Marriage is demeaned. Families are redefined and destroyed in the pr= ocess. Children suffer with broken hearts. The fatherless society endl= essly perpetuates itself until the civilisation itself crumbles from within= and is no more. History is littered with such civilisations.

T= he proposed relationship bill is flawed from the start. Its very foundation= is flawed. The bill itself is an act of discrimination against the male of= the species. This bill is another brilliant piece of social engineering by= those who hate the fact that there is such a thing as man and woman. That = very thought discomforts them. Gender is a social construct. We need to cre= ate a brave new world with neither male nor female. George Orwell eat your = heart out. "Everybody is equal but some people are more equal than others."= As Larry Norman sang, "And hoping to be wiser man has reached too far. Som= etimes I think that we have advanced but then I look at where we are".

There are other ways to protect lesbian women from unjust discrimina= tion without trying to destroy the natural order of male and female. It is = a well recognised fact that the majority of lesbian women have never experi= enced a father's love. In fact, it is usually the reverse. Many lesbian wom= en have been abused by a male father figure or had bad experiences with men= . That is why they hate men so perfectly. Errant patriarchy is the ultimate= evil as the recent case in Austria has shown us. But one evil does not jus= tify another. As Bettina Arndt said, 'No gender has a monopoly on vice. The= Same Sex Relationship Bill, if it is passed, will only increase the number= of boys and girls who will never experience the joy of a father's love and= so reinforce the concept that all men are indeed evil'.
 
= It is likely that anyone who proposes in the years to come that children ne= ed a father and a mother will be labelled a bigot. Fatherhood might even be= come a discriminatory term as it is in California. As one expert from Harva= rd Medical School, who has studied over 40 years of research on the questio= n of parental absence and children's wellbeing said, "What has been shown o= ver and over again to contribute most to the emotional development of the c= hild is a close, warm, sustained and continuous relationship with both pare= nts".
 
Lovework
 
Children need a father and a mother.
 
Help us fight this battle for the sake of our children. Please send a let= ter of protest to Mr Iemma, Premier of NSW, Parliament House, Macquarie St,= Sydney NSW 2000.
 
Come to our Dads4kids Forum on 3rd June = at NSW Parliament House (details in News & Info).
 
Tell oth= ers about the Forum.
 
Most of all - love your children. You= r love is one of the keys to their happiness as the expert from Harvard Med= ical School has pointed out.
 
Yours for our children
W= arwick Marsh
 
PS. Your Donation would be greatly appreciated at this time as we make a stand for= our children.

_________________________________________________= _____________________________

Warwick Marsh  has been = married to Alison for 32 years. He is the grandfather of two chil= dren and father of five children, four boys and one girl, ranging in age fr= om 27 years to 15 years.  Warwick is a musician, songwriter, prod= ucer and public speaker who likes to think he can still laugh at himself.
=09=09
Laughter
=   =20
    = ;         =3D"Kids
 
Did = you hear about the Montana teacher who was helping one of her kindergarten = students put on his cowboy boots? Even with her pulling and him pushing, th= e little boots still didn't want to go on. Finally, when the second boot wa= s on, she had worked up a sweat.
 
She almost cried when the= little boy said, "Teacher, they're on the wrong feet." She looked and sure= enough, they were. It wasn't any easier pulling the boots off than it was = putting them on. She managed to keep her cool as together they worked to ge= t the boots back on, this time on the right feet.
 
He then = announced, "These aren't my boots."
 
She bit her tongue rat= her than get right in his face and scream, "Why didn't you say so?" like sh= e wanted to. And, once again she struggled to help him pull the ill-fitting= boots off his little feet.
 
No sooner they got the boots o= ff and he said, "They're my brother's boots. My Mom made me wear 'em."
 
Now she didn't know if she should laugh or cry. But, she muste= red up the grace and courage she had left to wrestle the boots on his feet = again.

Helping him into his coat, she asked, "Now, where are you= r mittens?"
 
He said, "I stuffed 'em in the toes of my boot= s."

Her trial starts next month. 
Grandfathers
 
       &nbs= p;
 
Children need love;
espe= cially when they=20
do not deserve it.
 
Harold S Hulbert<= br />      
All You Nee= d is Love
Fact Sheet
Jana Staton, PhD, LCPC
10/3/2008
What is the Relationship of Marriage to Phy= sical Health?
Headlines/Trends

Decades of research suggest that a stable, marriage protects adu= lt partners against premature death and illness, and provides children with= the best physical health outcomes. The relationship of marriage to better = health outcomes continues to be found in the most recent national health su= rveys and longitudinal studies. These studies indicate married adults live = longer and enjoy better physical health than adults who are never married, = divorced, separated or widowed. In fact, these benefits seem to persist eve= n when factors that affect health outcomes, such as health status prior to = marriage, income levels and race/ethnicity are taken into account (Johnson = et al, 2000; Kaplan & Kronick, 2006; Lillard & Waite, 1995;; Wilson & Oswal= d, 2005; Wood, Goesling & Avellar, 2007). Also research suggests that marri= ed couples living in poverty have better physical health compared to their = low-income peers who are unmarried, divorced, or widowed (Schoenborn, 2004)= .
 
Research also indicates a man or woman's marital status = at age 48 - that is, whether married, divorced, widowed, or never married -= - strongly predicts their chances of either surviving to age 65 or dying pr= ematurely. For example, as depicted in the charts below (Waite, 2005), divo= rced men have only a 65% chance of living to age 65, compared to a 90% chan= ce for married men, and a never-married woman has an 80% chance of living t= o age 65, compared to a 95% chance for married women (Lillard & Waite, 1995= , Waite, 1995).
       3D"Chart3D"Chart
 

          &nbs= p; 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
Studies reviewed by Wood et al in a recent synthesis= article show that marriage also benefits the health of children. Children = raised to adulthood by married parents live longer, and have better physica= l health as children and later in life as adults, compared to children rais= ed in other living arrangements (Wood et al, 2007).
 
In ter= ms of incidence of intimate partner violence, a healthy marriage is also a = relatively safe place for women compared with other types of partner relati= onships. Department of Justice statistics show that couples who are married= and living together are much less likely to report domestic violence than = couples who are living together and not married, or whose marriages are in = process of ending or have already broken up and are divorced (Dept. of Just= ice, 2007).
 
Full article: Download the full article here = from Smart Marriages
=09=09 =09=09
Single Dads
=
Continuing Bias Again= st Men in Family Law Court
By Barry Williams, L= one Father's Association
www.lonefathers.com.au  3D"Scal=
 
Recently I went to Sydn= ey to meet with the Chief Federal Magistrate of Australia. This meeting too= k place on April 15th and I must say it was a very positive meeting with th= e Chief Magistrate, a representative from the Family Court, another Federal= Magistrate representative, LFA ACT Vice President Jim Carter and LFA Sydne= y Branch President, Dick Honeyman.  The meeting was strictly about den= ial of access to the non resident parent even when they have court orders, = how these orders are breached by the resident parent and the failure of the= system to uphold these court orders and punish the resident parent in brea= ch of those orders.
 
There are contravention orders written= in the Family Law Act, but the Court in most cases fails to abide by them = and uphold them, instead sending a clear message to the resident parent tha= t it is okay to breach the orders as they will do nothing about it.  T= his in itself puts the Court in breach of the Family Law Act.
 If the non resident parent has a lot of money they can fight it in cour= t, but it can cost you a small fortune with legal fees and you are never gu= aranteed of success because, what we are witnessing on a large scale all ar= ound the country, is the bias of court report writers, counsellors and some= Magistrates and Judges.
 
We will be lobbying both sides of= Parliament to bring about a change to the legislation, giving the Federal = Magistrates more power to be able to punish the parent who breaks the order= s, by imposing penalties on them under the contravention laws.  In all= fairness to the Federal Magistrates Court, there have been cases where the= y have punished the resident parent, only to have the Family Court overrule= and remove the penalties.  For instance, two mothers were jailed for = continuous breaches, only to have the Family Court over rule the Magistrate= s Court and let them off.
 
In reality our Family Law Act i= s not all that bad - it is the bias actions of counsellors, court writ= ers and other officials that don't abide by the Act, and encourage the syst= em to fail.  And, of course, not forgetting the billions of dollars in= revenue it creates for the legal industry.
 
The new Famil= y Relationship Centres have been set up to try and stop a lot of the confli= ct between parents, and most do try to help both parents.  But again, = if one parent refuses to attend it can hold up the process and delay the ot= her parent seeing their children.  These centres were set up as a bett= er way for both partners to solve their conflict and come to an agreement a= bout their children and parenting orders.  There is no doubt it's a be= tter system than giving countless thousands of dollars to the legal profess= ions and the courts.  There are very positive outcomes from the centre= s, but, again, if the primary carer does not abide by the orders and the co= urts continue to fail to enforce the orders, then the system will remain in= the terrible state it is.
 
A ridiculous and untrue stateme= nt was made by a Justice in Brisbane last year during the first part of a f= inal trial on children's matters. He stated that Family Courts  were d= oing just fine until the men's groups got involved. This just shows you how= people like him are so out of touch with the real issues, There are countl= ess thousands of children in Australia who can't see their Dad more than 4 = times a year at the most (and many only once a year)..
 
Doe= s he really believe what he says?  If he does, then how can he answer = for the hundreds of thousands of calls for help that this organisation has = received in the last 15 years, not to mention the hundreds of thousands in = the previous 20 years.
 
I said I was going to name and sham= e all of those one sided biased people no matter who they are or what offic= e they hold. To date I have not named this Justice as I am waiting to see a= copy of the transcript.
 
We are also receiving mixed reac= tions about the new child support changes which come into effect in July th= is year. We have received emails and phone calls from Dads stating they wil= l be paying a lot less; we are also receiving calls from others saying they= will be paying more. Recently the CSA new assessments were sent out and we= were flooded with calls from angry payers, many stating their payments had= doubled. Unfortunately many of these assessments were misleading as they h= ad not taken into account the payee's income. I have bought this to the att= ention of the CSA. If you have a problem with your assessment, the CSA have= set up a special team scheme that you can ring. The number is 1300 885 437= .  Remember, if you are not happy with the person you talk to at the C= SA, you have the right to speak to a supervisor, and to go to Social Securi= ty Tribunal.
 
I have questioned some of the new amendments = of the child support legislation, especially how they have been written up = by the policy writers. We believe that the amendments we are concerned abou= t have confused and destroyed many people's expectations throughout the cou= ntry. I will be lobbying both sides of the Parliament on these issues reque= sting that a special committee be set up by the Parliament to review these = few amendments.
=
Special Feature
The De-Gendering of Our Society
By Jennifer Roback Morse, Ph.D3D"Gender"
 
The "I'm against same sex marriage but favor civil u= nions" position is the major unheralded casualty of the California Supreme = Court decision redefining marriage. Politicians from across the political s= pectrum have taken refuge in this dodge, believing it allows them to naviga= te the treacherous shoals of powerful but divided public opinion about same= sex marriage. The court's ruling has shown beyond any shadow of a doubt th= at civil unions are not a stable political or social compromise, however ra= tional and reasonable that position may appear to be. Here is why.
Ca= lifornia has had registered domestic partnerships since 1999. In the years = since, the state legislature has steadily increased the rights for which re= gistered domestic partners automatically qualify. Hospital visitation was g= ranted that very first year. In 2000, the legislature granted domestic part= ners the right to make medical decisions for each other, the right to use s= tepparent adoption procedures to adopt a partner's child, and the right to = sue for a partner's wrongful death.
In 2002, the legislature gave dom= estic partners the rights to receive copies of each others' birth and death= certificates. The legislature also changed the inheritance rules for domes= tic partners who die without a will, mandating that their property be distr= ibuted between the surviving partner and any blood relatives on the same te= rms as married couples. Legislation passed in 2003 required domestic partne= rs to pay alimony and child support.
Thus, registered domestic partne= rships have been available in California since 1999, and their status has b= een continually upgraded. The benefits of domestic partnerships now mirror = the benefits of marriage very closely. Yet, that has never been enough. The= pressure for the complete redefinition of marriage has continued without m= issing a beat.
Can we be confident that even same sex marriage is the= ultimate goal? I think the honest answer is no. The freight train of same = sex marriage will not stop at the station called simple "equality." The leg= al equivalence of same sex couples with opposite sex couples means that mar= riage will no longer be society's most reliable method of attaching mothers= and fathers to their children and to each other. Marriage will become a ge= nder-neutral creation of the state, which actively detaches children from a= t least one of their parents. Parentage will not flow automatically from th= e marital union, but will have to be assigned by the state. The final stop = on this train is the complete de-gendering of society, along with the conti= nual incursion of the state into civil society.
The state must hold t= hat mothers and fathers are completely interchangeable. Biological parents = married to each other become officially equivalent to one parent plus their= lover. The state will be indifferent as to whether children have any conne= ction with their biological parents.
The experiences of other countri= es with same sex marriage illustrate that this is no mere expansion of an e= xisting institution. In Spain, the words "mother" and "father" were removed= from birth certificates in favor of "Progenitor A" and "Progenitor B". Cou= rts in Canada have assigned parental rights to three adults. Similar experi= ences from Massachusetts and the UK leave no doubt that the state will have= to continually intervene to prop up same sex marriage, and the gender-obli= vious society that comes along with it. Sexual orientation will be viewed a= s immutable, with sex itself as a mere social construct.
As Douglas F= arrow, a Canadian academic asks in his book, A Nation of Bastards, is this = really what we intended to do? 
Gays and lesbians have as much p= olitical power in California as in any state in America. If civil unions co= uld have ever been a viable political compromise position, it would have be= en here. Any candidate who favors civil unions, is really saying that he fa= vors the continual progress of this train toward the destination of same se= x marriage, and perhaps even beyond to the ultimate radical goal of a compl= etely non-gendered society.
This ruling gives the electorate the chan= ce to gain genuine clarity from the candidates. The "I oppose same sex marr= iage, but favor civil unions," position is the equivalent of "I'm personall= y opposed to abortion but support your right to have one." It is a cowardly= subterfuge that should no longer fool anyone.
Jennifer Roback Morse,= Ph.D. is the author of Love and Economics: It Takes a Family to Raise a Vi= llage, newly reissued in paperback. 
www.mercatornet.com
  

 News & Info
 3D"Camera
 

 _______________________________________
 
 
Dads4kids Forum
Tuesday 3rd June 2008 - 10 am to 1.30 pm
Theatrette= - NSW Parliament House
Macquarie St, Sydney
&nbs= p;
Fatherhood & Family under Threat
Children Need a Mothe= r and a Father
 
'Father' to go from Birth Certific= ate is the headline of a story in the Herald Sun on 18th May 2008. The Same= Sex Relationship Bill 2008 will radically alter 57 pieces of important leg= islation in a calculated attempt by the NSW Labor Government to discriminat= e against men, derogate fathers, fragment families and break the hearts of = our children.
 
Children need a mother and a father. To depr= ive them of that right by government regulation is callous and heartless. L= egal advice has indicated that the proposed bill, as it affects Section 24 = of the Anti-Discrimination Act (1977), could make the word 'father' discrim= inatory. Sadly this has already happened in California, USA after the passi= ng of similar legislation.
 
Studies from around the world s= how that children raised by their natural biological mother and father fare= much better than those who are not raised in a natural-parent family.
 
A recent Australian study showed that children who do not liv= e with their natural biological father were between 17 and 77 times more li= kely to die from intentional violence or accident. These facts are corrobor= ated by academics from around the world.
 
The NSW Labor Gov= ernment needs to see that you care about your children. Mr Iemma needs to k= now that the fathers and mothers of NSW will not accept such politically co= rrect madness. Children need a father and a mother.
 
Come = to NSW Parliament House, Macquarie St, Sydney on 3rd June for the Dads4kids= Forum. Show the government that you care for our children.
 
Speakers: Warwick & Alison Marsh, Fatherhood Foundation; Wayne Butler, Sh= ared Parenting Council; Richard Egan, Festival of Light; Barry Williams, Lo= ne Fathers Association and many others from within the fatherhood/mens and = pro-family movements including pro-family state parliamentarians.
&nbs= p;
Registration for the Dads4kids Forum is essential as space is limit= ed.
 
Name ___________________________   &nbs= p;  Address _____________________________________
 
Cit= y ____________________________       Postcode ____= ________ Phone __________________
 
Email __________________= ________________________________  Mobile _________________
 =
 
Fatherhood Foundation
PO Box 542
UNANDERRA&nbs= p; NSW  2526
Phone: 02 4272 6677     &nb= sp;    Fax: 02 4272 6680
Email: dads4kids@fatherhood.or= g.au
www.fatherhood.org.au  
 
 
'Fath= er' to go from birth certificates
 ______________________________= ______________________________________=20
 
A JUDGE has allowed a 12-year-old Vict= orian girl to start a taxpayer-funded sex swap, despite objections from the= child's father.

The girl has begun court-approved hormone treat= ment in the first step toward a complete gender switch.
The Family Co= urt orders also permit the girl, who cannot be named, to apply for a new bi= rth certificate, passport and Medicare card in a boy's name.
_____________________________________________________________________<= /div>
 
De Facto Coupl= es WITHOUT children to have access to Family Court?? =20
 __________________________________________
=
 
Letters
 
Editor's Note: Dr Elizabeth Celi is the author of 'The Battle for the = True Man' and spoke at the Men's Health Forum convened by the Fatherhood Fo= undation in March 2008 at Parliament House, ACT. We encourage you to post y= our comments on Robin Riley's blog spot. Robin has publicly advocated for a= national men's health policy. Her bravery requires our support. Please giv= e your support. From small things, big things grow.
 
Dear F= atherhood Foundation
 
Good news - more posts have gone up o= n the Robin Riley blog - exciting to g= et the momentum up. If you haven't seen it of late, Robin's latest comment = on kick starting a campaign through the Herald Sun with more comments sound= s encouraging. This momentum is heading in the right direction to put press= ure on from the ground up, much harder to ignore the promise/proposal for a= national men's health policy. The more evidence generated with someone lik= e her and some influential presence can happen sooner. I'm putting the word= out again. Can I encourage you to do the same?
 
Have a gre= at weekend gentlemen
Regards
Dr Elizabeth Celi PhD MAPS
Hea= lth & Exercise Psychologist, Speaker
03 5982 1289
www.qualityliv= ing.com.au  
 
________________________
<= br />Dear Fatherhood Foundation
 
I notice that I have not r= eceived your regular newsletter for some time and wonder if my name / email= has been deleted. As I send this onto to some 120 + people in different co= untries I would be grateful if you would list my name and email to receive = the newsletter on an ongoing basis.
 
I congratulate you on = the wonderful content that I have found useful for young men who I mentor a= nd for my reading information.
 
Many thanks
John Pockl= ington
_______________________
 
Editor's Note:We recei= ved the following responses to Paul Hendrick's letter in last week's newsle= tter:
 
Dear Fatherhood Foundation
 
I did ha= ve a good chuckle at this joke, though I appreciate that we all have differ= ent sensibilities and senses of humour and that others might find it offens= ive.
 
Cheers
Greg
 
___________________= __
 
Dear Fatherhood Foundation
 
I think the= joke's funny and so does the young woman reporter sitting next to me.
Some people just want to be offended - it gives their hopeless lives meani= ng.
 
Regards
John
 
___________________= ____
 
Dear Fatherhood Foundation
 
I love an= d appreciate the work that goes on at 'FF'. It has helped me and many of my= friends in good and bad times.
 
However, I tend to side w= ith Paul Hendricks - not, perhaps, as downright offensive, but I did not se= e the humour in it from the perspective of a Pakistani. Call centres are an= other interesting phenomena - we all socially dislike them, for our phone c= alls go to "Bangalore", then why our companies (large Australian banks, pho= ne companies and many more) outsource their support to call centres? We can= 't have it both ways. I listened to a presentation by Lifeline and their wo= rk in Australia - the phone lines are supported by local people who know th= e local language, customs and nuances. I would hope, wish and pray that sho= uld I be depressed, the person at the other line is not a call centre opera= tor (however good and honest he or she might be).
 
Anyway = - having known you as a downright & forthright person, I know you will appr= eciate a feedback from another avid reader of 'FF'. The joke is not in the = taste of 'fatherhood'. We do make occasional slip ups - many a times uninte= ntional. Perhaps this is one such?
 
Kind regards,
and= eager to receive the next issue.
Bhuvan
 

Dad's Prayer

Dear God
 
Help me make a stand
for what matters.
What matters most are our c= hildren.
They were born into this world
by the will of a mother a= nd a father.
They prosper in this world by the same.
Help me appr= eciate what I have
and what cannot be taken away.
Help me speak f= or those
who cannot speak for themselves.
Most of all,
let = me follow
in your footsteps
of love.
This is what will bene= fit
my children the most.


=

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Help Us!

The Fatherhood Foundation is a Harm Pre= vention Charity.
Fatherlessness and inadequate fathering has been pro= ven to be a source of harm. The Fatherhood Foundation helps children b= y promoting excellence  in fathering. Excellent fathers are in word an= d deed: responsible, involved, protective, loving and committed to the well= -being of their children and their children's mother.

 

If you would like to give financially t= o the Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund and receive tax deductibility:

 

Fatherhood Found= ation Public Fund
(Name, address and amount details must be = emailed for a receipt for tax deductibility)

 


Westpac Branch Wollon= gong            = ;         DONATE ONLINE


BSB: 032 695
A/C: 25-5558
 

Or mail cheque and address details to:<= br />PO Box 440
WOLLONGONG  NSW&nb= sp; 2520
AUSTRALIA

 

The Fatherhood Foundation Public Fund&n= bsp; is a public fund listed on the Register of Harm Prevention Charities u= nder Subdivision 30_EA of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.=

 

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Fatherhood Foundati= on | P.O. Box 542 | Unanderra | NSW | 2526 | Australia
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