Another shrew

Heads up on a diatribe from a fathers rights opponent having a go at Carey Roberts in The Washington Times. The usual string of distorted and unsubstantiated "facts" is used to have a go at anyone who might think fathers have some rights.

Writing about the smear job that was "Breaking the Silence: Children's Stories": "The only negative responses received by PBS were from fathers rights activists". Circular logic. If you made a call to PBS and complained, you're a fathers' rights activist.

This is a new one: "most of their activists have sole or joint custody and receive child support instead paying support."If true, and it does seem somewhat unlikely, wouldn't that have to make them much more philanthropic than the rest of the article wants you to believe? Nah, I think it's much more likely of the opposition.

"On a local radio program several years ago, area fathers made these complaints about courts biases against fathers -- but all these men claimed to be one of the lucky ones who got sole custody. " Hmm. I'm sure we could find a local radio program from several years ago to prove just about anything we wanted. You're definitely reaching here...

"They conceal their role in promoting the discredited paternal child abuse cover-up "Parental Alienation Syndrome" (PAS) methodology" 1) I've yet to encounter a fathers' rights activist who wasn't quite happy to recognize PAS and support an open discussion of how to deal with it. 2) Discredited? I don't think so. 3) Methodology? What can she mean?

"published incest advocate Dr. Richard Gardner". Another one from the hysteria mill. It is worth noting that Gardner is dead and unable to defend himself and a careful reading of what he wrote quickly shows that he did not advocate incest at all.

"PAS is based on the twisted notion a father is innocent of child abuse because the mother was upset and complained to authorities." No it isn't. PAS is the systematic alienation of a child from a parent, usually by the other parent. Sometimes this will include false allegations of abuse by the alienating parent.

"Being upset or angry is their definition of lying -- but only for a woman." No dear, not telling the truth is lying. Gender doesn't matter. Men or women can lie. Sometimes very effectively. But not usually as creatively as you.

"The fathers rights allies in Congress and HHS have worked for years to fund millions of dollars in specialized programs granted to state courts and social agencies for services such as enforcing noncustodial parents visitation and responsible fatherhood." Er, why is this bad? 'Besides, given the millions spent on enforceing child support obligations, you'd think it would be fair to make sure the other side played ball as well. Hm?

It goes on: various claims of fake statistics, appeals to nonexistent authority, hyperbolic shrieks of indignation etc, etc.

Finally: "Fathers rights activists do have a lot to be scared about. Their scheme is unwinding and some of them will be prosecuted for what they have been doing for many years. "

Oooooh, we're scared, aren't we guys?

Tags: Fathers Rights, Carey Roberts, Parental Alienation Syndrome, False Allegations, False Accusations, Feminist Propaganda