Man's fight to father children. After 6 year custody battle, law will give children to strangers than to father. America's war on men continues.

Marilolli · 2012-04-11T14:58:01+00:00

"Crepau said the cases in which a father intervenes are not frequent, but when they do occur the effects on the adoptive parents are devastating."

TOO FUCKING BAD.

bovedieu · 2012-04-11T13:16:26+00:00

I like how blunt the first line of the story is. Lawmakers are protecting the rights of mothers and taking away a father's right to choose. It's no rights for men, only responsibilities.

One of the responsibilities for a man to stop an adoption is prenatal financial support. He didn't even know if the child was his. He didn't know if she was going to have the baby or have an abortion. Again, it's her body, her choice, our responsibility.

ThereIsAThingForThat · 2012-04-11T14:45:55+00:00

Rep. Rory Ellinger, D-University City, said he is strongly against the bill. He said in the case of a woman getting pregnant and deciding not to tell the father, that this bill would not only deprive the man of the right to be a father, but would also get him out of his duty to pay child support.

I don't know if I should be happy that this guy is against the bill, or sad because of his reasons.

nutlessroach · 2012-04-11T15:50:29+00:00

“It (the bill) spells out what a father needs to do to protect his constitutional parental rights,” Beck said.

I did not know that you had to protect constitutional rights. Always thought those were given equally to all. Guess not.

If they really wanted to fix this, they would amend the 15 day after birth law to declare a father to allow for the results of a pending DNA test. In the Lentz case it would have cleared it up very easily.

Rhynovirus · 2012-04-11T15:08:01+00:00

A bill written by a woman for the nation's most backward state. What did you expect?

unkz · 2012-04-11T16:46:43+00:00

[permanently deleted]

Jimmysal · 2012-04-11T21:11:13+00:00

TLDR:

Unless (the father can prove, and the court buys it) actively thwarted from doing so by the mother, the father must provide:

Money
Money
Money
Consistent contact and visitation with the child
More money

Ugh. More of the same. And they have the audacity to put contact and visitation almost at the bottom of the list.

AHrubik · 2012-04-11T15:18:49+00:00

The article is poorly written. It uses a shit example of a father wanting proof a child is his before agreeing to be it's legal father. Then goes on to say that in order for the law to be affective the father must not have:

"... previously developed a consistent and substantial relationship with the child."

Which it defines as:

Consistent prenatal financial support
Payment of prenatal and natal medical care for the mother and baby
Child support payments proportional with his ability to pay
Consistent contact and visitation with the child
Assistance with educational and medical care of the child

On top of all that it took the father 6 years to gain custody of a child that he not only claimed but obviously wanted from potential adoptive parents who had no legal claim to the child.

I highly doubt a father who abandons the mother during pregnancy or afterwards would seek custody of a child and it seems this law puts in danger the rights of fathers who do want their children.

The level of bullshit being shoveled in Missouri is astounding. Either biological parent should get first crack at a child before the state intervenes.

RickySuela · 2012-04-12T00:07:06+00:00

The bill seeks to express clearly the actions a father must take to develop a consistent and substantial relationship.

Unless actively thwarted from doing so by the mother, the father must provide:

Consistent prenatal financial support

Payment of prenatal and natal medical care for the mother and baby

Child support payments proportional with his ability to pay

Consistent contact and visitation with the child

Assistance with educational and medical care of the child

If they are going to use these criteria to determine whether a man can retain custody of his own child after it is born, I think they should also use these same criteria to determine if a woman can sue the father for child support. If using these criteria he hasn't sought to "develop a consistent and substantial relationship" with the child, then he should be absolved of all financial obligations as well as being denied all parental rights.

After all, if the woman could give birth to the child and then just give it up for adoption even without the father's permission (thus absolving herself of all financial obligations in exchange for surrendering all parental rights), then why shouldn't the father be able to do the same?

Unenjoyed · 2012-04-11T22:00:48+00:00

“We won’t have close cases anymore*

*Mary Beck, author of the legislation and law school professor

If establishing rigid rules is more important than a parent's custody, then perhaps the legislation could stand a better review for the consequences it will unleash.

2012-04-12T14:11:09+00:00

For your sake, I pray not.

Alanna · 2012-04-12T18:47:30+00:00

Wow this is fucked up. To all the feminists who have argued with me over the months that women can't unilaterally adopt out their babies-- fuck you.

I'm glad it was pointed out (though a MUCH bigger deal should have been made):

He said he would suggest changing “actively thwarted by the mother or the child,” to include other entities, such as the court or prospective adoptive parents. Arnold said in the Lentz case, the court and the prospective adoptive parents thwarted Lentz from consistent contact and visitation with the child by limiting his visitation.

Will it count if the mother gets constant emergency protective orders against him? Or will that be considered "discouraging women in danger from seeking help?"

Edit: I was actually going to downvote for the hyperbolic "war on men" phrasing, but I'm not going to nitpick about such an outrageous issue over a little sensationalism.

Embogenous · 2012-04-11T14:13:11+00:00

"War on men" is no less stupid than "war on women", and will be received far worse.

kragshot · 2012-04-11T17:16:18+00:00

[permanently deleted]

Title	Man's fight to father children. After 6 year custody battle, law will give children to strangers than to father. America's war on men continues.
Author	TerriChris
Upvotes	351
Comments	80
Date	April 11, 2012 12:45 PM UTC (14 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/MensRights
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/MensRights/comments/s48p0/mans_fight_to_father_children_after_6_year/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/MensRights/mans-fight-to-father-children-after-6-year-custody.1024244 https://theredarchive.com/post/1024244

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