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Vol. 8, No. 7
The Fourteen Percenter
October
2005
A publication for parents on the wrong
side of the standard possession order.
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I see my child two days out of every
fourteen; That’s14%. That's not enough!
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Recital |
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Line-Up |
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His
fingers wrapped like bungee
hooks
Around the cyclone fence.
Face pressed grotesquely through
wire mesh.
Eyes straining toward early SUVs
worming to the pick-up door. |
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Who would come for him?
Would he have to stay and line-up
forever
At the swings, at the fountain,
at the restroom
Before forced naptime for the
afternoon? |
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"Those of you whose parents
did not come,
Over here with me!" a perky
afternoon worker called
And into line he went from his
fence vigil -
The line of leftover children,
unclaimed, staying late. |
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After his turn on the swing,
then water and the bathroom,
Music started and he lined up
to collect his pallet for rest-time.
Lights dimmed and workers walked
around enforcing quiet.
He rested, then slept, dreaming
of an early dismissal. |
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In his dream, his mother came
to pick him up -
Then his father - a mix-up in
custody arrangements.
Suddenly he began to cry out in
his daycare naptime.
A gentle childcare worker asked
him what was wrong. |
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He tried to tell her his dreamtime
dread,
Explain the vision of his divided
parents
Both waiting to take him to his
separate homes.
All he said in quivering voice,
"I don't know where to line
up!" |
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By Jane C. Perdue, |
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Resources |
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The Fourteen
Percenter is an international
newsletter that seeks to promote
equal parenting rights in the
US, the UK, and worldwide. We
welcome feedback, as well as
any article, poem, or review
relating to the child-parent
bond. Send your letters
to
. The
Fourteen Percenter thanks
A-1 Product Distribution for
donation of their printing services.
Typesetting, binding, and laminating
are other services available
at 2015 McCullough in San Antonio,
TX. Contact 210-734-9355, 800-652-8477,
or
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Reprints |
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Name
Calling in Kentucky |
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The Courier-Journal
of Louisville, KY, recently
ran several stories about “deadbeat
dads,’ then proceeded to post
their names ( ,
,
).
Finally, one editor ran an excerpt
of the following letter at |
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Dear Editor, |
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I believe
it was a wise Kentuckian who
once said, "What's good
for the goose is good for the
gander."
How about publishing the names
of the malicious mothers who
refuse to let their children
see their dads?
There are more 'Genghis Moms'
who violate the same divorce
decree by parental alienation
than there are 'Beat-dead Dads'
who cannot afford to pay some
court's unrealistic demand of
child support.
Children need both parents!
How about an article about that?
Don Mathis, the 14%er |
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Fathers
for Justice in Corrie Protest |
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The Manchester Evening News
ran a story about the latest antics
of F4J,
. Among the feedback was this:
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A man costumed
as an alien space invader protested
at the Granada Studios in support
of a fictional character who
was portrayed as being cheated
out of time with his child by
a vindictive ex-girlfriend.
The reality is - too many children
are denied time with caring,
loving fathers by similar vindictive
ex-wives and girlfriends. By
their actions, these women demonstrate
they care little for their children's
emotional lives.
Laws should be changed to provide
penalties for such people who
flout custody orders. Children
need both parents!
Don, the 14%er, San Antonio,
Texas, USA |
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Who’s
Really Screwing Up America? |
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The Fourteen Percenter
answered J.D. Mullane’s
question in the Bucks County
Courier Times,
. |
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J.D.
Mullane's article, "Who's
really screwing up America?,"
while factual on many accounts
(85 percent of all children
who have behavioral disorders
come from fatherless homes),
is way off base when it comes
to who is at fault for breaking
up the home.
Consider the mother who walks
away from the father with 'her'
kids. This is an accepted fact
of life in our society. In fact,
she is rewarded for it in the
form of alimony and child support.
You wrote, "Deadbeat dads
encounter few social penalties..."
when 'they' abandon their children.
I am really at a loss to understand
how a man who cannot pay child
support encounters few social
penalties.
Did you know the dad who financially
abandons his children (even
if his job is downsized, he
gets sick, or his Reserve unit
is activated) is made into a
criminal by the laws of the
land and then called names by
media types like yourself? Are
you aware that he can lose a
variety of licenses if he cannot
pay? Did you know he will be
assessed interest on the arrears
at an amortization schedule
that is way beyond reality?
Oh yeah, did I mention he can
be imprisoned for failure to
pay regardless of the reason?
You state, "The easiest
thing for a man to do is abandon
his children." No, Mr Mullane,
the easiest thing for a woman
to do is abandon the father
of their children. And then
the State will jump in and reward
her for this. And then the Media
will jump in and vilify the
excluded ex-husband.
I am glad you quoted a few statistics
about the effects of fatherlessness
(i.e., 90 percent of all runaway
children are from fatherless
homes). The issue of fatherlessness
is the problem that should be
addressed.
As you state, "71 percent
of all high school dropouts
come from fatherless homes."
Yet, how many school districts
have a policy that encourages
the noncustodial parent to be
involved in their child's academic
life? How many schools invite
the noncustodial parent to Open
House, to PTA, to purchase his
kids' school portrait?
Why is it that every state has
an Attorney General who will
enforce the Mom's right to collect
money from the Dad, but will
do nothing to ensure that Dad
will get to see his kids if
some Malicious Mom interferes
with his period of possession?
It is obvious that the Mom who
abandons her husband and pushes
him out of the kids' lives encounters
few social penalties.
You will not have to dig far
to discover that your statement
'Government data shows many
men have abandoned their children'
is misleading. Check your local
court records (as well as that
of the Nation's) and you will
see the majority of divorces
are filed by women.
And the reasons they file is
not for major stuff like, "He
hit me" or "He's a
cheater." It's usually
for more mundane stuff like,
"I'm just not in love anymore"
or the always nebulous, "Irreconcilable
differences."
Please have Mr Mullane pull
his reigns in about attacking
the 'Beat Dead Dad.' If he wants
a real beast to whip, have him
go after the 'Genghis Mom' who
restricts the time the kids
can spend with Dad. Children
need both parents - and not
just for the money. |
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Read
– Book Blurbs
Letters from Dad, by Greg Vaughn
with Fred Holmes |
|
What began
as a passion in the heart of
a father of seven has led to
a new men’s movement. Not since
Promise Keepers has such a men’s
phenomenon occurred. With 77
million baby boomers, many are
asking "How do I leave
something of lasting value to
my children and grandchildren?"
Letters From Dad is the book
that unlocks the hearts of fathers
and helps them leave a legacy
of faith, hope and love. Just
as God has written us a love
letter called the Bible, fathers
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love and blessing. Men are experiencing
revitalization in their marriages
and relationships with their
children after attending Letters
From Dad seminars. Now for the
first time, this remarkable
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in book form. Greg Vaughn, the
founder of Letters from Dad,
has spent 30 years creating
companies that have impacted
our world for Christ. He is
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the world. Through his marketing
and distribution center in Texas,
he works with over 85,000 churches.
He and his wife Carolyn have
seven awesome children and live
in Richardson, Texas.
See
for more reviews. |
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Rewrite
this Letter |
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Dear President
Bush,
As the Violence Against Women
Act comes up for another extension,
I wonder how many innocent fathers
have been falsely accused, had
perjured protective orders served
on them and then had their parental
rights trampled on?
How many children have been
robbed of having a father because
some women want to get the upper
hand in divorce proceedings
and are willing to use a good
law for ill purpose? How many
innocent dads have found themselves
in jail for wanting to see their
children and spend time with
them?
What society needs is a Violence
Against Spouses Act. Any act
that does not honor the constitutional
rights of the accused is not
honorable and fails to provide
equal protection under the law.
I regard the rights of all equally.
Unfortunately, the VAWA doesn't
honor men's rights equally.
Instead, it robs many fathers
of their constitutional rights
and consequently their precious
parental rights in custody and
visitation proceedings.
The name of the act is sexist
and gender-biased, implying
that only women need protecting.
Everyone needs protection against
domestic violence, especially
children, and this act
ignores the fact that women
are the major perpetrators of
child abuse.
Equal protection should be for
all, including the accused.
We cannot destroy the rights
of others without losing our
own. Please allow the Violence
Against Women Act to expire.
Don Mathis |
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