The rise of mid-life lesbians?

I kid you not - preceded by the outing of Meridith BAXTER (Micheal J. FOX's mom on 1980's Family Ties TV show) the article can not congratulate themselves enough for the new improvement to "women's liberation".  It refers to the many middle aged women who are joyously escaping dead-end marriages and children in a new wave of late-flowering lesbians.

Actress Sharon STONE claims she has had her best dates with butch dykes because "they know how to take control.  Men, on the other hand, she declared, have become “much more ‘fem’. They don’t know who to be and how to get their life together, and they can’t make a decision, and I find that such a turn-off."

Hopefully their abandoned husbands will get a nice settlement out of them?   And - in the intrest of equal time - this other article may temper the celebration.

Birth mother loses child custody to former lesbian partner

MONTPELIER, Vt. Dec 29, 2009 — The birth mother of a 7-year-old Virginia girl must transfer custody of the child to the woman’s former lesbian partner, a Vermont judge has ruled.   Vermont Family Court Judge William Cohen ordered Lisa Miller of Winchester, Va., to turn over daughter Isabella to Janet Jenkins of Fair Haven at 1 p.m. Friday at the Virginia home of Jenkins’ parents.

Miller and Jenkins were joined in a Vermont civil union in 2000. Isabella was born to Miller through artificial insemination in 2002. The couple broke up in 2003, and Miller moved to Virginia, renounced homosexuality and became an evangelical Christian.   In the Dec. 22 order denying Miller’s request to delay the transfer of Isabella, Cohen wrote: “It appears that Ms. Miller has ceased contact with her attorneys and disappeared with the minor child.”   

Liberty Counsel attorneys who have represented Miller in the past did not immediately respond to telephone messages left Tuesday by The Associated Press.    A listing for Lisa Miller in Winchester, Va., says the phone line has been temporarily disconnected at the customer’s request.    Jenkins’ attorney, Sarah Star, said she hopes Miller is simply not communicating with her attorneys but plans to comply with the order.

“It is Ms. Jenkins’ intent when she has custody of Isabella to allow as liberal contact as is possible with her other mother,” Star said Tuesday.    When Cohen dissolved the civil union, he awarded custody to Miller but granted liberal visitation rights to Jenkins.    The supreme courts of Virginia and Vermont ruled in favor of Jenkins, saying the case was the same was a custody dispute between a heterosexual couple. The case was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to hear arguments on it.

Feminists Psychoanalyze Themselves - Nov 2009 UPDATE

Phyllis SCHLAFLY has made some good points here - and as indicated, it is an UPDATE!   Here are some excerpts:

Feminists Are Still Unhappy

• A report issued by National Bureau of Economic Research and published in the American Economic Journal called "The Paradox of Declining Female Happiness," concludes that women's happiness has measurably declined since 1970. Since this study covers the same time period as the rise of the so-called women's liberation movement, the feminists recognized it as a challenge to the goals and alleged achievements of their movement.  
• In the pre-1970 era, when surveys showed women with higher levels of happiness, most men held jobs that enabled their wives to be fulltime homemakers. At the same time, the private enterprise system produced many products that make household work and kiddie care easier (such as dryers, dishwashers, and paper diapers). [Editor: Doesn't sound very green to me!] 
• Carolyn Graglia's landmark book, Domestic Tranquility: A Brief Against Feminism, explains that the chief purpose of the feminists was to make the role of fulltime homemaker economically untenable and socially disdained. 
• But consider:
• The Equal Pay Law was passed in 1963, but requires equal pay only for equal work, and women in the labor force don't work nearly as many hours per week as men do, and women voluntarily choose jobs that pay less.
• Women are now half the labor force and 40% of women are essential family breadwinners.
• On college campuses women make up 60% of enrollment and earn the majority of degrees.
• In the current recession, the majority of workers laid off have been men (especially from construction and manufacturing). Jobs where women predominate have not been much affected.
• Strong efforts are underway to make the workplace EVEN more female-friendly with Title IX quotas being implemented in University STEM placements and High School sports.
• Only one sentence in all these feminist articles confronts the fundamental reason why today's women are not as happy as women were in 1972.  Time Magazine wrote: "Among the most dramatic changes in the past generation is the detachment of marriage and motherhood."

Feminist Attack on Marriage

• Betty Friedan started the feminist movement in the late 1960s with her book The Feminine Mystique, which created the myth that suburban housewives were suffering from "a sense of dissatisfaction" with their alleged-to-be-boring lives.
• To liberate women from the home that Friedan labeled "a comfortable concentration camp," the feminist movement worked tirelessly to make the fulltime homemaker dissatisfied with her role. A job in the labor force is upheld as so much more fulfilling than tending babies and preparing dinner for a hard-working husband.
• Harvard Professor Harvey Mansfield's book entitled Manliness includes a most informative chapter called "Womanly Nihilism." Mansfield rightly concludes that the 20th-century feminist intellectuals, such as Simone de Beauvoir, Betty Friedan, Kate Millett and Germaine Greer, wanted independence not only from men, but from morality and from human nature and motherhood.
• That's what the feminist movement did to America. All those impressive statistics about women holding well-paying jobs and receiving college degrees will not produce happy women as long as 39% of children are born to unmarried mothers who lack a loving husband.
  

Government's Role in Marriage

• The feminists also reject choice in gender roles.   According to feminist ideology, the only gender-specific characteristic is that men are naturally batterers who make all women victims. 
• Women's Studies courses require students to accept as an article of faith the silly notion that gender differences are not natural or biological but are social constructs created by the patriarchy and ancient stereotypes.
• The feminists have carried on a long-running campaign to make husbands and fathers irrelevant and unnecessary except to provide a paycheck. Most divorces are initiated by women.
• More women than men request same-sex marriage licenses in Massachusetts so that, with two affirmative-action jobs plus in vitro fertilization, they can create a "family" without husbands or fathers.
• With easy divorce and illegitimacy (39% of American births are now born to single moms), millions of women are raising kids without a husband and therefore expect Big Brother government to substitute as provider. 
• So Feminists demand that the taxpayers provide high-quality daycare and paid family leave, that new laws prohibit employers from ordering women to work overtime (as men are often required to do).

Attitude is the problem with feminists; as long as they believe they are victims of an oppressive patriarchy, they will never be successful. 

20 years is enough wailing and gnashing of teeth

Again, Johnathon KAY has nailed it - here (How did the École Polytechnique anniversary get transformed into a festival of cynical, hyperfeminist propaganda?) - and has managed to juxtapose the hypocrisy of feminists who elevate the murder of innocents into a gender war.

KAY discloses that he was actually nearby at McGill studying Engineering at the same time - and he or his colleagues (male & female) never considered it a "female" tragedy. Despite my distance from the event at the time, it was exactly my feelings as well. He concludes:

Lépine was a one-off, mentally disturbed child-abuse victim and social reject who conjured bizarre conspiracy theories about women he'd never met — in the same evil way that Virginia Tech gunman Seung-Hui Cho said he hated "rich kids" and "charlatans." To connect his views to the prejudices and allegedly misogynistic policies of society-at-large is absurd. Yet every December 6, this is exactly what many commentators do.

This event is beginning to generate more adverse press every year and I think it is starting to be self-defeating propaganda.  How is it that changes in treatment have not adopted new, more effective protocols?   They are being held back by the feminist intellectual ghetto.

Note the comments collected by ZERBASIAS throughout the year and presented - out of context and representative of angry out control men.  It is evidence that there is NO POINT in sending flaming emails to her when she makes inflammatory comments.

Wife hires hitman to kill ex-husband - daughter assisted?

Ok, how old is the daughter?  If she is 14 or younger it is PAS. I hope they put this women away if this case comes close to as recounted here. I am taking bets if the defense claims "he deserves it due to BLAH, BLAH, BLAH". The line is 9:1
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peterborough Examiner - Dec 10, 2009
By ANDREA HOUSTON , EXAMINER STAFF WRITER

The 47-year-old woman charged with conspiracy to commit murder will return to Ontario Court of Justice on Jan. 12, 2010.

Crystal Tinor and her daughter Ashley were charged Nov. 16 after city police said they attempted to hire a hitman to kill 48-year-old Mario Tinor, Crystal's husband and Ashley's father. Police said they were notified on Nov. 9 by a third party, who knew about the plan. An undercover officer then portrayed himself as a potential hitman that the women were trying to hire, police said. Police said the daughter helped set up the meeting and the mother told the undercover officer she wanted her husband killed.

Another curious case of the abuse of power by the state

Ok, this is weird.  While I was I looking contact info on an MP near me - James RAJOTTE , I just punched him into Google.  As usual I got the typical hodge-podge of links but the one that caught my eye was www.howdtheyvote.ca.  As it happens, I had visited something like that in the US in the past and was pleasantly surprised and interested to see that a Canadian "clone" was available.

It is great.  It is a non-partisan, open-source site and has recorded all of the votes that have taken place and has a number of other great resources on MP's, legislation and Hansard statements/records.  If possible I will volunteer to help. I would like to see something like it in Alberta.

Anyways - that is not the abuse, this is:


One can not help but admire this young women for doing her homework and discovering massive lapses in logic that seem to elude her supposed "betters" in the OPP, Ontario Legislature and Parliament. She discusses many different cases - all related to crazy, over zealous gun control issues that appear to want to remove guns from ordinary, law abiding citizens many of whom need guns for protection in rural and remote area's.  The most shocking abuses seem reserved for those law abiding citizens who are being DEEMED CRIMINALS merely for not want to surrender their personal arms because they doubt the Police Services would actually provide them proper protection.   By removing peoples ability to take such action when the circumstances demand it, we increase reliance reduce personal accountability and independence.  What we get from the Police is Crime Management, not Prevention - because they are too busy having coffee to make the tough arrests.  For more information goto: www.diarmani.com

Ball Tapping? WTF?

This article from Indianapolis IN TV Station WTHR Channel 13 was passed on to me recently:

Statewide survey shows "ball tapping" problem widespread

"Ball tapping" is the act of intentionally hitting or kicking a male in the genitals. Earlier this month, an Eyewitness News investigation showed the game has become commonplace in some area schools, resulting in serious injuries for students.

This brings to mind the recent news item from Vancouver BC last month where a young man reported being kicked in the groin without any warning or provocation by a young women as he walked down a surburban street.  In my opinion, this is just another example of the rising misandry generated by a era of feminist fear-mongering that inspires women to believe all men are violent rapists.

[resource]

Custody battles in the age of Internet chats

I suppose this article is good news, however at the end it reveals that the father who earns $200,000 will pay $7,600 per month in Child support and maintenance for their two children 4 and 7.   That works out to $91,200 per year! Assuming that is all Employment Income he would normally pay $67,500 in combined BC and FED Income Tax leaving $132,500 less amount paid to ex-wife $91,200 = $41,300 per year or $3,400 mth to live on. Perhaps not surprisingly here is article in today's New York Times entitled "Financial Decisions to Make as You Divorce"

It is also shocking that the article refers to many cases in Alberta, Ontatio and elsewhere where mothers have been allowed to move children because they could maintain relationships with fathers by Skype.

Dads battle in memory of lost daughters

Although I feel hounding some Sex Offender (at leat the ones charged in connection with Family breakdown) once they have served their FULL sentence and are NO LONGER DEEMED a risk to the public is wrong, I support these men who's daughter's were murdered by seriously twisted sexual predators while on release or early parole despite being strongly indicated that they were still at risk to offend.

I wonder why and how these terrible decisons are made?  How sucessful are they?  What is the measure of success?   I suggest that the parole bureaucrats be compensated for the number of applications they process (not release) BUT receive claw-backs when they go bad.  Or perhaps that victims families have the ability to sue bureaucrats for negligence in not carrying out their duties.

Here is link to the support group they formed.

Another "Mr. BIG" Prosecution looks doubtful in MB

Following the acquittal of Kyle UNGER three weeks ago another prosecution by longtime Crown Attorney George DANGERFIELD is under review.  It bears the same hallmarks of many other previous mishandled cases by DANGERFIELD - included a RCMP "Mr. BIG" sting.

I can't help but wonder that the crown, eager for victims and to enhance their own reputations advanced cases  on the flimsiest of evidence and got the verdict - should be held more accountable for their actions.  Clearly they have overstepped the boundaries of reasonable evidence gathering.

Crime, Police and Punishment

The "get tough on crime" horse is being beaten again.

1) SQ "Complete Investigations" [Full Pundit - Nov 10] Duly noted  The Montreal Gazette's Henry Aubin reports on depressingly familiar revelations from the inquiry into the shooting death of Freddy Villanueva by police in Montreal North last year. To wit: The Sûreté du Québec officer conducting an “independent” investigation of the matter gave the two officers involved “the opportunity to agree on a common version of the shootings” and meet with a union rep. The investigating officer later claimed, ludicrously, that the departmental policy to the effect officers involved in a shooting be “isolated” from each other really means they should be “isolated” from the scene of the crime. Also, he never interrogated the officers, instead taking their written statements at face value because — are you ready for this? — “we, the police, are honest.” Enough, says Aubin. It could hardly be any clearer that no one benefits when the police investigate themselves. [What a joke]

also

2) Tough on Crime Maclean's John Geddes asks Justice Minister Rob Nicholson for the evidence prepared by the 200-or-so lawyers under his employ to support the tough-on-crime measures in question. Mr. Nicholson's office concedes there is no such evidence, but argues, in the case of mandatory minimum penalties, that “if judges refuse to hand down sentences that fit the crime, ... the government [has] little choice but to legislate longer prison time.” Alright, says Geddes, so, how long are these too-lenient sentences in question? No idea, says Ottawa, astonishingly. “Nicholson’s office and his departmental officials admit they have not compiled statistics on typical sentences in convictions for most of the crimes they’ve targeted for MMPs.” Just... wow. As Geddes points out, these goobers may actually end up establishing MMPs well below the current average sentence! It's one thing to pursue cynical justice policies, knowing that — in the immortal words of Ian Brodie — it'll only boost Tory fortunes to be criticized by “university types.” It's quite another not even to be able to identify the supposed problem.

3) Jury Changes [CBC Radio - The Current with Anna Maria Tremonti]   The jury pool in Ontario could get a bit smaller in the coming weeks. A government bill now working its way through the Ontario legislature would prevent anyone who has been convicted of a criminal offense from sitting on a jury. The bill echoes a similar law in Alberta that also prohibits anyone facing a criminal charge that has yet to be proven from sitting on a jury. Across the country the rules on who qualifies to sit on juries varies and those convicted of serious criminal offenses with jail terms or hefty fines are usually disqualified.  Sanjeev Anand is concerned that governments are limiting the pool of people who are permitted to sit on juries. He says there are consequences for our justice system. Sanjeev Anand is a Law Professor at the University of Alberta and he was in Edmonton.

4) Gun Registry Last week Gun Registry was put to sleep in a remarkable free vote that saw a number of NDP and Liberals' in favour securing its passage.  Here are some points from the National Post Editorial on the topic. In the event that the federal long-gun registry is finally wiped out (in doubt as it must pass through the Public Safety Committee) after Wednesday’s startlingly strong House of Commons vote in favour of doing so, are there any lessons we can take away in exchange for the $2-billion we expended on the Liberals’ cosmetic Chrétien-era absurdity?

Weighing Life in Prison for Youths Who Didn’t Kill

Quote that caught my eye,

"It just seems to me that if you are going to put someone who is 13 or 14 or 15 or 16 or 17 into prison, you ought to leave them some hope." Retired judge, JOHN R. BLUE, on inmates who are serving life sentences with no possibility of parole for crimes they committed as juveniles in which no one was killed.

There are just over 100 people in the world serving sentences of life without the possibility of parole for crimes they committed as juveniles in which no one was killed. All are in the United States. And 77 of them are in Florida.   The argument being made is that it is contrary to the 8th Amendment forbidding "cruel and usual punishment" to sentence these youths when they may not have the capacity to understand their crime (although it appears this is a  factor taken into consideration in sentencing) or who may be among the few criminals who can be rehabilitated.  And then I thought - and how many are women?

Memorium to David Andrew BAGLEY (1973SEP25 - 2001NOV05)

On Nov 5, 2001 David Andrew BAGLEY was murdered in Latrobe PA. All available evidence pointed pretty convincingly to his former girlfriend, Shirley TURNER - with whom he had just ended their relationship.  Before she was taken into custody and properly investigated for her role in the crime, she fled to her native Newfoundland.  But that was not the end of her crimes.  Extradition proceeding were started but it became known she was pregnant with BAGLEY's baby.  This delayed extradition proceedings  until this baby - to be named Zachary - was born on Aug 18, 2002.

As time drew on many odd behaviours by TURNER became known to those professionals and personal acquaintances around her.   Yet not one seemed inclined to "connect the dots" about her poor mental state.  In particular, as TURNER was a MD and had friends who were also health professionals it seems remarkable than no-one flagged her troubled behaviour as a potential risk for her new baby.  In an exhaustive review of the case by Justice MARKESTEYN issued in 2006, he described TURNER as "in denial about her own state" and that "her own lawyer seemed unaware about her emotional fragility".

After Zachary was born the extradition process was put in motion again and due to the lengthy process, discussions and appeals - the final decision was received around August 15, 2003 as Zachary was almost 13mths.  With the extradition looming, TURNER late on the evening of Aug 17, 2003 drove with her young son near the home of a recent paramour who had also rejected her, gave her infant son Ativan and jumped into the ocean drowning them both.

I would probably not be marking these deaths - despite the terrible tragedy it represented - except to highlight the strange tunnel-vision of authorities who failed to hold this women to the same standards as we know would apply to men.  I suggest such inattention can not be rationally explained as anything but gender discrimination and happens all too often, usually the lethal detriment of men.

In general the whole sorry case is outlined here, GLNL Turner Review and Investigation - Sept 2006. 

• the preferential treatment of women after divorce allowed TURNER to gain financially from child support payments despite not actually looking after or maintaining full custody of her children.
• she married and divorced twice with 3 children.
• she was unfaithful during her marriages with a number of men - often 9-12 yrs younger - which likely contributed to the failure of her marriages.
  
• a poor and neglectful mother who was the subject of child abuse reports - with no consequences
  
• according to her residency supervisor (who himself was a doctor) she exhibited "manipulative, guiltless and psychopathic" behaviour on many occasions. 
• exhibited many classical DV "controlling" behaviour in many of her personal relationships - stalking, persistent phone-calls, unconscionable jealousy, female "territoriality" (highly exclusionary of current and former female relationships), dramatic suicidal threats and gestures etc.

With hindsight, Shirley TURNER was "unbalanced" but as MARKESTEYN stated in his report, she was so skilled at deceptions it would have taken diligent study to determine her "delinquent parenting history or her - in my reserved opinion - seriously dysfunctional psyche".  A sad case at the hands of an truly psychotic women.

[On March 11, 2009 a longtime friend of Andrew BAGLEY screened a documentary film about this whole saga - it was titled  "Dear Zachary" and I am posting on my "Movie's To Watch" sidebar.]

[References: here and here or http://www.dearzachary.com/]

Equal Parenting Amendment - Press Conference Highlights

I apologize for this tardy post.  It has taken me some time to get a copy of this 2009 Jun17 Press Conference held following the First Reading of PMB-C422, introduced by Saskatchewan-Wanuskewin MP, Mr. Maurice VELLACOTT (Cons) with the co-sponsorship of two Quebec members - Laval-Les Iles MP, Mme. Raymonde FALCO (Lib) and Levis-Bellchasse MP, M. Steven BLANEY (Cons).

It is worthwhile viewing all of them as I do not think the Press Conference was widely broadcast and it is quite interesting to see the broad public and political support in Quebec.   In addition, Quebec spokesperson Lise BILODEAU,  ANCQ (L’ACTION DES NOUVELLES CONJOINTES ET NOUVEAUX CONJOINTS DU QUÉBEC) as well as Mme. FALCO and M. BLANEY made of number of important points (in French) in their brief comments.   In addition, the only questions asked was from a member of the french Press - indicating the high level of interest by Quebec on the issue of Equal Parenting

Here are the links:
Clip 1 - Introduction by MP Maurice VELLACOTT (5:52)
Clip 2 - comments by Kristin TITUS, Co-President CEPC (Cdn Equal Parenting Council) (2:49)
Clip 3 - comments by John MENEER, Director CEPC (2:11)
Clip 4 - comments (in french) by Lise BILODEAU, President ANCQ (2:14)
Clip 5 - comments (in french) by MP Raymonde FALCO (3:53)
Clip 6 - comments (in french) by MP Steven BLANEY (3.21) 
Clip 7 - Closing Remarks by MP Maurice VELLACOTT (2:13)
Clip 8 - Q&A (in french) (7:40)

Please refer to other previous posts on this topic - here, here and here.

Man loses testicle after random, vicious kick by women

Clark was walking along 200th Avenue in the Brookswood area of Langley one afternoon in early September when he passed his assailant on the sidewalk.

“I was looking down and then I took a passing glance and saw her walk up to me,” he said.

That’s when the young woman inexplicably kicked him in the groin hard enough to send one of his testicles into his abdomen.

Clark wasn’t aware of the severity of his injury until later that night when he “noticed something was missing.”

Clark wasn’t aware of the severity of his injury until later that night when he “noticed something was missing.”

He consulted his doctor and a specialist, both of whom believed his testicle could be brought down again in surgery.

It wasn’t until he woke up afterwards that he discovered the doctors were wrong — the force of the assault had caused his testicle to rupture. It had to be removed and will be replaced by a prosthetic before Christmas.

“My doctors say I will still be able to have children,” Clark said. “But at 22 that’s not something I want a stranger, this woman, to decide.”

Embarrassed by the situation, Clark didn’t go to the police until nearly four weeks after the attack.

Constables have told him there have been three or four similar assaults on other men, Clark said.

[3-4 similar assaults? And no one has been interviewed? Would that happen if a women was sexually assaulted? (These are clearly gender-based assaults, but a sexual assault on a male can only take place when penetration occurs.) I wonder if the Police issued a bulletin as they have when suspected rapists are in neighborhoods?]

A week of Filicide

The past few weeks have involved a number of horrific cases. In 2 of 3, it can not be ignored that actual or threatened family breakdown was a contributing factor. Obviously, mental instability was also present.

• On Friday Oct 24, Cathie GAUTHIER of Chicoutimi PQ was sentenced in the 1st degree murder of her three children - Joelle, 12, Marc-Ange, 7, and Louis-Philippe, 4 - and her husband, Marc Laliberte on New Years 2008. The murders and her failed suicide attempt were part of an apparent plan between her husband and herself.

• Allan Schoenborn, 41, is facing three first-degree murder charges in the April 2008 killings of Kaitlynne, 10, Max, 8, and Cordon, 5. His case began Monday Oct 26 in Kamloops BC. The man also made a half-hearted attempt on his own life after the massacre but somehow convinced himself that he had to survive or "the truth would not be told." His common-law wife admitted in initial testimony that he could be erratic, but she never suspected that he would be capable of such a horrific crime against his own children. She had made the decision to leave him in Vancouver and had moved to Merritt BC about 7 months before the murders took place, and while he was visiting after finally locating them all.

• On Oct 26, Seow Cheng Sin, mother of a 15-yr old severely autistic son Boon KHOR was charged his murder and is under suicide watch. Apparently she was depressed, distraught and had discussed divorce with her husband, Tony KHOR the day before she moved into a motel and took their son with her. She then took his life.
  

Mr. Big fails again - 14 years later

Yesterday, 39 year old Manitoba man, Kyle UNGER was exonerated for a murder he did not commit but spent 14 years in prison for. He was yet another victim in a series of controversial acquittals that have called into question the RCMP's use of the Mr. BIG "sting" operation. Unlike others, he was not offered any compensation for wrongful prosecution on the grounds that he filed a confession in an attempt to negotiate more favourable terms with the Crown during his trial long ago. Despite his professed innocence, that coaxed "confession" barred him from a suit for "malicious prosecution".

Undoubtedly, this acquittal will bring the "Mr. Big" practice under further review and perhaps require  limitations on it's use - like where there is real, corroborating physical evidence linking a suspect to a crime.

Failure to Launch - Part 2

Robert FULFORD of National Post wrote this piece entitled "The Teen-ification of manhood" which addresses delayed adulthood and the reluctance to accept the responsibilities of maturity - the lagging final installment of a series in triggered by new book "10 Reasons not to have Kids" .

He recounts some of his own adolescence development and states:

"It's hard to remember that, in previous eras, young people longed to escape their parents and set up on their own." and "What are we without real and urgent responsibility? Small and insignificant, useless.”

He concludes that:

"we made a terrible mistake by belittling the value of craftsmanship and manual labour" and suggests we "revive our ancient belief in “work that is meaningful because it is genuinely useful.”

Alberta Prime Time - Equal Parenting Debate

On Thursday Oct 15, 2009 the ACCESS Current Affairs Show "Alberta Prime Time" had a segment on new Equal Parenting Legislation (PMB C-422 in Parliament) sponsored by Saskatoon-Wanuskewin MP Maurice VELLACOTT.

The 15min segment was hosted by Jefferson HUMPHRYS and included Mr. VELLACOTT, Edmonton Lawyer Marie GORDON, Q.C and Calgary Child Psychologist Dr. Jon AMUNDSON.

Here are the two parts.





Here are relevant links:

YouTube Video - Part1 & Part2

Alberta Prime Time - ACCESS Alberta TV
Marie GORDON, Family Lawyer & LEAF Edmonton
Dr. Jon AMUNDSON, Child Psychologist

new email address

As this blog is starting to have a purpose/form - I have finally established it's own email (not unusually, fathers4fairness@gmail.com). This will allow me to keep track of Men's Divorce Issues all in one spot.

Mentoring Experience of Men

This female professional psychiatrist has some very insightful comments about the changing role for men and how we need to recognize, understand and uphold as real contributions of men to families.

Australian Dr Elizabeth Celi - Let Men Be Men - Hear about the Modern Roles of Men.

It is not as simple as not going to the doctor. Mr. Invincible vs Mr. Regular Joe.

Suicide is an indicator. Their strength is turned against them.

Men network for success. Gender boundaries are unclear - hits men harder.

Men get to the point - that is a strength.

Hidden Homeless in Lethbridge

A short series about Homelessness by the Lethbridge TV Station CHAT.

Ed STELMACH Interview

Tonight the Premier will give a "State of the Province" address - it is not live and has been taped and prepared. A few pundits last night claimed there was no way he could "meet expectations".

Here is an interview from only last week.



Energy points:

• $1 Nat Gas price change = $1.1bn (then $6.50, now $4.00)
  
• 1c in fx rate is $220 million (gone from 85c to now 97c).
• NG Producers need to sell gas, facing a surplus.

Healthcare Points:

• Women can't deliver babies in Brooks
• Can't get epidural in Lethbridge
• Long meandering answers - yes or no?
• Graduate 2,000 RN's /year, improve Doctor/patient ratio, primary care network
• Health Budget $13bn - has increased 10%/yr for last few years.
  

Polls support WildRose Alliance

Recent poll shows growing support for WildRose Alliance in Alberta. Here it is.

Here is Global - Edmonton interview of both Leadership Candiates, Danielle SMITH and Mark DYRHOLM. Mark does not come across well. Danielle is great. (I love it when she say's "Big Tent" Party). The PC has had 40 years to have learned how to deal with a boom-bust economy, fix Health Care and not vilify the Oil Industry. Is CSS a "boon doggle"? Program spending needs work.

Reduced Crime = Less Prisons

This article in NY Times entitled "The High Cost of Empty Prisons" caught my eye today. It is a surprise to see the prison population falling. Is this another demographic trend. Should New York be considering turning them into "retirement villas"? (that is only half as funny as intended).

After New York passed the Rockefeller drug laws in 1973, a mandatory sentencing movement swept the country, raising the nationwide prison population to nearly 2.4 million, from 300,000. This experiment in mass incarceration was a failure. There is no conclusive evidence that it enhanced public safety, and some research suggests that time in prison makes people more prone to violence. It wasted billions of dollars a year. And it has devastated the low-income minority communities where most of our prisoners come from.

Something to think about.

Bob Dylan on Woody Guthrie

For those of us who go back that far, both of these musicians were giants of folk music of their time. I ran across this wonderful recording (enhanced into pictograph video by an enterprising individual LymanChandler)

One may ask what has this to do with this blog? My answer is that this poem is a tribute from one man to another. Among men these are important, perhaps difficult displays of emotion. Praise, even faint praise between men is not easily given or sometimes received. In any event, I feel this particular performance is a study in genre to the "Beat Generation" that Woody was part of. It speaks to men and most importantly the journey of manhood. "Robert Zimmerman we never knew ye".



Here is the poem, transcribed.

WildRose Alliance - Danielle SMITH 4 Leader

There is currently a leadership contest underway at WildRose Alliance and I have met and talked to Danielle SMITH about many issues of concern to men in Alberta. I was pleased to find that she had a very solid understanding of the stresses faced by "Second Families" and I have decided to support her and in that spirit I have posted this summary of her speech in Edmonton on Sept 10.

Men's depression is different -- and dangerous

Friday Sept 11 is Global Suicide Awareness Day and there will be a memorial walk at the City Hall in Churchill Square at noon. It is opportune therefore that I received this clip from the Vancouver Sun.

In his aptly-titled book I Don't Want to Talk About It -- Overcoming the Secret Legacy of Male Depression (Scribner, $17.50) Harvard psychotherapist Terrence Real calls chronic depression a "silent epidemic in men." He notes the "problems that we think of as typically male--difficulty with intimacy, workaholism, alcoholism, abusive behaviour, and rage -- are really attempts to escape depression."

Real explains that "women tend to internalize pain,"while "boys, and later men, tend to externalize pain: they are more likely to feel victimized by others and to discharge distress through action." Hence the statistics, which show that women attempt suicide more often than men, yet males actually kill themselves at a rate three to four times higher than females.

13 yr old Dutch girl stopped from sailing around-the-world

When I first heard this story I knew the Canadian media were leaving out something important. This report from the Sydney Morning News reveals that the parents have been divorced for some time. Here was her mothers side.

I think this is a classic case of her playing one mother off against the father - for a change - but I do not for a second think it is a wise idea. Perhaps the father is gambling on her changing her mind after a few weeks crossing the North Atlantic, or him having to come to her aid somehow cementing their bond but given my small sailing experience a 13 year old - girl or boy - lacks the emotional maturity to withstand a solo around the world journey. This is a bad idea and this father should reconsider very carefully what he is doing - and why before he regrets it for the rest of his life. That is what I think anyways.

"Laura has divorced parents and it is very normal for a child of this age to be very loyal to the parent (he or she) is living with," Child Protection spokesman Richard Bakker told The Associated Press.

For once, I agree.

Don't talk to the Police - Part I + II

Thanks to Elusive Wapiti, this series - "Don't talk to the Police" (Part I and Part II).

Remembering that he is an unrepentant Libertarian in Montana should colour strict adherence to his advice - but I think there are some similarities to the Canadian experience. His main points are:

• plead the fifth (if this is not a comedy routine) but remember - not in Canada! However under Sec 7 of The Canadian Charter of Rights we do have the right to remain silent (R. vs Heywood).
• nothing you say in your favour can be used to help you at trial, but anything else will definitely be used against you.
  

Part I


Part II

• 98% confession rate.
  
• develop probable cause and give the crown a GREAT CASE
• many ways to get people to incriminate themselves, and the police are trained to do this.
• Police do NOT do Interrogations (that is a bad, mean Nazi term) they do Interviews.
• An Apology letter as a written confession = convicted.

... and here is an uncooperative women who is tazed after being stopped for speeding (but I think she deserves it for stupidity - don't ever say you weren't warned. Certainly, a man would not have got such a easy time of it.)

Has dating become this predatory, or is this just fiction?

I understand that the term PUA (pick Up Artist) refers to a particularly predatory type of dating action that has become contemporaneously associated with modern feminism, especially the variety of cougars and/or divorced women vicariously seeking love and affection "on their terms". This site seems to cater to this rather unfortunate breed and I would speculate that both get exactly what they deserve.

However, this post gives a pretty good try at deconstructing a book ("The Rules: Time-Tested Secrets for Capturing the Heart of Mr. Right" by Sherrie Schneider and Ellen Fein) that I had heard about many years ago (but of course never read - and a good thing too) that caused a huge degree of excitement among the "Oprah set". That of course was in 1995 (as in that is soo 1995!) so M. BARDAMU (who, if this was 1763 - would closely mirror infamous libertine Marquis de Sade) updates us with the other most recent "Girl Guide" (and movie) entitled "He's Just Not That Into You".

He can be very entertaining, but be warned - this is a very twisted view of life and his gutter language reflects it.

Ohh - well that's OK then.

Officials Weigh Circumcision to Fight H.I.V. Risk
By RONI CARYN RABIN - August 23, 2009

Public health officials are considering promoting routine circumcision for all baby boys born in the United States to reduce the spread of H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS.

Experts are also considering whether the surgery should be offered to adult heterosexual men whose sexual practices put them at high risk of infection. But they acknowledge that a circumcision drive in the United States would be unlikely to have a drastic impact: the procedure does not seem to protect those at greatest risk here, men who have sex with men.

Some 79 percent of adult American men are already circumcised, public health officials say but circumcision rates have fallen in part because the American Academy of Pediatrics, which sets the guidelines for infant care, does not endorse routine circumcision. Its policy says that circumcision is "not essential to the child's current well-being," and as a result, many state Medicaid programs do not cover the operation.

Ohh - well, that's OK then. (And what about a simpler intervention - maybe one that allows personal choice and responsibility - like abstinence or condoms? Sorry, what was I thinking!)

So 79% pay for it themselves now, but after it becomes a "public health issue' the government will pay. Sort of sounds like the early days of abortion on demand.

[Hattip to Calypsoparakeet]

Lovesick - how do men decide to get married

Dr. Helen interviews Alex WELLEN about his book "Lovesick" where he explores how men make the decision to marry. This segment is called "July 31, 2009 - Marriage Myths Dispelled and Does Size (of The Ring) Really Matter?".

• He wrote it because felt there was a misconception about how men feel about marriage - do they have fear of commitment, feel boxed in, or feel lack of assets/employment disqualifies them?.
  
• This is actually a novel - despite doing research that led him to interview many men about their experiences and decisions.
• Questions about doubts about future risks of marriage - worry about divorce, kids, assets etc.
• Seem to get alot of advice from parents, not peers. As well as feedback about their "selection".
• What advice did you find useful? How do men "assess" the right women - points, others opinions, rational/analytical processes?
• What do men get from this? To read a book! (Catcher in the Rye?) that they can identify with.

Alex is an occasional writer with the NYTimes and was a senior producer for CNN "The Situation Room with Wolf BLITZER" - here was one of his pieces I found interesting.

Barbara KAY address the insipid banality of the press

I can't help but admire everything Barbara KAY writes - and I try not to gush believe me - but despite this restraint and her most recent article not being a of critical import to men, she has a very good point!

I wouldn't normally dignify such lifestyle bumf with a column, but it struck me that the hoopla around this silly book falls into a cultural pattern, according to which the media eagerly aggrandize purveyors of utter banality, as long as they are advocating for the abandonment of demonstrably valuable social norms.

and,

[the modern syllogism presented]: Non-reproductive sexuality-pride, infidelity-pride (see Chatelaine's July feature, "An affair to remember"), divorce-pride, anti-children pride: In this topsy-turvy politically correct world, the media have glommed onto the mantra that poor is rich, even if it's only the exhibitionistic, the immature, the egotistical and the narcissistic who keep repeating it.

How true.

Another DV Myth - for the police

Another DV Myth "debunked" by Glenn SACKS.

"Domestic violence situations are, by far, the number one reason that police officers are wounded on duty."

From Milwaukee WI "Domestic Violence Calls No. 1 Cause Of Police Injuries, Experts Say" but who are these "experts"? Employee's from a Women's Shelter would be the last I would call "expert" and surely a journalist would realize they are merely promoting their own interests by inciting fear over DV (Doesn't anyone ever fact/gut check anymore?)

So ok, True or False? Actually it is hard to say from the FBI Stats. Factually "Disturbances" DO PRODUCE THE LARGEST NUMBER of assaults upon police, but there are a few caveats.

1) The "Disturbance" category is NOT ALL "Domestics" - it includes "Regular" disturbance (bar fight, person with firearm, etc.) as well. Hence we can not attribute ALL THE Assaults' to "Domestic Disturbances". We do not have this breakdown.

2) Likewise, Injury's are not broken-down within the total so we have no idea of the number of injuries from ANY Distrubance - Regular or Domestic - as it is not disclosed. Overall for 2007 there were Total Assaults of 59, 201 which led to 15,749 injury's (26.6% of Assaults). (Out of 57 Fatalities in 2007 only 5 were from Disturbances - see data here).

3) To claim DV calls are the MOST DANGEROUS (or even MOST LETHAL) requires the "rate of incidence" or Assaults/Injuries per Service Call - which is not provided by the FBI data.

So despite Glenn's contention it is hard to tell. Glenn's post claims that the FBI Stats on Police Assaults and Deaths show this not to be true, but I am afraid these tables lack the correct data to corroborate that claim. In fact they parallel the Women's Shelter story BUT ONLY because "Disturbances" (including Domestic Disturbances) account for 31.7% of all Assaults upon Police while on duty. As such it is true that "Disturbances" cause the largest number of police assaults incidents among the 10 circumstances recorded - including Robbery, Traffic Incidents, Ambush and others.

However as it turns out Glenn's comments WERE TRUE in referring to a study carried out by a few enterprising criminologists to establish this useful measure in 1994;

The contribution of domestic violence calls to the danger of police work has been a matter of major concern to police, policy makers, and researchers for decades. Building on prior research, the authors examine three years of data on police calls for service, assault, and injury to determine the danger of domestic violence in relation to other types of calls. Of the 10 categories of police activity examined, domestic disturbance ranked fourth in the ratio of assaults to calls for service and fifth in the ratio of injuries to calls for service. No significant differences were observed in the background characteristics of victims and offenders in domestic disturbance and other incidents. Consequently it was recommended that policies to enhance officers' safety be directed mainly at handling incidents in general rather than being geared specifically to responding to domestic disturbances.

[From "The relative contribution of domestic violence to assault and injury of police officers" by J. David Hirschel; Charles W. Dean; and Richard C. Lumb of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte - Published in the journal Justice Quarterly, Volume 11, Issue 1 March 1994 , pages 99 - 117]

Boy's reading ability worse than girls in Ontario

In the Winnipeg Free Press last week, this article entitled Closing the Gender Gap on Reading describes a study to uncover how to improve boy's reading ability - which continues to lag girls and has in fact gotten worse.

"The gap actually tends to grow as kids get older," Klinger said. Nobody seems to know exactly why.

The education equality office "would like to reduce the gender gap, but we've said to them that you can't even begin to address that until you understand it," he said.

"So that's what we're working on. Don't expect the answers yet because we're only now starting to look at this. This has not been on the radar really until the last five years. It's a really complex problem."

When I asked Klinger why Ontario was able to close the gender gap in math but not the one in reading, he replied, "Because we focused for years on the needs of girls."

Interesting if not candid admission.

Some more truths about IPV

Harry CROUCH of the Men's Legal Defense Group in California presents a brief essay about the real truths about IPV. It has a number of useful links and is brief and to the point. In particular it is worth remembering that California was the battleground where Women's Shelters have been forced to open services to men or have their funding retracted. They are appealing the ruling.

In addition was this article by Gerhard Amendt that (fairly accurately) describes Women's Shelters in Germany to Misandry Training Centers. Of course the same could be said about Canada. He suggests changing this mandate to become Family Conselling Centers open to men, women and families. His [translated] website is here.

Another strange US/Canada domestic homicide

Ryan Alexander Jenkins , formerly of Calgary AB has had an arrest warrant issued in the US for the suspicious murder of his swim-suit model wife, Jasmine Fiore in LA. Her body was found gruesomely mutilated supposedly to hinder identification but which was foiled by the serial numbers on her breast implants.

Jenkins is the son of a well-known and affluent architect in Calgary. Ryan has not been apprehended and it is claimed he is "armed and on the run". This can not end well as currently scripted but I hope we shall learn more.
It presents another sad cross-boarder intrigue.

Excessive Child Support Awards lead to violence

This movie - Support? System Down - was ready for release last year (Sept 2008) and starts with footage shot by a TV crew inside the Tyler TX courthouse when David Hernandez Arroyo Sr. began his shooting rampage on Feb 24, 2005 that eventually left his ex-wife, a bystander who attempted to intervene and himself - dead.

It highlights the problems faced by many men (and some women). Recently in Atlanta GA, Frank HATLEY was released from jail after 13 mths imprisonment for non-payment when it was proven by DNA tests the child he had been paying for for 23 years was not actually his.

We have similar situations here in Alberta.

[thanks to Paul RAEBURN's blog "About Fathers" for these stories]

Nancy COOPER Murder - 1 year later

Newspapers in Raleigh NC continue to publicize all of the summonses the Raleigh/Durham Police make in gathering evidence against the prime suspect - her former husband, Brad. The latest refer to subpoena's for computer hard-drives.

On the anniversary of her death - July 15 - Nancy COOPERS parents, Gary & Donna RENTZ of Edmonton AB were in Raleigh NC to witness the inaugural fun-run to raise money for women affected by IPV.

Brad denies involvement in his former wife's death but according to police - he has not been "cooperative" (which could mean not answering questions without a lawyer present). Because of the couple's Canadian roots there is a lot of interest in this case. Nancy father Gary was a fairly high up manager within Alberta Family Services for a number of years.

Here is some comments about the case from a Canadian advocate for stronger parole conditions by Carolyn Gardner who's sister was murdered by a violent serial killer in Toronto in 1989. She has no connection apart from being a vociferous supporter of prosecutions for IPV. (Hard to argue with so long as it is not gender biased.)

Another news item was this:

A woman who helped in the rape, torture and murder of an Alberta man has requested full parole, according to Parole Board documents. Yvonne Johnson, who has been helping care for two grandchildren on day parole, has been treated for depression. She was convicted of first-degree murder for her part in the death of Leonard (Chuck) Skwarok in a basement in Wetaskiwin, Alta., in 1989.

There was a fair bit of disagreement about Yvonne JOHNSON take on Chuck from his family at http://hisnameischuck.org

So You Think You Can Divorce!

A lighter moment. A sequel to their "Wedding" - which was pretty inspired!

JK Divorce Entrance Dance @ Yahoo! Video

Indigo Productions, a successful New York-based production company, has created a divorce court parody of the video that mimics the wedding party dancing down a church aisle to Chris Brown's hit "Forever." [nice touch!]

(I like the paralegals and court clerks best.)

Perfect example of feminist spin

I suppose I am as guilty as anyone of being taken in by hyperbole and sometimes may have confused bluster for bombast and conviction. But given the sad development last week in Smith AB where a grandfather Ian PAGET, allegedly murdered his wife, daughter, and grand-daughter and then committed suicide - it seems premature, not to mention unseemly for this feminist blogger from the United States [apparently] to be making PRONOUNCEMENTS LIKE THIS within days of the discovery:

"Would this have happened if Terry Eliuk had just let his ex-wife and children leave? (Notice that this story is only a slight variation on usual the family annihilator theme of blaming the female victims. In this case the media reports their ostensible spendthrift habits, and hints at the maternal grandmother's wanting to leave, but says absolutely nothing about the genderized killings, while the men try to "understand" each other's stressors.)"

This is beyond distasteful and heaps a different kind of "abuse" on an indignity to suggest that Terry ELIUK was to blame. In fact is not a stretch to say he saved his son from his sister Misty's fate. But, sad to say I am not surprised as many of these feminist bloggers do little more than shill for their radical sisters inserting spin where none exists. There has been an awful crime committed, but we will never learn the real reasons why and certainly not from those most affected by it.

Also, please note that there are NO excoriating comments on the aforementioned blog about football star Steve McNair's murderous girlfriend who shot him 4 times while asleep before turning the gun on herself. Or former wife of Artuo GATTI, one of the most exciting young lightweight boxers ever from Montreal who was found dead - apparently at his own hand after failing to quell his wife's marital dissatisfaction and the wealthy life he gave her. Or Quebec women, Louise DESNOYERS who drowned her eight-year-old son in August 2006 and was sentenced last month, but was unable to follow through with her own planned suicide. Or Adele SORELLA of Laval QC, who murdered her two daughters on April 2, 2009 and then carelessly crashed her Lexus into a wall. Or Michelle CAMIRE of Winnipeg MB who admitting battering one of her 3 newborns on Oct 22, 2004 and called 911 to admit as much. Or ..... I could go on but why depress oneself.

[archive of articles in scribd]

Dads on the Air - Canadian Show

I recently learned about a top rated radio program for fathers in Australia called Dad's on the Air (www.dadsontheair.net) because tonight they were supposed to be streaming a live radio show over the internet with a number of high profile Canadian Guests. (Unfortunately, I could not get the feed. I am sure I can listen to the podcast in a few days and will link whe available. The program airs on www.893fm.com.au.)

Anyways, the show runs weekly and podcasts each program. A few weeks ago (July 7, 2009) they featured Canadian MP, Maurice VELLACOTT - who of course is the sponsor of C422 - The Equal Parenting amendment. He was ok.

Much more interesting in my opinion were the 2 other guests - Michael Green and Sue Price.

Sue PRICE is a director of The Men's Rights Agency, and she gace an interesting rundown of the Australian Ombudsman's Office recent negative review of the Child Support Agency (CSA) which found poor and inconsistently followed protocols. It was Deja Vue all over again and felt just like home!

Michael GREEN has co-written a book on Shared Parenting, just published in the USA. He spoke at length about the benefits of Shared Parenting.

This is a group worth hearing.

NDVH makes surprising admission

Glenn SACKS had this post today from the San Luis Obispo Tribune:

Men are often silent victims of domestic violence

It mentions the U.S National Domestic Violence Hotline (www.NDVH.org) but notice that it's a helpline for "domestic violence," but if you want to know whether you're a victim, "violence" all of a sudden becomes "abuse." And there are 15 sets of things that can constitute "abuse," but only one of them is physical violence.

That's absolutely standard procedure on sites like the NDVH's. There's a seamless and (the organization hopes) unnoticed transition from violence to abuse which miraculously consists almost not at all of actual violence. Thus is the definition of "violence" expanded beyond all recognition. Thus is the number of victims increased accordingly. Thus is the funding for "domestic violence" programs, shelters, etc. also increased.

However, the Top 3 Reasons Men stay with their abusers?

1. Protecting their children.

Fearing the courts will automatically give custody to the mother, the father worries that his children will be abused if they leave the family home.

2. Assuming blame.

In this situation, men buy into the woman's reasons for delivering abuse rather than recognizing the abuse is unreasonable. This trait is common among both women and men.

3. Dependency.

The man is dependent on the woman for financial, social, or emotional support and fears the loss of such if he leaves the relationship. This trait, too, is shared between women and men suffering abuse.

I didn't expect to see that.

Obama's betrayal of the working-class male

Carey Roberts article is great. Among the best points:

• A "man-cession in the lipstick economy." - many more men are being affected by this recession (construction and manufacturing, traditional male dominated industry's) than for women - health care and education (government services)
• Male unemployment is 10.5% and for Women 8.0% - is the largest gap since 1948.
• Stimulus programs not going to "shovel-ready" projects. A significant amount is going to feminist sanctioned projects. In Mississippi only 13% of Federal Stimulus funds are going to road construction.
• Irony is men propelled Obama to victory in 10 of 17 close states and more (49%) supported Obama/Biden than McCain/Palin (48%)

As Phyllis SHADFLY suggests "this discrimination will make men, husbands and fathers irrelevant as family providers."

[download article from scribd]

Undoing a smear

A quiet legal victory occurred here in June 2009. Dr. Ferrel CHRISTENSEN accepted a settlement in a defamation lawsuit against the National Post and Canwest Global Communications for untrue allegations made against him in an article entitled “Scandal taints fathers' rights group” published April 17, 2001. Dr. CHRISTENSEN received a full written retraction, the right to publicise all documents that had been revealed during the course of the case, as well as an amount of money which far exceeded his legal expenses of $100,000 (he is unable to reveal the exact financial terms/details of this settlement). Although not identified ECMAS is also exonerated by the facts exposed in these documents. All case files are available at: www.fightforhonestjournalism.ca.

Defamation suits prove Mark TWAIN's maxim that “a lie can go around the world while truth is still lacing up her boots” - and such sensationalism was present in this smaller drama. The outrageously tawdry associations made in the National Post article attempted to paint the leadership of ECMAS as unacceptably tolerant (indeed, almost welcoming) of sexual predators and pedophiles. Despite being absolutely UNTRUE, it played into longstanding smears of men's rights and equal-parenting groups.

Much of the smear was based on mis-characterizations of an obscure book Dr. CHRISTENSEN published in 1999 entitled “Pornography: The Other Side”. By reasonable standards, it is a fairly dry, tame, academic exploration of the history of social mores and attitudes towards sexuality. I would attest that I could not find anything that endorses pedophilia and that it fulfills none of the flimsy allegations made by Donna LAFRAMBOISE in her National Post article. It became clear through her testimony that despite claiming to have read this book, she had in fact depended heavily upon mis-characterizations from the main protagonist and had only actually read selected passages.

Another “fact” in the offending article presented an active volunteer, Paul ADAMS, in a very poor light based on his disbarment for his previous sexual misconduct involving a young client (he was saved by a pre-arranged police sting operation before any act occurred). Undoubtedly, Mr. ADAMS paid in full for the consequences of his stunningly poor judgment (which occurred after his own divorce) by being disbarred and detained. He accepted this punishment. After that, the significant time and expertise Mr. ADAMS generously volunteered in ECMAS meetings free of charge was not recognized as valued community rehabilitation but unfairly portrayed as devious exploitation. After this LAFRAMBOISE article he dropped out of regular participation in ECMAS activities.

It was shocking to learn of the methods employed by the supposed journalist. She displayed a complete disregard for engaging in a fair, accurate or balanced reporting of events, and indeed was an active participant in concocting the smear through unconscionable pressure tactics, misrepresentations, untrue characterizations, lack of fact-checking or objective evaluation. Furthermore, The National Post failed to exert any oversight whatsoever over the reporter's actions, even after being repeatedly notified of severe problems with the reporter's story and process. The lack of dialogue with any editor gave way to threats of legal actions which were also blithely ignored. It should come as no surprise that even today, The National Post has not a clearly defined Ethics Policy1 for reporters to follow.

This victory stands as a complete exoneration of Ferrel CHRISTENSEN and by implication ECMAS. Before Ferrel retired from his position as Professor at the University of Alberta Philosophy Department, he held a special expertise in the Philosophy of Science. He has been for 25+ years a major force and proponent of true gender equality and Men's Rights by helping to found and support groups in Edmonton and throughout Alberta like MERGE (Movement for the Establishment of Real Gender Equality2) and ECMAS (Equitable Child Maintenance & Access Society3).

The legal battle has been a long, hard fought fight – one that many others may have given up on when pressed so hard financially and by such a formidable bully as The National Post/Canwest. Most telling however has been Canwest's own failure to publicize its own retraction and draw some attention to their own journalist's weaknesses and obvious operational shortcomings. It remains to be seen if The National Post/Canwest can take the first step in adopting appropriate ethics practices consistent with it's major role in the Canadian media spectrum4.

Footnotes

1)This story investigated the ethical implications of investigative journalists misrepresenting themselves in order to conduct undercover investigative news pieces. In the process they polled major newspapers across Canada only to find that none had a publicly available, written ethics policy to help guide journalists in these activities. See “Lying to get the truth” by Shannon FAY. University of King’s College NS - Department of Journalism, Review, Vol. XIII, Issue 5, April 2009. www.kjr.ca

2)MERGE hyperlink – http://www.ualberta.ca/~fchriste/

3)ECMAS hyperlink – http://www.ecmas.org/

4) A case study in Journalistic Ethics at the Calgary HERALD 1999 by Bob BERGEN - www.chumirethicsfoundation.ca/files/pdf/section4.pdf

[download pdf of article]

Chris a divorced father involved in Family Law issues. He helped start a local network for PAAO in Alberta and has been an active member of ECMAS (Equitable Child Maintenance & Access Society) since 2005. In June 2009 he joined the ECMAS Board of Directors.

All opinions expressed in this article are personal and do not necessarily reflect those of his employer or organizations he is involved with.