IT"S BEEN A WEEK NOW....
It's been a week now, since the House Judiciary Committee public hearing on House Bill 4564, The Equal Parenting Bill.
The hearing, held on Wednesday, May 7, lasted about two and one-half hours. A second, much longer hearing date and time allotment is necessary. Many, many more folks need to be heard. Judiciary Chairman Condino even stated a second hearing date is necessary.
Four Judiciary members did not even bother to show for the hearing. For something of this magnitude of importance for the families of Michigan? Democratic Reps. Virgil Smith and Rebekah Warren were not available to hear the important testimony. For the record, and to show that I am a fair man, neither were Republican Reps. Tory Rocca and David Law. Many others came and went, and spent little time actually at this hearing. I do commend Chairman Paul Condino, and Reps. (D) Andy Coulouris and (R) Tonya Schuitmaker as the only three to stay for the entire time.
The most disturbing part of the hearing-the obsession of the opposition to force the issues of domestic violence, child molestation, and drug addiction in to this testimony that was meant for the rights of children and their families. Those folks with such testimony needed to be directed elsewhere...this hearing was for the rights of children to have their parents raise, nurture, and properly guide them.
The opposition to HB 4564 brought no facts, no proof, and no statistics with them to verify their desire to see HB 4564 vanish. They brought largely emotional testimony, from individuals with highly questionable morals, credentials, and motives. Also for the opposition was an attorney from the Michigan family law section, Ken Weichman, who was full of his usual false and misleading rhetoric.
Proponents for HB 4564 brought the following to this hearing:
1. The truth-equal parenting is best for children after a divorce.
2. The facts-fathers are fit, able, and willing parents.
3. Parenting your own children is a fundamental, and a constitutional, right.
4. The true, unaltered, statistics-not sugar coated, or edited for whatever side you are on.
What did all of this prove? Very, very simple. Equal parenting is in the true best interests of the child. The truth is the truth. Facts are the facts. Lies and misleading testimony are what the desperate use when they know they are beaten. The opposition cannot use the truth and the facts-their own testimony would defeat them!!
A Divorced Michigan Dad.
you are truly a fundamentalist, right-wing nutcase.
Posted by:Terry | June 27, 2008 at 11:53 PM