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Written by Derek Meche
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On this July fourth our country will celebrate it's 226th year as an
independent power. By many accounts we are the youngest of the
great countries on earth, but with man and his tendency for revolution,
our government is one of the oldest running. Every major country
on earth has faced a change in government since our revolution.
Countries such as France, Russia, Japan, China, all faced changes to
their government. England, since our revolution, has since vested more
power in the Prime Minister and parliament. Even small countries
like Denmark and Belgium have had governmental changes.
Our founding fathers created a government that, for the first time in
history, recognized that certain rights are granted by God and can not
be infringed upon by man. Later in the Constitution they would spell
out the protections that the government would grant to these
rights. It is worthy to take note that the government set out to
protect the rights of people. If God grants a right, man can only
ensure that other men do not infringe on that right.
Ok, what has this got to do with divorced fathering you ask?
Well, by all accounts, our separation from Great Britain was the most
successful divorce in history. The original 13 colonies were in
fact part of the British Empire. When faced with tyrannical rule,
they rose up and Formed their own government. One of the reasons
for revolt was a small tax on tea. I wonder what the founding fathers
in Boston would think of today's tax rates. That is a story for
another time.
Another reason for the revolt was a lack of representation in the
British government. The colonist has no voice in England to stand
up for their cause. I have heard some estimates that only a third of
the colonist took an active part in the revolution. That one
third managed to defeat the strongest army on earth at the time, and
form what everyone would agree is the best country that man has yet to
establish. This small band of people took charge of their destiny
and set fourth to change it. Isn't it amazing what a small number
of people can do?
I believe that it is the duty of every father to teach his
Children about the courage and determination of these men. They
are some of the best examples of men of principle that our history has
to offer. Our country is filled with examples of people standing
up for what they believe and changing things. The work of the
revolution only started in 1776. It has continued since then and
through till today. Great people like Frederick Douglas, Susan B.
Anthony, and Martin Luther King have sought to bring social justice to
more and more people. While working within the framework of our
Constitution, these and many others have made our country a better
place. The success of these people and others like them is why our
Constitution is the best form of government yet devised by man.
It is also the reason our country has endured for so long. We
have a built in revolution process. We have the right to vote,
that is our revolution!
Now, here is the part for divorced fathers. While it is my
hope that everyone has a good working relationship with the other
parent, sometimes that is not the case. The practices of the
courts on this matter have not always respected the 14th Amendment to
the Constitution that grants equal protection. This is where the
"revolution" comes in. It is our right to stand up and make our
voice heard. We can become active in politics and demand that the
courts protect our rights. We can speak to our state legislatures
and request that the laws are changed to respect the rights of our
children to have equal time with both parents. One thing to
remember about politicians, they all want to get re-elected! The
state of divorced fathers has suffered because of a few bad apples
among us. I know a few of these guys myself. The good
fathers have to stand up and not let the laws meant to punish the bad
fathers be turned against us. We have our tools for
revolution. They consist of a right to free speech, the right to
contribute time and money to just causes, and the most powerful tool of
all, and the voting booth!
Remember, it was only a third of the people in the colonies
that rose up to expel the British. We can turn the tide against
fathers in the courts with a few of us getting active. Don't
leave it to up to someone else if this affects you; get involved!
The saying that the squeaky wheel gets the grease is true in
politics. So divorced dads, if you are not happy with the state
of laws and practices in your state, start squeaking!
Derek Meche is President of Louisiana Dads.
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