In this time of holiday magic, a miracle..or is it?

Today the Senate/House Conference Committee approved the final version of the VAWA. Many people are relieved, knowing women and children in abusive situations will continue to have services in times of crisis.

No one is happier about VAWA’s status today than some fathers’ rights activists. This may surprise you. You may have read that the fathers’ rights movement is comprised of abusive men, the men that hurt these women and children. Rumor is it they want to take custody of their children as a way to hurt their victims again.

Those are just rumors, put in print by people opposing joint child custody. The truth is I’m a fathers’ rights activist, and I’m a 50-year-old feminist grandma and single mom. I’m proud to associate with the men and women in the fathers’ rights movement.

We are mothers and fathers, loved ones, friends, professionals and concerned citizens. We work for equality for all fit parents, both genders. We support equal physical custody for all fit parents who desire it and collaborative co-parenting whenever possible.

David Burroughs who wrote the text said,

“Through the hard work and support of many dedicated supporters of equality we have succeeded in having language inserted in the VAWA that makes it clear to the DOJ [Department Of Justice] VAWO [Violence Against Women Office] that it can no longer circumvent the original intent of Congress that this legislation provide shelter and services to all victims of domestic violence regardless of their gender.

It is a first step in excising the radical feminist model of domestic violence which asserts that only women can be victims and only men perpetrators and replacing it with the real world model that recognizes that domestic violence is committed by individuals who lack the ability to navigate relationships in a healthy mutually beneficial way and as a consequence resort to emotional and physical abuse through the use of emotional manipulation and intimidation and/or physical abuse. These characteristics derive from psychological shortcomings and are not unique to any one gender.

A lot of wonderful dedicated people made this effort successful. The list is long but I must say that without the organizational work of Michael Robinson as well as his daily support for this effort it would not likely have succeeded.

While there were a number of individual Senators and Congresspersons from both parties who stood up for justice and equality we must acknowledge the extraordinary leadership of House Judiciary Chairman Sensenbrenner as well as Ranking Member Conyers and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Specter and Senator Hatch.”

Some thought this would never happen, especially the men who have suffered VAWA’s noxious consequences. Some of the men in the fathers’ movement couldn’t take their children to a shelter when their wives were battering them. Some have been falsely accused of abuse. Others were arrested when they had been the victims.

It’s about time these fathers get support and services to help them protect their children.

The California Alliance for Families and Children drafted AB1307 California's Shared Parenting bill, and SB1082 California's Military Child Support and Custody bill. To support the work that the CAFC is doing on behalf of families visit CAFC.

Safe Homes for Children and Families Coalition

California Alliance for Families and Children

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