Fathers4justice Activists Atop Crane in Ohio

Donald Tenn is a man of conviction.  Since the day I met him, one thing, and one thing alone has guided his every move.  Tenn is a Daddy who misses and worries about his daughter Madison every moment of every day.

Madison and Tenn are victims of Madison's mother Shannon and the disaster called the family court system.  Shannon illegally abducted Madison from California to Illinois.  When she learned the law would make her return Madison, she immediately filed false allegations of domestic violence against Tenn.  As I described here, not only has Madison's mother broken the law, she's being rewarded for her actions.

Today he took his cause to new heights.  Tenn, from California, in a Spiderman suit and Paul Fisher, from Ohio, in a Batman suit, both members of Fathers4Justice, are currently atop a 100 foot crane outside the Ohio Stadium in Columbus.  They've unfurled a 40 foot banner that says STOP THE WAR ON FATHERHOOD.

There are at least 100,000 people passing underneath on their way to the Ohio State football game.   Tenn describes at least 100 police, sheriff and SWAT officers gathering below.  He adds that a police helicopter keeps buzzing very close by.

When asked to comment, John Fowler, National Coordinator for F4J said, "These fathers have waited years for change. Their pleas have fallen of deaf ears when all they are asking for is to be able to love a raise their children. Why should children be denied the right to have two loving parents?"

Tenn has spent the last couple of years volunteering as a board member and California coordinator for Fathers4Justice.  Fathers 4 Justice originated in the UK a few years ago.  Founder Matt O'Connor recently announced he was shutting down his group, again. There are now F4J branches in several countries including Canada, where family rights activists Rob Robinson (Batman) and Kris Titus (Wonderwoman) regularly make the news with similar stunts.

Describing the phone calls he receives at all hours of the day Tenn says, "We get dozens of new members every month, just from California."  "Each parent thinks their case is unique.  They don't realize that I've heard the same story hundreds of times."

He says he understands that they need to get it off their chests.  "And fathers aren't the only parents who are victims," he adds, "mothers and grandparents call me too."  It's estimated that by 2010 one quarter of America's noncustodial parents will be female.

Tenn says making any parent "noncustodial" is wrong.  Unless they've been convicted of a crime or don't want to be part of their child's life.  He even says he wants Shannon to have equal access to Madison, after she gets out of jail.

Shared parenting and shared custody are supported by over 85% of the population.  Why then can't these parents and legislators get laws passed to guarantee equal parental rights to all fit parents?  The answer is very simple.  There are "protective mother" groups who are financially and politically supported by feminist and domestic violence organizations.

They often use lies and debunked "facts" to convince legislators that passing these laws will hurt children.  As I described here I watched as they lied under oath to derail AB1307, the 2005 California shared parenting bill.  Less than 5% of divorces are high conflict.  Sixty to eighty percent of all domestic violence charges are found to be unnecessary or false. Isn't it time to have laws that fit the facts?

Most families would benefit from shared parenting.  Studies show it actually reduces conflict.  When confronted about the controversial nature of the demonstration Mr. Fowler replied "What would you be willing to do if a corrupt court denied you access to your children?"