At the ceremony yesterday to mark the 231st anniversary of Thomas Jefferson's religious freedom statute, Fredericksburg Mayor Tom Tomzak asked the faith community to help with an issue he's been speaking publicly about for the past year.
"We have to turn this faucet off that is spewing children into high-risk environments," Tomzak said. "I challenge the faith-based community today to be sensitive to the needs of suffering women and children outside your flocks."
At the ceremony on Washington Avenue, Tom- zak repeated a message he's delivered in City Hall, in meetings with local social services and criminal-justice leaders and to city officials from around the state.
He wants to find a way to prevent teenagers from having babies, and to prevent babies from growing up in homes without a responsible adult to guide their development. It's a government issue, Tomzak says, because young children who aren't prepared for public schools and older children who break the law all cost taxpayers money.
He said consultants project that the Rappahannock Regional Jail will have to be expanded by 2019 to hold 2,100 inmates, more than double current capacity.
"These inmates are in our schools right now, they're in our nurseries," he said. "It's all preventable."
The question is, what do you do to keep kids on the right track?
Tomzak thinks a lot of the blame lies with the young men who are fathering the children of teenage or otherwise unprepared mothers.
"We are going to have to get the message out that all men are going to have to be responsible for their actions. If they do not want the responsibility of fatherhood, do not father children. Period," he said. "We can't write an ordinance for that in the city."
At a ceremony meant to honor the words that keep believers in America free to worship as they please, Tomzak called on Councilman Hashmel Turner to give two prayers. Turner, a Baptist minister, has not given the opening prayer at City Council meetings for years.
The American Civil Liberties Union threatened him with a lawsuit if he continued to invoke Jesus Christ in his prayers, and Turner later sued the city, claiming that its policy of allowing only nonsectarian prayers before meetings violates his rights.
Turner lost his case in federal district court. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has not yet decided whether to hear his appeal.
Yesterday, Turner prayed for better male role models, asking the faith community "to embrace a community and start with the males, and teach them in a way that they will be productive citizens."
I have a seven year old daugher whos mother says in court I can see as much as I want. At the same time, she asked the court to reduce my summer visit from seven weeks to four weeks because she didn't have enough time with the daughter. When my daughter is here for a couple days, the mother wants to talk to her almost everyday or send police to my house if she doesn't. Sadly, it almost makes you not want to see your child because of all the drama that follows. WOMEN---HEAR THIS! You can't legislate love
Crazy people and systems....(posted by
griffitg
, Jan. 16, 2008 8:09 am)
I love it when I hear these mothers talking about fathers 'running off' without accepting any role in the problem. Between many of these mothers and the courts that encourage much of thier dilution, they have created a system of hostility towards fathers. I'm not defending those that do run off, but rather the difficulty experienced by those that try to be there for their kids. It's like being raped of everything while being told "It's only for the good of the child" (and mother, lawyers, and ...)
What are you talking about...(posted by
Al
, Jan. 15, 2008 11:33 am)
"The trauma of not having one of your parents around follows you into adulthood and creates problems for the rest of your life." Yeah, you're absolutely right about that. I know that better than anyone having grown up without a father. Maybe YOU don't know any dads that are running from their responsibilites. I know several. Just because they aren't in your personal sphere does that mean they simply don't exist? I'll tell them they're not real next time I see them. Try being more "Observant."
ObservantOne(posted by
Al
, Jan. 15, 2008 11:28 am)
Dude, did you actually READ my posts? You say I “obviously have no personal experience in this type of situation.” I already stated that I am the CHILD of this “type of situation” and have lived it every single day of my 38 yr old life. Yes, it sounds like you got screwed, that maybe you were one of the few fathers that actually gave a damn about his kids and tried your best to be a part of their lives. But you can’t possibly believe that your experience is the only one in existence. You’re bitter. We got that. But you’re letting your own pain obscure your ability to see what’s happening to others around you. Other people have suffered because of this issue too, not just YOU. Call me names if you like. I’ve made peace with my father and am a happy person with a loving family now.
What are you talking about(posted by
ObservantOne
, Jan. 14, 2008 11:37 pm)
I have not seen or met ANY Dads who are running from their responsibilties, only fathers who are treated with contempt because they dare to want involvement beyond a few days a month. The trauma of not having one of your parents around foolows you into adulthood and creates problems for the rest of your life. I know from experience. I have been hounded from day 1. I was told I owed child support for the 3 months prior to my support order. I couldn't pay 3k in cash so they put me in jail. You call that fair?
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