Dear Committee Members,
We have received several of the letters being sent to you by opponents
of HB 529. It distresses me greatly to see that those opponents are so
bereft of valid arguments that they must resort to misleading statements
and outright lies. Were I a member of your committee I would be highly
insulted at the inference that you are unable to read and understand the
bill before you. Those opponents insist that HB 529 is an inferior
substitute for HB 640, when in fact HB 529 simply adds two phrases to 640
to give it meaningful direction. Where HB 640 merely "suggests" that
judges consider shared custody to be in the best interests of the
children, HB 529 makes that consideration mandatory. HB 529 does NOT
mandate shared custody in all cases, and is not a "one size fits all"
proposition, as suggested by opponents. Moreover, HB 640, being, as it
is, included in it's entirety by HB 529, mandates "Parenting Plans" drawn
up by the parents themselves. How can that be "one size fits all"? Most
egregious of the opponents lies is that proponents of HB 529 are putting
"fathers' rights" above the best interests of children.
Most all the research on the subject of custody indicates that children
do best when given close continued contact with both parents. If fathers
are being denied their right, under Constitutional and statutory law, to
be parents to their children, the children are also being denied their
right to input from both parents. Therefore, fathers' rights and
children’s rights/best interests, are actually one and the same.
Opponents of HB 529 believe that sole maternal custody is the childs'
best interest. Fathers insist that having TWO concerned parents is best.
The opponents' opinion is supported by mistatements and lies. The
fathers' position is backed by decades of legitimate, objective,
scientific research. To expect you to accept lies in place of legitimate
study is an insult to your intelligence. You need to ask why they have
to lie.
The answer to that question is made clear in the letter from Tracy
Atlas, in which NH-CAN states their position that HB 529, and shared
custody would impact the financial aspects of custody decisions, which,
she makes clear, is a priority concern. So, there you have it. They are
more concerned with the "Transfer of Wealth" from father to
mother, than the best interests of the children. Everything else is a
smokescreen.
We ask you to consider that custody decisions need not be a zero sum
game. One side does not have to win all, and the other lose all. Both
parents would come out as EQUALS under HB 529, and the best interests of
the children would be upheld. HB 640 merely dresses up the winner take
all strategy in new language. It makes no change to the status quo of
sole maternal custody. HB 529 would make both parents equal partners in
raising their children, as they were when the marriage was intact.
Furthermore, the conflicts of the parents, which are so damaging to the
children, would be greatly reduced by the provision in HB 529 to put
judicial reasoning into written findings of fact. That provision will
greatly reduce the conflict causing influence of false accusations and
allegations. The final decision could STILL be sole maternal custody,
but proof is required, as it should be.
We therefore urge you to vote for the child's REAL best interests. A
chance to maintain a meaningful relationship with BOTH parents. Please
vote OTP on HB 529
Sincerely,
Paul M. Clements
for DADD-NH
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