John Stossel Condemns Parental Alienation
Glenn Sacks
April 20, 2007
John Stossel’s Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity: Get Out the Shovel–Why Everything You Know is Wrong has a nice section on divorced fathers. Stossel interviewed Sanford Braver, author of Divorced Dads: Shattering the Myths, and says “Braver’s study showed that the majority of divorced dads do try to see their kids. In many cases, ‘fathers were impeded in their efforts…The mother just simply said, ‘No, you cant’ see your kid.’”
Stossel says he filmed an example of Parental Alienation:
We videotaped one such heartbreaking scene. A divorced father went to see his five kids for what he thought would be a full-day visit. He was entitled to that, under court order, and the court also ordered the mother not to discourage the children from spending time with their father. But she clearly had poisoned his children’s minds against him. The father just stood outside his ex-wife’s house and begged his children, ‘would you like to go out with me today?’ ‘No,’ said one kid after another. Then the mother ordered the kids back into her house.
What comes through on the tape is the unbridled satisfaction of the mother and the helplessness of the father.”
This type of scene is not uncommon. In my co-authored column PBS Declares War on Dads (World Net Daily, 10/20/05) I described similar incident:
A four year-old boy is jumping up and down with joy.
Daddy! Daddy!’
Dad gets out of the car.
Daddy’s here! Daddy’s here!’
The boy is behind a locked screen door. He tries to open it.
Daddy’s here! Mommy, look, daddy’s here!’
Dad knows he shouldn’t open the door. He waits for his ex-wife to open the door. She doesn’t do it.
This is my visitation time,’ Dad says, waving a court document.
Mom still won’t open the door.
The boy jumps up and down, saying ‘daddy, daddy.’ He yanks on the screen door handle but still can’t get it open.
Dad looks at his little boy. He pauses, takes a deep breath, and walks back to his car.
The little boy doesn’t understand. Why won’t daddy come? Why is daddy walking away from him?
The little boy disappears inside the house.
Dad calls the police. When the officers arrive he shows them his court documents. The officers go inside to investigate. They come out a few minutes later.
Your son says he doesn’t want to see you,’ the officer says. ‘There’s nothing I can do. You’ll have to deal with it in the court. I can’t make him go with you if he doesn’t want to.’
Dad finally gets to see his kids three months later. The children spit on both him and their grandmother. Almost in unison they repeat ‘I don’t want to be here. I want to go home with mommy, I don’t want to be here. I want to go home with mommy, I don’t want to be here. I want to go home with mommy.’”
Stossel says he filmed an example of Parental Alienation:
We videotaped one such heartbreaking scene. A divorced father went to see his five kids for what he thought would be a full-day visit. He was entitled to that, under court order, and the court also ordered the mother not to discourage the children from spending time with their father. But she clearly had poisoned his children’s minds against him. The father just stood outside his ex-wife’s house and begged his children, ‘would you like to go out with me today?’ ‘No,’ said one kid after another. Then the mother ordered the kids back into her house.
What comes through on the tape is the unbridled satisfaction of the mother and the helplessness of the father.”
This type of scene is not uncommon. In my co-authored column PBS Declares War on Dads (World Net Daily, 10/20/05) I described similar incident:
A four year-old boy is jumping up and down with joy.
Daddy! Daddy!’
Dad gets out of the car.
Daddy’s here! Daddy’s here!’
The boy is behind a locked screen door. He tries to open it.
Daddy’s here! Mommy, look, daddy’s here!’
Dad knows he shouldn’t open the door. He waits for his ex-wife to open the door. She doesn’t do it.
This is my visitation time,’ Dad says, waving a court document.
Mom still won’t open the door.
The boy jumps up and down, saying ‘daddy, daddy.’ He yanks on the screen door handle but still can’t get it open.
Dad looks at his little boy. He pauses, takes a deep breath, and walks back to his car.
The little boy doesn’t understand. Why won’t daddy come? Why is daddy walking away from him?
The little boy disappears inside the house.
Dad calls the police. When the officers arrive he shows them his court documents. The officers go inside to investigate. They come out a few minutes later.
Your son says he doesn’t want to see you,’ the officer says. ‘There’s nothing I can do. You’ll have to deal with it in the court. I can’t make him go with you if he doesn’t want to.’
Dad finally gets to see his kids three months later. The children spit on both him and their grandmother. Almost in unison they repeat ‘I don’t want to be here. I want to go home with mommy, I don’t want to be here. I want to go home with mommy, I don’t want to be here. I want to go home with mommy.’”
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