Equal Parenting Alliance News – April 2007
© 2007 The Equal Parenting Alliance Party
THE BACK PAGE
Page 4
Thinking of the movement as a whole I am sadly reminded of a Monty Python joke about the British Apathy Society AGM, which went something like:
The British Apathy Society are pleased to report this year’s highly successful Annual General Meeting in the Albert Hall. We were delighted to see that not a single member (or anyone from the committee) bothered to turn up. We’d like to thank all our members for their lack of interest in this event. We hope we can maintain this very high standard of apathy throughout next year.
It’s not just me is it? I’m sure there is a growing tide of apathy within the ranks of activists and supporters of children’s (and father’s) rights for reform of family law.
Some have just plain given up, (although actually, continuing the Monty Python theme, maybe they’re resting).
Others have moved onto other things, perhaps put off by constant infighting (within and between groups) and the overall lack of progress.
Many more are simply exhausted, or destitute, or just don’t know what to do next. How to get change when the last few years have come to nothing?
If the last few years of protest have got nowhere (which is arguably true of course) then surely this just shows we have to find another approach – a different way to get the message across?
There’s no point in constantly banging your head against the same brick wall.
Instead, it’s sensible to try something else; go round the side of the wall, chemically dissolve the mortar, use a ladder to climb over it. Find ways to get past the wall without tackling it head-on.
This is where the EPA is different. Our approach through politics gives us a unique platform within the movement; being a political party opens some doors - and closes others. We hope that, especially at election time, any extra publicity and interest we gain will give us an advantage.
We’re neither so arrogant or so bold to suggest that everyone should join the EPA, but we’re convinced we are a complementary part of the solution. We need involvement of the other groups, just like they need us.
We have just a couple of years to get organised.
This is not time for apathy. This is the time to find a new way through the wall.
APATHY RULES OK
Some local Manchester members enjoying a meal on the famous “Curry Mile” in Rusholme
RADICAL EPA!
It seems to me, that of all the groups calling for reform of family law, it’s only the EPA and the Grandparents Action Group (www.gaguk.net) who have really got the measure of the current openness ‘reforms’ the government is promoting.
Their proposals (which are probably a ‘done deal’ despite the consultation exercise) are not going to work, and worse, they’re going to let the government and judiciary off the hook.
As far as I’m concerned, we are the only two groups to have submitted proposals that actually will lead to openness and accountability in the family courts.
When we started this party last year, I never thought we’d end up being more radical than everyone else. Of course, we may be wrong, but it seems to me we are the only group prepared or able to do fresh thinking about these issues at the moment.