December 23, 2009

They always say a protecting mother is a lioness. She will protect her children without any thoughts of her own safety.

But they have no such comparison for a protecting father. Lately there were several stories about fathers go to combat for their children.

On the latest 20/20 show they showed two American fathers who were fighting for their children stuck in Italian orphanages. One of the fathers was successful because he did win his fight and was able to leave Italy with his son.

The other was not so lucky. His son is still caught in the web of bureaucracy and is still in Italy.

Currently the most famous is the father's fight for his son who was taken to Brazil by his mother. Once the mother got to Rio de Janeiro she divorced the father and eventually remarried. Unfortunately she died there in childbirth and the son found himself with the stepfather and his family.

That's when the saga began. The American father tried unsuccessfully to obtain his son but his efforts were thwarted. The boy is now nine years old, seems happy and healthy and living in Brazil since he was four years old.

In reality he doesn't know any other life than the one in Brazil.

What if he does not want to return to New Jersey with his father. What if he will resent him for the rest of his life for taking him away from the only happy home he has ever known.

Did anybody ever asked the boy what he wanted to do? Or, at nine years of age his opinion has no standing.

I know the father has his rights. I know the father wants what's best for his son (in his opinion). But does the son has any say in this matter?

From where I see things, it's not the father's interest that comes first but the son's. That should be the only factor that matters.

However, I take my hat off to all these fathers who put up such a heroic fight for their children.

I just hope when all these cases end well and the children will be permitted to live their happy lives with their fathers, and grow up none of them will become golfers!