Dad fights to get kids whisked off to Egypt by ex

[Diane]

While I am thrilled to see any parent aided in the fight to have children returned to their left behind parent, it makes me furious to see the state dept. the senate and even the news outlets, portray this as a common response to this horrific crime.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/38950239#38950239

The state dept, Hillary Clinton, Senator Kerry, bringing up the issue with the President of Egypt. and consequentially, or in part because of a story on the Today Show.

Gee, this country is really on top of this issue.  Except for the thousands of children, all over the world, like our next door neighbor,  Mexico, where the issue is routinely ignored in high level talks and people like Carlos who bankrupt their, future trying alone to fight the system.  The Hague tenets on child abduction rarely discussed by any official as these children languish and their parents struggle, for years without aid from anyone.

I wish Colin Bower all the best and pray his sons are returned, and I  hope the publicity will help other parents but based on the success of David Goldman, this issue was quickly dropped after the initial flurry of excitement over his return was over.

[forthelost]

I thought this was going to be about Michael Shannon. His kids have been there for eight years and nothing has happened.

[SageDad]

It was a good piece.  The Today show and NBC are proving themselves to be one of the only shows and networks willing to really push this issue.  I hope this media coverage leads to some real results.

Of course it bothers me that the media cherry picks one case and acts like it's a unique and uncommon situation.  It creates a false sense of security amongst other parents at risk of having their children abducted by making it look like high level intervention, or even interest, by US authorities is the rule rather than the exception, and gives those same authorities cover for their failures to support the vast majority of children.  I also get frustrated to see lists of the "worst countries" that habitually exclude Mexico (I suppose Egypt will now join that list.)  The very Arizona border Sage was taken across is generating all kinds of media attention lately due to drugs, immigration, animal habitats being disrupted and 20 other issues... none of them being child abduction.  I've come to expect that the Hispanic community in the US will largely ignore it as an inconvenient truth when Mexico gives the shaft to American victims (many of whom are also of Hispanic descent) by refusing to extradite child abductors (or even murderers for that matter) and not honoring international laws and treaties.  I'm a member of some of those groups and agreeing that something needs to be done about our insecure border opens me up to all sorts of criticism.  We can stage huge protests, parades and press conferences when the US government discriminates against Hispanics, but get eerily silent when the Mexican government does so against Americans.  Children abducted to Mexico are the unmentionables by all sides in policy debates on Mexico, immigration and border security.

The above notwithstanding, I'm glad to see the Today show ran one of these stories.  The Bower's family story is truly tragic and I don't doubt the torture that Colin's life has become or how much his children miss their father... but I think I'm becoming desensitized to the constant stream of similar stories.  I read new ones all the time, none of them substantially different from this one besides the media coverage.  My capacity for outrage has become dulled by the realization that this is the way of the world in America.  The American government knows all about the problem and does nothing, and the American media knows all about the problem and says nothing.

[KarlHindle]

I caught the piece this morning and thought of Mike Shannon (I emailed him the link but I guess he already knows).

Carlos' comment regarding becoming desensitized is apt and perhaps this is why the US and other governments (including my own) are doing precisely zip about dealing with the real issues.

[Diane]

I caught the piece this morning and thought of Mike Shannon (I emailed him the link but I guess he already knows).

Carlos' comment regarding becoming desensitized is apt and perhaps this is why the US and other governments (including my own) are doing precisely zip about dealing with the real issues.

Sorry Carl,  I'm confused about the connection you have made to,   Carlos stating he is becoming "desensitized" to,   the fact that governments are doing nothing with the real issues?

[KarlHindle]

My daughter was taken in January 2003 - the core players at OCI are the same today as back then, as are the staff at the UK equivalent (the ICACU) - I think the people in these departments who end up staying become jaded, making judgment calls they are not entitled to make for the sake of expediency and generally allowing their moral compass to become warped.

Carlos is becoming desensitized and he has the guts to admit it - the longer things go on, the worse it gets because there is only so much wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth that can be done.

I went to court here in Virginia for a young mother who is very concerned about father taking the children to India - she's bouncing off the walls and I'm only thinking of how to get a bond in place before they go or how to stall passport issuance in the event no bond is forthcoming.

This morning I spoke with a dad whose kid is in Switzerland - I obtained some photos of his daughter - he's in tears because the last photos of his kid were the ones I got him about 18 months ago.  I just felt a little bad because I didn't get them to him last week when I first got them.

The more you deal with this misery, the less you feel.  I just don't like it when I realize it in myself, but what do you do if it is your job and you rely on that job to pay the bills, college tuition, house payments?  Just how cold do you really get inside in order to be able to function?  OCI doesn't care, nor do the people at the ICACU - call it professional detachment if you will, however doing that job must really take its toll.

[Diane]

[/quote]

I thought this was going to be about Michael Shannon. His kids have been there for eight years and nothing has happene

That's exactly why I find it so frustrating.   Michael Shannon lost his children 8 years ago and where is the news story, publicity, OCI, Hillary, etc. for him.   Eight years!!! 

 The networks need to present these stories in a context of inclusion for all the children abducted.  The story should be always include the issue of the failure of our government to enforce the provisions which would make ending international child abduction a priority for this country.   (Whether they are being taken to or from here.  It's absolutely horrible that Karl has a daughter who was brought to the U.S. in 2003 with an eye condition that may cause blindness and he is still fighting for her return, not to mention the stalling, lying, and besmirching of his good name, allowed by our courts.

It just seems to me that every time they showcase one child, they make it appear as though the troops are being marshaled and that this will not be tolerated by this government, state dept, senate, etc. It makes for a very faulty misconception of the sad truth.   Diane

[KarlHindle]

You nailed it on the head there Diane - if a case grabs media attention there is an improved chance of resolution but it is still very much an uphill struggle and the deck is still stacked against the LBP - Sean got home by the skin of his teeth and we are all aware of how much was done to effectuate that.

Michael Shannon won a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the abductors of his sons, but where are they - still overseas and still abducted.

I've been on British TV and US radio (amongst others) - it made zero impact and no difference for Emily.  The public are also relatively inured to these cases too - just watch out for the stories of child neglect and so on - they have almost become non-news unless it is exceptionally heinous.

[SageDad]

The real news story is not that an abduction occurred (though it would be newsworthy if a day went by where several children weren't internationally abducted.)  The real news story is that nothing substantive is being done about the problem.  After thousands of individual articles here and there, over a dozen Congressional Hearings, forums, international summits, training seminars, studies and publications of all stripes not a whole lot has really changed in the last 20 years (besides the number of abductions skyrocketing).  A parent, and particularly a father, is no more likely to recover their child from a foreign country than they were in 1990.  Sure lots of new countries have signed the Hague Convention and lots of lawyers have waged lucrative legal battles, but at the end of the day, what has really been done but create a litigous avenue for victimized parents to lose their money (along with their child), and create a false light at the end of the tunnel for parents to wear themselves out chasing before they are run over by the train?

[KarlHindle]

 

[Sashia]

I don't know if you've seen this site Carlos, but I thought you might find it interesting. There is a PDF file for each country's answers to the Hague questionnaire in 2006 and as they have acceded into the Hague Treaty.

Here's Mexico's: http://www.hcch.net/index_en.php?act=publications.details&pid=3839&dtid=33

Here are all the others: http://www.hcch.net/index_en.php?act=conventions.publications&dtid=33&cid=24