Antiseptic <"Can I assume that Suzeonline and chill are supporters of my campaign to have the National Child Abuse week commence on Mother's Day next year?"

No problems with that at all Antiseptic! Bring it on.

I am not so precious as to get uptight about what day is chosen to support victims of child abuse.

Guess what - it isn't about you Antiseptic.
It is about the children.

Houellebecq:"I made the choice to have kids and I raise them responsibly as is my responsibility. I enjoy it. I don't need a special day."

Fair enough, so do I. I have my kids around every day,but I still see the day as important because in an age in which fatherhood is very often treated as a second-class and largely unnecessary state anything that gives men an incentive to be involved in their children's lives is a good thing. This campaign, worthy as it may be in itself, is hijacking that.

If the NAPCAN people prove me wrong by making their campaign a celebration of the protection offered by fathers I'll be the first to applaud. I'm offering 10:1 if you're interested...

Country Gal:"I think there are plenty of people that would support the week starting with Mothers Day next year"

Perhaps you're right. There'sonly one way to find out: I'll be in touch with NAPCAN today and will keep everyone posted.

Country Gal:"I think your life story has greatly coloured your view of the world"

I'm sure you're right, but that doesn't invalidate my view and it doesn't make me wrong. We all bring our own life experiences to our perception of current events. Even dogs do that. If we didn't, we'd be no more than robots or social workers, with a pre-programmed set of responses that mean no actual thinking is needed.

chill:"I don't think a small organisation of mainly volunteers like NAPCAN working on behalf of abused children is going to do any damage to the spirit of Father's Day"

Perhaps not, but it's not just NAPCAN,is it? They're "coordinating", but it's being run by the various state authorities. Do you reckon that the millions in advertising is going to be effective or gender-neutral or focus on good fathers? If it is, they're off to a lousy start, since there's no mention of anything to do with good dads on any of the websites I saw relating to the subject.

I just had a quick flick through the Vichealth website on the subject. There are lots of gender-neutral references to "parents", but in the referrals section, the only links are to "Maternal and child health" services, "Single mothers and their children", etc, or such organisations as Relationships Australia, which is hardly a gender-neutral group.

Dads don't get a guernsey, except implicitly as perpetrators.

If the intent is to highlight the protective effect of dad's presence, why isn't that being made explicit?

I think that Antiseptic's being a tad hypersensitive here, but he does have a point. Let's see how NAPCAN responds to his suggestion about timing the National Child Abuse campaign to follow Mother's Day next year, although it'd be more likely to be taken seriously if it didn't come from a disgruntled individual, as opposed to an appropriate representative organisation.

Have you talked to your local MP, Antiseptic?

CJMorgan:"Have you talked to your local MP, Antiseptic?"

Nope. To be entirely honest I'm not even sure who it is.

CJMorgan:"a disgruntled individual, as opposed to an appropriate representative organisation."

You're quite right. I need to start a "council" or "Association" or "Foundation" so I can speak on behalf of others, whether they want me to or not. Besides, think of the tax advantages and all the grants I could apply for...

Our society is based on the views of individuals, despite the best efforts of some sectors to limit their inputs to congenial groups. Every significant social change has come about because some individual thought it was needed.

Antiseptic, before you started this topic why didn't you contact NAPCAN to ask them why Father's Day was chosen?