By Ryan \u201cDickie\u201d Thompson<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Parenthood isn\u2019t complicated until the state gets involved. Raising kids is the most natural, human responsibility we have: you bring them into this world, you care for them, you love them. But when parents separate, the courts step in and turn that responsibility into a contest. Lawyers get rich, judges make decisions based on bias or \u201ctradition,\u201d and children become bargaining chips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Texas Senate Bill 2794 was a recent attempt to fix part of this mess. It proposed a \u201cthree strikes\u201d penalty for interfering with court-ordered custody: a $500 fine for the first and second violation, then a state jail felony on the third. The idea was to stop habitual gatekeepers\u2014parents who repeatedly block the other parent from seeing their child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It wasn\u2019t revolutionary. It simply laid out a ladder of consequences. But like many \u201cfamily law\u201d reforms, the bill didn\u2019t survive. It was replaced by SB 65, then quietly died in the 2025 session. Another empty promise in the graveyard of good intentions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But here\u2019s the thing: this fight is bigger than one Texas bill. This is about whether governments, nationwide and worldwide, will treat parenthood as an equal right and duty\u2014or whether they\u2019ll keep protecting one-sided systems that punish one parent while excusing the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s be blunt. When a father doesn\u2019t pay child support, the system throws the book at him. His wages get garnished, his license gets suspended, sometimes he even goes to jail. But when a mother blocks custody or visitation, the system shrugs. Maybe she pays a fine. Maybe nothing happens at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s not equality. That\u2019s hypocrisy dressed up as justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You know what? Electing a new politician to fix government is like swapping deck chairs on the Titanic and calling it a rescue mission. Family law has been broken for decades, and politicians keep tinkering at the edges instead of facing the core issue: both parents are essential. Both parents deserve equal standing. And both parents should be held accountable when they fail their kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This isn\u2019t just about fairness for parents. It\u2019s about outcomes for kids. And the evidence is overwhelming: when fathers are actively involved, children thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A 2019 meta-analysis found that children whose fathers engaged in early learning\u2014reading, math, language\u2014showed stronger language skills and better cognitive development. Teachers consistently reported higher academic performance for these kids (PMC6823210