Pootling around on the internet in the light of this weeks horse painting shennanigans I came across Matt O’Connor’s new blog Father4Justice, the new F4J website (be warned, it looks nice but plays annoying music which won’t turn off) and facebook group for the recently relaunched Fathers 4 Justice. Matt O’Connor’s first substantive blog post explaining the decision to re-enter the fray and to relaunch F4J is (as ever with Matt O’Connor) punchy, hard hitting and well crafted – it roused my rabble – and I’m “the enemy”.
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But seriously, although I don’t buy into many of the conspiracy theories about the anti-male agenda of the system, there is a place for campaigns for reform of the family justice system – dads, mums and kids do very often get a raw deal. And although I recognise that for many I’m part of the problem, I like to think I do my bit for justice, even though I do it from within the system.
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As for public campaigns, I’m sure that Matt O’Connor is a fantastic spokesperson and l0bbyist for F4J, and the new web / social media presence is certainly well designed and slick – and importantly very grown up. But how does F4J (the ‘official campaign’ as it has been forced to call itself) deal with the splitters and splinter groups that persistently damage its reputation and undermine the progress it is striving to make? Its the same old problem faced from Northern Ireland to Monty Python and I don’t think there is an easy answer. It damages credibility and its a chronic problem – and judging from correspondence being circulated by New F4J* its a problem that is likely to become acute in coming months.
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* I’m puzzled by this email from New F4J [edited to refer correctly to NEW F4J- oops], which starts off by ‘not condoning’ the vandalism, but by the end rather appears to have turned about face: ‘so be it’ and even to threaten more of the same ‘expect the unexpected’. That doesn’t read to me as a completely wholehearted condemnation of criminal acts in the name of father’s rights.
No! The email is from New F4J not from F4J!
This is precisely the problem; anyone know a good lawyer?
And personally, I think if you’re going to deface public monuments in the name of your campaign, you should at least own up to it. Otherwise it rather misses the point, doesn’t it?
Sorry about the music – it’s just a holding page.
Duly amended – sorry that was just a typo rather than anything more sinister! Anyone who clicked through would have seen it properly attributed to NEW F4J on Family Lore.
Stick up another comment / let us know when the page is fully live rather than just a holding page? Ta
i have never bought the line that any part of society is anti-male. after all the world is far too busy screwing over women to do anything else.
Interesting point raised about copycat groups. Should state that F4J is a registered trademark but has been copied many many times despite our best endeavours – its one of the pitfalls of success. The official campaign should be easy to spot – its the one that looks professional. Ref the music we have composed a piece for the new site and to coincide with the first interview I’ve done in 2 years for the BBC’s A Century on Fatherhood, in which I rather stuff up by blubbing. So I am human after all.