Showing posts with label Human rights. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Human rights. Show all posts

Monday, March 12, 2012

Human Rights

An advert caught my eye in theipaper last Friday. Surrounding a picture of a pair of hands holding a tablet device bearing the picture of a besuited man holding a baby and a briefcase, was this text:

iDad
Every child deserves one

It's brilliant. In every sense of the word.
iDad is the world's most advanced parenting device and comes with a lifetime guarantee.

Having a a father is a human right  www.idad.org.uk www.fathers-4-justice.org

You can see the ad here.

Now I have a soft spot for fathers-for-justice as an organisation. I understand their point. In divorces dads often get a poor deal and I support the aims of those dads who wish simply to have more and better access to their children. I also think their campaigns have been amusing and awareness-raising. This latter one is no exception so full marks so far.

But, and there is a but, I stopped in my tracks at the sentence 'Having a father is a human right.' Doesn't that smell wrong to you? If it was a human right we would make sure everyone had one and in the case of bereavement would insist that a replacement be brought in. How can we go about legislating for that right?

I think everyone deserves the possibility of a good relationship with their father, as long as both parties are willing. I don't think you can call something a right if it takes two people to agree before it can happen.