As our nation mourns the lives lost in the Florida mass shooting, the dialogue again turns into a conversation on the causes of this latest tragedy. Gun regulations, mental health issues and the FBI’s failure to follow up on concerns dominate headlines.
That said, there is a significant underlying and common thread connecting these shooters that continues to be overlooked — fatherless children. While there are special interests that defend the status quo in family court proceedings, the truth is that 80 percent of child custody cases result in one parent having primary custody and the other — most commonly the father — relegated to the role of visitor in his child’s life.
Fortunately, Kansas and Missouri legislators are considering shared parenting legislation — Kansas Senate Bill 257 and Missouri Senate Bill 645 — that would make certain children impacted by divorce do not lose the important bonds they have with both parents.