The article discusses a new bill in legislation in Tennessee. This bill will require Paternity Tests before ANY man is added as the father on a birth certificate. This is a change from the current law that states if a woman has been married for 300 days before the child was born a paternity test is not necessary.
There are two very passionate sides to this topic. Firstly: Men who believe their rights can be infringed upon when paternity is assumed at birth. They worry that although a couple is married the assumption that it is a monogamous union is not a safe one. Father’s rights groups are backing this bill with everything they have. They believe it will help eliminate paternity fraud and possibly eliminate the acts of women that create these situations in the first place.
The other side of the argument is women’s rights groups who are up in arms about the idea that while some women have and will commit paternity fraud, that ALL women and couples should have to pay. This legislation will change the current $7 fee for a birth certificate to a total of $172. This increase is to pay for the paternity test, obviously. These women’s groups are offended that we should be governing everyone by assuming guilt on the mother’s side.
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Carol Taylor says
I believe that this is a wonderful idea. And, if you have ever sat in a court room and watched numerous fathers told the words, “this child is not your”, then you would understand. I say the hurt that was in many of the men that I watched. They could not stop loving the child because of the bond the two now share.
I also support the law because I have a son. My son explained to me that he wore a condom. Thereafter, I spoke with him regarding a paternity test. He spoke with the mother about a paternity test and she spoke with her mother. I know that condoms are not 100% effective.
However, the grandmother refused before the baby was born. She cursed me out for over an hours. I just allowed her to speak because I was not intimated and I’m more intelligent than that. Then, when he inquired after the baby was born, she still refused. So, her mother turned him over for Child Support and my son is willing to pay with no problem. However, I hurt when my son hurt when he can’t spend time with the child that is suppose to be his child. It hurts more that many people realize and yet you are still are drawn to a child that may not be your. Or you think about the one day, the real father shows up, and says, “this is my child and you are not to have any connection with his baby,” Then what do you do, a child you have come to love and a child that loves you. True love doesn’t just go away.
Charlie says
This also has another side. I support s manditory dna test for all new born baby. What needs to be added is that if the baby is not a dna match for the father that the woman then should name the real protential father. The real father has a legal right to have a opportunity to be a father to this child and pay child support for that child. Now I don’t know what can be done to make her name the real father. Most women will name her the father if they will lose the opportunity to get child support if they don’t. My situation is 17 years ago I had a affair with a married woman for 3 years. I was also married at the time. We both were cheating on our spouses. During this affair she got pregnant. Told me it was her husbands and that our affair had to end. I was so in love with her. I hated losing her and never fell out of love with her. 12 years later when I was getting divorced from my wife, my true love of my life, and lover came back to me. She divorced her husband and told me she wanted to spend her life with me and she has always loved me also. My most wonderful dream came true. I had my love back. Thru talking she told me how her ex husband had cancer in his 20’s and could not have kids. I was like how did you have your daughter then. The love of my life then told me the truth. Her daughter was really my daughter not her ex husbands. I am truly heart broken and this is now a nightmare for me. I had a right to be a father. If I was told the truth from the beginning I would of been in my daughters life. He ex knew the daughter was not his. This was total fraud. This should not happen to any man. We have a right to be a father. I’m going to fight for paternity and I’ll probably lose my daughter and the love of my life forever but the laws have to change so this does not happen to good men ever again.
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Kate says
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Amy Christine says
I personally believe that testing should be a must. My husband was devistated when he found out his daughter from a preivous marriage wasn’t his, and his x wife has used that information to hurt and destroy him. He loves his daughter but his x is using the fact that he isn’t her biological daughter to drive a wedge between them. Then threatens him all the time using that he can’t claim SD because he isn’t her father even when she lives with us. My husband will not take the issue to court because of the state that his x is in and their laws are completely in favor of the mother regarless and he could be wiped out financially even though he isn’t the biological father. I wish that they would make a uniform decision for CS and Child custody in the united states and make it federal laws not state.
roxane fruin says
I wish there was a mandatory DNA test in the state of Tenn for single mothers giving birth on the sapposed father . They already take blood test on all babbies at birth what is one more test. Ofcourse the sapposed father would have to be there at the babbies birth or prior to so the test can have a comparison. So many sapposed fathers are being charged with child support and don’t have the money to go to a private testing facility and what if the mother of said baby won’t let the baby go for the test for reasons unknown after leaving the hospital site. On married couples when the father suspects unfaithfulness from said spouse the test should be done at the hospital at birth …it could be asked privately without the baby’s mothers knowledge. That will put the fathers fears or saspicions to rest . This is only my opinion..men should be protected as so the baby on who is my daddy.
steve s says
I once read an article about blood drives durning WWII, it was accidentally discovered that 13-17% of babies born into a married home were not the child of the husband. The government classified the information top secret for fear the men would not fight the war.
This is a no brainer……mandatory paternity testing at birth should be the law of the land.
pamela Folenius says
I agree 100% with DNA testing at Birth & so Disgusted that Greedy Insuranxes Failed to Cover a Simple $25 DNA test to Prevent Switched at Birth Scandals so yep State of Ohio get ready!