Las Vegas Sun

November 10, 2009

Currently: 56° | Complete forecast | Log in

Letter: ‘Deadbeat Dads’ article doesn’t tell whole story

Thursday, May 28, 1998 | 11:27 a.m.

I work with a kid who got snagged by a woman he was having an affair with. She was 10 years older than him and married with children, so he told her that he wasn't interested in marrying her. When her husband found out about the affair, he divorced her.

For the next two years, she was unable to get a marriage proposal from the kid, so what did she do? She got pregnant! No, I don't believe it was an accident. No one simply forgets to take the pill when the consequences are this great.

So he married her because he couldn't afford any more child support payments. State guidelines require a father to give 18 percent of his income to a mother who is raising one of his children. Now, just as tragic, he has found a girlfriend his own age, but he can't afford a divorce.

Family Court judges should ask if both parents intended to have children and why the contraception didn't work. If the custodial parent truly can't afford to support the child, foster homes and adoption are always available.

Most men don't intend for a night of sex to lead to a girl's ticket to become a mother at his expense.

Roy Kort

archive

  • Most Read
  • Discussed
  • Most E-mailed

Complete Listing

Calendar »

  • 10 Tue
  • 11 Wed
  • 12 Thu
  • 13 Fri
  • 14 Sat

All events on Tuesday »