Laws On Grandparents Rights - Publicity Is Power!

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Angela_Montgomery]Angela Montgomery
Schoolchildren learn early that good laws are made by good people voted into public office. Those folks make promises to make life better. And if they don't follow through on those promises we "throw the bums out!" That's how democracy works, right? Why then, one might ponder, do the laws on grandparents rights not favor the rights of grandchildren to maintain a loving relationship their grandparents...where are the people who are looking after their interests?
The reality - until recently - is that such laws have not been necessary. Not all that long ago it would have been unthinkable to keep a grandparent and grandchild apart. Sadly, with the advent of social isolationism, skyrocketing divorce rates and drugs & alcohol addiction, the family unit has been blown to bits, leaving children as collateral damage.
We've all read or watched as a tragic story unfolds regarding a grandchild snatched from the arms of loving grandparents. These human interest stories most often show the struggle by a grandparent to have access to their grandchild after the parent dies or divorces. The media publish photos or video of loving grandparents looking down at an empty swing, or holding a well-worn picture of young grandchildren. These kinds of stories are heartbreaking to viewers.
More to the delight of media, these "human interest" stories send sales of newspapers and TV news ratings through the roof. The power of the media to make & change laws on grandparents rights cannot be overstated.
Public opinion gets attention - massive attention makes law.
A shining example in this regard is that of Patricia Slorah, a Floridan grandmother who found herself locked out of the life of her granddaughter. This desperate grandmother searched in vain for support - others who could listen, understand and give direction. Finding none, Slorah decided to form a support group and placed an ad in the local paper. When local media outlets saw the ad in December of 1989, Slorah was invited to appear on television, and interviewed by newspapers. Her story spread like wildfire cross the entire state of Florida.
By May, 1990 - just six short months after forming that support group - legislation passed allowing concessions in Florida's law. Grandparents won the rights to petition the court for grandparents rights in certain circumstances - giving grandparents a much stronger position in advocating on behalf of their grandchildren.
And it all started with a single, heartbroken grandmother...
There is much to be done before laws on grandparents rights guarantee Grandchildren rights to a loving relationship with Grandparents. But - as any school child can tell you - with enough votes, it can be done.
Angela Montgomery is Chief Editor for GrandparentsRights911.com. She is a leading authority on grandparents rights and tirelessly advocates for laws granting the rights of children to have a loving relationship with their grandparents. For more information, resources & support on [http://www.grandparentsrights911.com/the-law-of-grandparents-rights/]laws on grandparents rights visit the site at [http://www.grandparentsrights911.com/]http://www.grandparentsrights911.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Laws-On-Grandparents-Rights---Publicity-Is-Power!&id=6442449] Laws On Grandparents Rights - Publicity Is Power!