I heard a semi-credible estimate yesterday stating that 1 in 10 children born in Dallas, Texas, have the wrong father on their birth certificate. Should a DNA paternity test be required for a father’s name to be on the birth certificate?
My good friend told me this story over a cup of coffee and it got me thinking. Let’s call him “Jim”. Freshly out of a relationship Jim was seduced by Vicky. The passionate affair lasted for two days, and then Vicky no longer returns Jim’s calls. During the heat of passion Jim was coerced that he did not need to wear a condom since Vicky was on the pill. A year goes by and Jim runs into Vicky, her husband and a baby. What should Jim do? Daytime television teaches that men should accept that the child has a stable home and they should walk away. If Vicky was married during their encounter then Jim could be a home wrecker.
Establishing Texas Paternal Rights
What rights does a man have towards a child that is a genetic DNA match, but a different father’s name on the birth certificate? Can the birth certificate be changed? What is a birth certificate for if not to establish the rights of the genetic father? These are some questions I was asked by Jim. It doesn’t seem right that one man can legally steal another man’s child without the genetic father even knowing he has conceived. I realize there are many men out there who do not want to know if they have illegitimate children. It would shatter the life they have made for themselves, but should their beliefs overtake the rights of a father who does want to know and does care?
Since my encounter with Jim I have asked many people their opinion. So far a disproportionate percentage of women feel a DNA paternity test prior to paternal acknowledgement on a birth certificate is ridiculous and would only hurt those involved. The argument is that a father is someone who plays the part of a dad, regardless of a genetic match. Requiring a DNA test would place a wall in the hearts of men who desire to be “the” father to a newborn child. This would also open up the door for the dead-beat genetic father to legally become engrained into the lives of their budding family.
Where do you stand? I think see the argument from both sides. Men who want to know if they have illegitimate children believe a man’s rights to a child are created at conception and certified at birth. Men who do not want to know (or women who do not want the man to know) believe a man’s rights are not genetic, but established by being present and accepting of the child at birth.�
I wrote this blog to hear what others think about a man’s DNA paternal rights so please leave a comment.
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