Parental alienation is a form of emotional child abuse resulting when one parent, usually the custodial parent, belittles or vilifies the other parent to the child. The child is brainwashed into unjustifiably believing the alienated parent is evil or not worthy of their love. The alienating parent rewards the child for these behaviors, and even punishes the child for not going along with the alienation. There is nothing that can be done to gain back the lost time between an alienated parent and the child, and the psychological and emotional damage done to both the child and alienated parent are an unnecessary evil. We have the power to stop this unnecessary evil.
The laws in the state of North Carolina are set up to aid in parental alienation. When a divorce or separation occurs, there is a custodial parent and a non-custodial parent. The non-custodial parent is made to feel inferior by the courts and by the custodial parent by being forced to pay child support while only receiving a few days of visitation per month, and by not having primary or joint decision-making abilities. The custodial parent is given an undeniable sense of empowerment as to the decision making for the best interest of the child. If the custodial parent has a vengeance against the other parent and is sick, evil, or selfish enough to do it, he/she is able to alienate the child from that other parent with a campaign of denigration.
When a child is alienated from one parent, it is not only affecting the child and alienated parent, but also the extended family of the alienated parent/child. The alienated parent is left with the burden of proof that the custodial parent is alienating the child, and the courts rarely do anything to the custodial parent. If the non-custodial parent misses child support payments, the court is quick to act. However, if the custodial parent withholds visitation from the non-custodial parent, the non-custodial parent is left with the burden and expense of filing contempt of court. Even then, the court rarely acts upon the contempt motion, and if they do act there is rarely more than a slap on the wrist given to the custodial, alienating parent.
It is time to change the laws and the dynamic of split families in the state of North Carolina. Upon divorce/separation, it should be assumed that both parents are equally capable in parenting their children. Equal/shared custody should be the default, unless obvious circumstance exist or are later proven to exist. By default, each parent should have equal visitation time and equal decision making responsibilities for their children. The judges should default to shared parenting and require a fair custody agreement be established. If one parent violates the agreement, there is no bias in trying or punishing the guilty party as both parties are equal. This would prevent alienating parents from having the power to continue the alienation of their child.

I urge all Senators and Representatives in the great state of North Carolina to join me in ending parental alienation. Our children need as much love as possible, so let's stop letting love get taken away from them. There will always be those capable of alienating their children, and we can't possibly identify them and prevent the alienation before it happens. We can, however, fix the broken system that allows it to happen.