Kathleen Parker has a different take on Barack Obama’s recent Father’s Day remarks. She argues that his emphasis on negligent fathers (never mind his emphasis on big government "fixes" that will likely only worsen the problem) is only a half truth. Missing and necessary to any real discussion of responsible parenting is a serious confrontation with irresponsible mothering. It’s not politically correct to criticize moms for their roles in family chaos, Parker realizes. It’s more acceptable to paint them as the victims. There are good reasons for this general double standard; namely, that male abuse is more likely to be serious or fatal. But gosh . . . sometimes women seem to be getting an undeserved pass. And Parker’s main point is well taken: isn’t there one day in the year when we can speak of fathers without dissing them? Might we not learn something from the poets and praise those traits in men we most want to see displayed?
Parker's essay is excellent and makes an excellent point that's rarely made. It deserves much more play than it has gotten.
And speaking of mothers... it always amazes me the way the media and government fail to recognize the role of irresponsible women in making these poor children. The way Obama spoke, it was as if black men go around planting their seed in empty lots!
If I understand the statistics correctly, relatively few of these children are the result of rape. Each of these children has TWO parents and BOTH are equally responsible for their support and upbringing.