Fatherlessness, and the foibles and faithfulness of females
What a dichotomy in Baltimore. A tale of two women.
One, the mayor, speaking to the media after the mobs supposedly protesting the death of a black man in police custody became violent, looting and destroying property, gave tacit permission to do so.
“We also gave those who wished to destroy, space to do that as well…I made it very clear that I work with the police and instructed them to do everything that they could to make sure that the protesters were able to exercise their right to free speech. It’s a very delicate balancing act.” ~ Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake
I think this politician needs a basic civics lesson in what the right to free speech entails.
The other woman, apparently the mother of one of the young men exercising their right to “free speech,” was caught on camera hitting him upside the head and “guiding” him away from the violence and theft. Though her son looked none too happy about the public wuppin he was getting, he should be grateful he has a mother who understands the evil inherent in a wish to destroy, and does what she can to pass that along to him.
One wonders what might be different in Baltimore if this woman, rather than the other, was mayor.
But o
ne also wonders what would be different if all these young vandals had fathers at home modeling real strength, real courage, real self-respect and respect for others. The problem of absent fathers in America, in the black community in particular, is widely recognized. The scenes coming out of Baltimore are stark evidences of it.
I have a solution to the problem of fatherlessness that will never be implemented, though I do believe it would be effective, and I wrote about it here. Though its much too radical a concept for a society obsessed with ensuring personal autonomy and asserting multiple “rights”, doesn’t it make sense to care about and put resources into keeping fathers in the home at least as much as we do about the nutritional value of school lunches or the size of soft drinks or even the availability of early childhood programs?
Mothers, of course, are vital to the well-being of children, and some are hailing the disciplining Baltimore mom as “mother of the year.” But fathers are no less vital. The mother may bear the children and do the primary care-giving, but the father’s influence…and presence…is crucial. Crucial. God bless and help those moms who are forced to try and do it all, but it should not be so.
If there is one societal shift that would see huge, lasting benefits in multiple areas, it would be a return to an expectation that if a man fathers a child, he helps raise that child. He is partially responsible for the creation of this unique and valuable human being; he has a responsibility to help care for and provide for him or her. Honestly, I think it should be the law. The horrible and sometimes fatal consequences of absent fathers deserve our attention, and I hope you’ll read my other post for more on that.
And here’s an infographic from the National Fatherhood Initiative. The facts speak for themselves.
RyanNFIFatherAbsenceInfoGraphic051614
Bravo. Exactly. We will never make a dent in incarceration rates, falling academic performance, early sexual behavior and especially poverty, until Father’s return to their families. It’s so simple and grass-roots, but it means that we would no longer be able to worship the all-powerful god of sexual liberty. Because urging sexual restraint and fidelity is blasphemy in our culture, so we will continue to see the fall-out of fatherlessness. (And now with fertility “advancements” we will also experience never-before-in-the-history-of-the-world mass motherlessness.)
Keep blogging friend!
LikeLike
Thanks for the encouragement, friend. 🙂 It IS a simple solution but difficult to convince the general populace of, for the reasons you cite and the prevailing selfishness you referenced in your post. But may I encourage you also to keep up the fight. And I am reminded that our battle is not against flesh and blood. We need to be dealing with the spiritual forces as well as the earthly ones.
LikeLike