Posted on 12/12/2007 6:29:10 AM PST by Freeport
As the mug shots of the alleged killers of NFL star Sean Taylor were shown on television, I kept wondering when we were going to see their parents step forward. I saw a couple of mothers, but their dads were missing in action.
Dads matter, and it's ridiculous for us to act as if all it takes is a loving mom.
Now, I don't know what it means not to have a father in your life. I'm not familiar with a mom being strung out on a crack binge. And when my parents were called to the school when there was a discipline problem, Mom and Dad didn't go off on the teacher or principal. In fact, I can still feel the pain of my elementary school principal's paddle being applied to my butt when I acted a fool. The principal could only pop me three times. Dad? He had no limit.
Bottom line: I can sit here today and celebrate them and enjoy a wonderful life because my parents were hell-bent on raising their children to do right by them, especially my dad.
We can spend all day talking about the ills afflicting urban America -- and there are plenty that are institutional -- but the decaying value of life in inner cities clearly can be traced to the exodus of fathers from the lives of so many young men. Excuses often are tossed about as to why black men leave their children (and their children's moms) to fend for themselves. But a lot of them are just sorry and refuse to accept the responsibility that comes with raising a child.
...
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Poor guy. Wonder what he’ll do after CNN cans him.
Maybe Fox will pick him up.
Well said. Politically even-handed as well.
I think Cosby has been saying similar things in recent years and I don’t think his words are greeted with much enthusiasm by many black folks.I even saw a skit by Chris Rock in which he blasted some blacks with comments like “lazy a$$ niggers” and things like that.
Yes a very good article. But somehow I think the people who need to hear it the most are either unlikely to be on the CNN web-site catching up on the news or incapable of reading it. Let me know when the hip-hip community starts “singing” about it. Then it will be heard.
What does HE know?
White, liberal politicians are the REAL experts in raising black children.
We live next door to one of these situations. Sperm donor contributed to making two children by different moms. Gets third woman pregnant. Baby was only a few months old when he flew the coop. Wow, who could have seen that coming! He was unemployed most of the time he worked next door. Supposedly he was in the music business—ha, ha. I’m sure he’s got a fourth kid by now. The thing is, I’m sure he doesn’t even think that he’s done anything wrong.
I have seen a lot of young bi-racial couples out an about lately...more so than say 15 years ago...
It use to be, I’d only see a black guy with a woman of some other ethnicity out...more an more, I see black women with men of another ethnicity.
IMHO...it’s a good thing.
I suspect that there are plenty of black men out there who agree with him and, to use his phrase, man up. Once again, it’s the thugs who get all the press. The good men are too busy with their jobs, their wives and kids and most likely with their church and community to make waves.
Kinda like the people who show up at protests all look like bums. Same thing.
Outstanding article.
“Let me know when the hip-hip community starts “singing” about it”
Amen to that.
We need to give these guys two choices. Pay up or forced labor camps. Take your pick, Daddy.
There are white, hispanic ect...men that fit that discription also.
JMO
” There are white, hispanic ect...men that fit that discription also.”
clean up the largest group first and it will be a cinch to do the rest
JMO
Yup. Guy I work with is like this. He got tired of breaking steel for a living so he went back to school. He was the first in his family - ever - to get a college diploma (I met his parents when they came in for his graduation, talk about proud!!!) He put himself through school and worked 3 (sometimes 4) jobs at the same time to do it. He took his first vacation in years not too long ago and told me that "He had no idea what to do with himself." He said that he particularly enjoys "only" working two jobs now (does some work for his kids' school to help with their tuition) because it frees up time for things that he enjoys.
When he's not active with his church or coaching the local kids' basketball teams, he's teaching adults to read.
Thing is, this guy has no clue what a role model he is. He's the most humble, down-to-earth guy you could hope to meet. This is a man who surely is changing lives, but no one will know beyond his own circle because he's too humble to honk his own horn.
We live next door to one of these situations. Sperm donor contributed to making two children by different moms. Gets third woman pregnant. Baby was only a few months old when he flew the coop. Wow, who could have seen that coming! He was unemployed most of the time he worked next door. Supposedly he was in the music business—ha, ha. I’m sure he’s got a fourth kid by now. The thing is, I’m sure he doesn’t even think that he’s done anything wrong.
My niece caught with a black guy...had a child by him and he left her. Thing is, he has eight (8) children now by eight (8) different women.
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