Posted on 06/15/2008 2:50:25 PM PDT by forkinsocket
In the third week of June 1972, Richard Milhous Nixon committed an injustice with which the Western world is still struggling. Yes, two men broke into the Democratic Party headquarters in the Watergate building - but we're no longer bothered about that. What still affects us today - or rather tomorrow - is that the then President that week brought the American nation together by making Father's Day a public holiday. For this high crime and misdemeanour, his name should live on in the annals of infamy.
Now, of course, it's over here. It's just like Hallowe'en - another American import. One year we're marking it with a quick ghost story before bed, the next it's a national drama involving all major shops and food outlets. The American business press has cheerfully predicted that this weekend is "recession proof". $11 billion will be wasted on Father's Day tat. Why wouldn't British retailers want us to do the same?
The economy must stimulate itself somehow. But the most worrying thing is that there is a new generation of impressionable young minds who might somehow get the Days of Fathers and Mothers confused. They may even, given the strength of the commercial message, judge them as equal. It is essential to clarify the differences.
The first is historical. Mother's Day was born out of the sacred rites of the holy church, in the 16th century. It was a day to celebrate the role of the Virgin Mary in the life of Christ, and for women to meet up in their own mother church and re-establish their family bonds. Father's Day was invented by Hallmark, and blessed by Richard Nixon.
And the second is in the rites of the celebration of the day itself. Gifts are exchanged on Mother's Day; of course they are. Flowers are delivered, cards are sent. But those are not the important things. The traditions that really matter are the breakfast in bed, and the lunch being cooked by others for once, and being allowed to read the paper in the afternoon. It is a day away from the domestic coalface. And how quite do we adapt that this Sunday?
Of course, there are single fathers who deserve every treat coming their way this weekend. But although one quarter of all families live with a single parent, only one in 10 of those parents is a father.
In two-parent families, the culture of fatherhood has changed significantly over the past generation. Men are, on the whole, much more involved on a day-to-day basis with their children and noticeably more demonstrative emotionally than their fathers were.
There is sympathy and accommodation in the workplace for them to be actively involved in family life. They attend births and change nappies and drop off at schools. They are great. Give them a soppy card and a copy of the new James Bond book.
But real co-parenting is still a rare and remote ideal. For all the family activities that men do join in, a few still, bizarrely, get overlooked. Nit-combing remains a female preserve. As does the dentist's waiting room, the scrum of the school uniform sale, the toy stall at the fete. But most important, recent research shows that, among couples with children, regardless of who goes out to work, women do a whopping 10 hours more child-generated housework per week. How can men have a day away from the coalface if they never look down the mine?
And then there is the question of taste. Mothering Sunday one associates with a charming church service and a hand-tied posy of violets. This week, the image most employed in the celebrations seems to be that of Homer Simpson.
But now the day is upon us, it would be rude to ignore it. In this household we will be celebrating as in all others. We'll cook him lun… hang on, we always do. He can read the pap… nope, he always does. Put his feet… they're always up. It'll just have to be the Bond.
Soooo....it would be rude to ignore the day entirely, but an article bashing it in the newspaper is not? M'kay.
Personally I found the article rather insulting.....but this just cracked me up :
But real co-parenting is still a rare and remote ideal. For all the family activities that men do join in, a few still, bizarrely, get overlooked. Nit-combing remains a female preserve.
Not in this household. All of you that know me have heard of the on-going problem we have with this and also know that Daddy is the absolute expert here. My husband has far more patience than I do -- and better eyesight.
Happy Father's Day guys!
This author has problems.
Your language is like mine is sometimes, not all that clean and pristine. Having said that, you were right, in spite of your naughty word interspersed within your comment - Nixon’s trespass looks pale in comparison to the manure (see the creative alternative?) spread on a daily basis by the Clintons. Poor Nixon was villified and hounded to his grave by the Democrats and liberals in the media, not for arranging anything except a cover-up. The media this go around had to work like crazy to get rid of Hillary, to try to do away with the Clinton monster they had created when Bill was in office. . . and they still can’t really breathe easy completely, the Clintons are like the monster in the movie that keeps on rousing up from apparent death and attacking the hero or heroine of the movie.
“..by making Father’s Day a public holiday.”
Just another touchy-feely, feel-good liberal gesture. And this coming from a father of two sons. Of course, the 18-year old bottle of Glenfiddich is welcome, regardless.
Then we took Dad out for barbecue and gave him some gifts that he wanted, left him alone long enough to watch the new Rambo movie...yes he can do that every week if he wants and yes, I do wait on him a bit on the weekends. Every weekday, however, he leaves the house around 6:00 a.m. to go to work and usually does not get home until 11 or 12 hours later. He works hard so I can stay home and homeschool our one remaining child and so our kids can go to college. I think Father's Day is great and I am privileged to pamper him a little on the weekends on a regular basis. He takes great care of us!
Cinco. De. Mayo.
This was something that not even Ronald Reagan, in his two terms, could accomplish.
Moderator is a nitwit.
Been here too long to be insulted by some do good moron.
Just another crybaby Brit who hates the “colonies”. The only bad thing about Father’s Day is that is seems to confuse the inner city kids.
Happy Father’s Day to Cool Breeze and all the other dads out there! May your grills be clean and your charcoal(or mesquite and hickory) baskets be overflowing.
I guess I am exceptionally fortunate. Fourteen years of school so far with no lice brought home.
I never had them either as a child.
Not true. There is and was no Church feast celebrating mothers in May. The closest equivalent is “Mothering Sunday” celebrated on Laetare Sunday, fourth Sunday in Lent. Mother's day was was invented by Anna Marie Jarvis and “blessed” by Congress and President Wilson in 1914.
If that counts for a traditional observance of Mother's day, then the Solemnity of St. Joseph counts as traditional observance of Father's day.
She can engage in Father bashing all she wants, but she shouldn't try to use Church tradition as a prop. Both dates are really just Hallmark profit makers anyway.
“$11 billion will be wasted on Father’s Day tat. Why wouldn’t British retailers want us to do the same?”
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Hey! I didn’t get any tat today! Of course if I had, I would’ve just tried to trade it in for the other thing.
STFU Gill.
but, but , but, we can't mention Barack Hussein Obama's middle name.
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