Demonstrating peacefully, exercising free speech, fixing long overdue racial problems, building a more just society, and speaking truth to power…. Or looting, rioting, burning businesses, attacking senior citizens, and killing innocent people….We choose our own labels to describe what we are watching unfold on a daily and nightly basis. Despite our divergent views reflecting our country’s deep divides, we can probably all agree with Dorothy that We’re not in Kansas anymore. In fact, America itself is becoming unrecognizable.
I continue to believe that the crisis of fatherlessness, which has snowballed over the past sixty years and is destroying our social fabric, is an issue that transcends our political, racial, gender, religious, ethnic or social differences. The issue is enormous, arguable the biggest one we face.
Yet in this political “silly season”, where both sides launch the full range of salvos from their fully-stocked arsenals of political, policy and personal weaponry, have we heard anything about the need for fathers? Or the benefit on intact families? Or the kids (and adults) who have fallen through the cracks of home lives that lack structure, predictability, direction, discipline, safety, caring, and parental love?
Even though the politicians are mute on fatherhood — which is not surprising, given that they helped create the mess we’re in — there are other voices worthy of being heard. Listen to the strong voices below on the need for fathers and how the absence of fathers has helped foster the chaos and destruction we are witnessing. (You’ll notice a theme that my spoiler alert heading above has already given away).
- Listen to the whole thing or start at around 3:00 when Denzel Washington asks: “Blame the system? Where was his father?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0dCvQdt5XI
- Author Katie Kieffer asks, “As young whites and young blacks came together to riot in the streets of Minneapolis to destroy diverse neighborhoods and businesses owned by first- and second-generation immigrants, I had to ask: Where are these young people’s fathers? https://townhall.com/columnists/katiekieffer/2020/06/22/black-fathers-matter-n2571041
- Larry Elder, the Sage of South Central, talks about missing fathers and says “Fathers Matter. Until we have a government that makes THAT its tops priority, nothing will change.” https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=why+black+fathers+matter&view=detail&mid=C2562C1104691294AFAAC2562C1104691294AFAA&FORM=VIRE
- Iconic economist and Philadelphia hero Walter Williams, says “Crime is a major problem for many black communities, but how much of it can be attributed to causes such as institutional racism, systemic racism, and white privilege?…The most devastating problem is the very weak black family structure.” https://townhall.com/columnists/walterewilliams/2020/07/29/is-racism-responsible-for-todays-black-problems-n2573212
- Lastly, your humble correspondent Bill McCusker weighs in with my thoughts on not enough kids of all races getting “The Talk” about the police because not enough fathers are there to give it. https://www.wnd.com/2020/09/tragedy-systemic-fatherlessness/
So what do we do? The Dad Link isn’t going to quell the unrest and restore tranquility to the land. But you know the saying about a long journey beginning with the first step. If you haven’t checked it out, go to https://thedadlink.org/ for a look at a new and creative way to connect volunteer fathers with young men and women who do not have a father involved in their lives. I’ll say more on this next time.
Stay well.
Bill McCusker
