Looking for a Few Good Fathers

Life 50 years ago moved at a slower, but nonetheless progressive, pace. The use of drugs was heavily looked down upon. Young ladies during that era would have been banned and shamed for dressing and acting promiscuously. It was demanded of young men to have respect for themselves and those around them. Family values played a major part in shaping the lives of the next generation, and our parents were our early models for God. Their unconditional love taught their offspring about the cruel and challenging world they would eventually face. Equally important, parents were the first line of support for their emotional needs, basic values and various norms. From such interactions, a child’s personality and character were formed.

Let’s fast-forward 50 years later. The family institution has been shattered and no one seems to understand why. We as a nation in all of our efforts can’t put the genie back in the bottle. When watching television, it is shocking to see the scantily clad outfits that our young women wear, leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination. Young men are wearing oversized clothes and speaking a language that only they understand, called profanity. Neither gender understands what it is to be a lady or a gentleman anymore. Drug use, sex and profane communication are glorified in their music and household. Family values are replaced with the attitudes of rudeness, selfishness and immorality. So what happened over time that caused such a severe disparity in the past and the present?

On Sunday, as Father’s Day celebrations begin, the family needs a critical re-examination. A father’s absence in the household is unequivocally devastating and criminal. His being there for his family is necessary in instilling values, work ethic, discipline and common decency. It is not a stretch to say that our penal system mirrors absentee fathers in the household. In a home environment where families are fractured and unconditional love is rare, hope twists inward and horrible violence erupts. In conclusion, men play an integral role in raising their sons and daughters to understand what it is to be a man and what is required to be a woman. A father’s presence in the home is the only answer that can solve this pathology that sweeps this nation.

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