Obama’s Fatherhood Speech
I found this to be one of the most inspiring things I
have read in a long time because although it sets the bar high for parents and
society, it is not set unreasonably high. What president Obama has done in this
speech is to recognize how low the bar is now and raise it not to an
unachievable level but rather he has set it back to where it should have been
all along; where it was not so terribly long ago.
Nowhere
in his speech does he lay blame but instead points out where parents and
society as a whole are missing the mark but then goes on to remind us that
getting things to where they should be, back to a way that would build stronger
families, stronger communities and in that a stronger country should be the
ultimate goal. He recognizes that like himself and even his own father no
parent is or can be perfect but that perfection is not the goal. The goal is doing the best job possible as a
father and a parent and acknowledges that this is by no means an easy job. What
I really enjoyed as I read this was that he didn’t at any time infer that what
was needed was government intervention to make thing better but instead it was
government support that could help make the difference.
It
was also encouraging that in the speech President Obama pointed out how he
recognized the difficulties that single mothers faces trying the raise their
children while working, taking care of the household and all the other things
that should be being shared by two parents and acknowledging that although the
government couldn’t solve all of their problems or alleviate all of their
challenges it could certainly do more to lend a hand and support those mothers
in every way possible.
He
also pointed out that men need to step up and take on the responsibilities that
come with fatherhood, stating that conception is where fatherhood begins, not
where it ends and doesn’t hesitate to say that just as the government should do
what it can to support mothers who are trying to raise children on their own it
should also do whatever possible to help fathers who are making child support
payments and who are trying to do the right thing by their children even if
they are absent from the family. He
suggest such things as tax incentives to help these fathers meet their
obligations and make it as easy as possible for them to do the right thing for
their children. This is a huge step in the right direction.
He
states what would seem blatantly obvious to many of us and that is how
important it is for parents to spent quality time with their children, to turn
off the TV and spend time talking with them, helping them with their school
work and to really try to connect with them and again points out that it is the
government’s responsibility to do everything possible to help parents be able
to do this by lightening the financial penalties imposed on married couples.
All
these things were inspiring to read but what touched me the most was the fact
that he acknowledged that there will be times when in spite of our best efforts
things go will wrong and times may get tough and that at those times the most
important thing we can give to children is hope. I think one of the biggest things that is
missing from many factions of our society today is hope. Without hope there is
no future – because without hope there is no reason for a future. Children must grow up not only being told but
by experiencing that although times may get tough they can and do get better
and that they can never let go of the knowledge that the future can always get
brighter if they are willing to put in the effort to make that happen.
Never
expect things to be handed to you, never expect that it will always be easy and
never expect the sun to shine all the time but also never forget that things
can always get better and that the sun is always shining behind the clouds and
as long as parents hold onto the ideal that things can get better and strive to
make that happen their children will grow up with the same mind set and as long
as they are willing to stand by this ideal then they should have as much
support, not interference, but support as the government can possibly give them
because then and only then can we build stronger families which will lead to
stronger communities and a stronger better country, the country that we should
also always be striving to become.
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