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.