I was struck by the irony of what Barack Obama had to say over the Father?s Day weekend:
Of all the rocks upon which we build our lives, we are reminded today that family is the most important. And we are called to recognize and honor how critical every father is to that foundation. They are teachers and coaches. They are mentors and role models. They are examples of success and the men who constantly push us toward it.
But if we are honest with ourselves, we?ll admit that what too many fathers also are is missing ? missing from too many lives and too many homes. They have abandoned their responsibilities, acting like boys instead of men. And the foundations of our families are weaker because of it.
No mention of the primary catalyst of absent fathers: the welfare state, which replaces the traditional role of the father in the family economy. No mention, either, of the cultural forces (like feminism) that confuse young boys about what it means to be a man.
Kathleen Parker makes the same point in today?s National Review Online.
