Barack Obama On Dads: "We Need Fathers To Step Up"

Parade:

In many ways, I came to understand the importance of fatherhood through its absence--both in my life and in the lives of others. I came to understand that the hole a man leaves when he abandons his responsibility to his children is one that no government can fill. We can do everything possible to provide good jobs and good schools and safe streets for our kids, but it will never be enough to fully make up the difference.

That is why we need fathers to step up, to realize that their job does not end at conception; that what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child but the courage to raise one.

Read the whole story: Parade

Comments

[dawn2dusk]

i am getting sick of the whole "men need to step up" rhetoric.
Women need to stop having children with sorry-a$$ men thinking that a baby will change them into responsible adults.

[RachelMc]

hello! women have babies by anybody nowadays. they act like they have to have babies by any man they sleep with. if a man express to u that they do not want children, why go actually have the child? ya know its something called birth control, morning after pill, and if all else fails, an abortion. dont go purposely making single parent homes. im esp talking about a specific group of ppl since those are the ones i communicate mostly with. me and my friends talk about this all the time. we know dudes are sorry or can be trifling..­. dont go have kids by those. protect yourself and your future family.

[Pema]

Wow, what a wonderful letter he wrote to his daughters. His senstivity to the events of peoples lives and how that shapes them is remarkable. What is even more remarkable, he is generally an enlightened thinker and good hearted man. I dont always agree, but I am grateful to have him.

[gakabani]

We need jobs!!!!!!!

[gakabani]

We ne

[Patricia84]

"What makes you a man is not the ability to have a child but the courage to raise one". Well, I'm no male-ist, but men do not have to be fathers to be men, just like women do not have to be mothers to be women. So I'm having a little trouble with that particular statement.

[RachelMc]

huh? do explain a little more.

[Gretel1or2]

I think the statement was made within the context of having childen, and it was aimed squarely as those men who irresponsibly have children, but bail when the going gets tough. I don't think it was about men who can't or won't have children.

[freeenterprisechic]

Messages that encourage parents to become more active in their child's life without becoming overbearing should be encouraged. cheryl mikela

[letscutthebs]

This is a great message. It will surely inspire a large number of Americans and thereby have a a significant impact in improving our society.

[Matthew543]

Sorry...no­t going to take father advise from a politician­....forgiv­e me, but I have no need to exploit my children for my own gain...the­y come first.

[NCYvonne]

Judging by your post, you need to take parenting advice from somebody!

[kweenipie]

First, you are commenting on his position, not his message - If you can't fault his message, why wouldn't you take the advise? Second, in what way is he exploiting his children for gain? His job, his reputation, his ability, his paycheck, his press coverage does not hinge on or in any way rely on his children anymore than yours does (assuming you are employed). It is determined by who he is and what he does. Lastly, you imply, his children do not come first. Why? Because he has a demanding job? Everyone who has a job, has a demanding job - teachers, doctors, nurses, construction workers, fruit pickers, and waitresses, all jobs make demands on us that take us away from our families. Because he decided to serve his country? Thousands of militairy personnel are doing the same. Police, Firefighters and Emergency Personnel put their lives and safety on the line everyday. Are you implying that they don't put their children first?

If you have a problem with his statement, or a problem with him being a president and a father at the same time, explain why and how that is different than any other demands on any employed father. If you think he is exploiting his children, state how. The people who post and read these comments are interested in your thoughts. When you post something thoughtless, and apparently baseless it just makes you sound inane, prejudice, and/or stupid.

[RachelMc]

what?

[Solja]

Very nice letter. I printed it for all of the men in my life, and also sent it out to my email list.

I'm glad he is in the White House, and that I was part of helping to get him there.

[rsprags]

I'm glad President Obama is focusing on this subject of fatherhood and its importance to all children in America and the World.

[larry278]

Parade doesn't make the cut for a liberal magazine to augment the uber conservative Readers's Digest in English as a Second Language for students & adults from non-English using places. Parade has a dumbed down vocabulary smaller than USA Today's infintile vocabulary. OK, OK, it is off thread but RD, a hyper-reactionary rag, has had a monoply on the ESL text market for 60 years. It's way past time to teach ESL students that the USA is a diverse nation,