Who Needs Fathers?

One of the best memories I have of my Dad is when he took my brother and I to the Miramar Air Show in San Diego.  It was so exciting. We sat at the very top of the bleachers and the whole time my Dad told us really cool facts about the different planes and jets that flew over us.  We also went and walked through some giant cargo planes and looked at some of the planes up close that we had seen fly over us.  One of the best parts was when the sun went down there was The Great Wall of Fire as the finale of the whole show; you could feel the heat from 300 yards away.  My Dad loved to share his interest of aerospace with my siblings and me.

 He taught me so many things that help me be an independent woman.  He taught me that I need to work hard to achieve my goals, and that It is okay to stand up for what you believe in, even if it is not popular.  He also taught me how I should be treated as a woman by treating my Mom like a queen.  I know that I will never forget the lessons he taught me.

 WE NEED FATHERS.  In the United States today we have an epidemic of fatherlessness.  One article said that 40% of all births in the United States are to unwed mothers.  Many famous people and the media are portraying single motherhood as a great and luxurious lifestyle.  They feel that it allows them to be independent and have freedom but still get the satisfaction of being a mother. But it is not all they crack it up to be. 

The MTV show Teen Moms encourages young girls to get pregnant in order to get famous; unfortunately, most of these teens will end up dropping out of school to take care of their children and probably have to rely on welfare, because the boy won’t stay around to help take care of the mother and child.  Society has taught men that it is okay to sleep around with as many girls as you want, because the more you get, the cooler you are.

Diane Roberts said, “Fathers are an important part of sexual and gender development for both boys and girls.”  When boys are raised without a father, they look for a male role model in their life that will teach them about their masculinity, so they turn to their peers and the media to teach them what it is to be a man, which is usually based on aggression and sexual promiscuity.  Girls raised without fathers look for that paternal love and they will go looking for it in the wrong places.  These girls are more likely to end up being abused and pregnant in their teens. 

In TV shows and movies, many fathers are portrayed as big dumb guys who don’t know what they’re doing.  This portrayal is another factor as to why many boys probably don’t want to be fathers.  In order to change society, we need to root out many of these underlying issues

Many times it seems like we can’t do anything to help the fatherlessness situation at all.  But there is.  As responsible citizens, we can learn as much as possible about fathers and their role so that we can share the information that we have learned with others.  We can also promote programs that encourage men to take on their role as fathers, like fatherhood.gov or the National Fatherhood Initiative.  These websites promote fatherhood and have information on how to be a better father to your children. 

When a father is involved in their child’s life, it gives them more stability, courage, and self-confidence.  They also are more likely to graduate high school, get married, and be responsible citizens in their communitee.  Fathers teach their sons how to treat women right, and their daughters that they are someone’s future queen.  Every child deserves to live in a safe environment with a father and mother that love and protect them.  Let’s get back that relationship between fathers and children that our society has been missing, they are the glue that hold together our country.