Barack Obama Father's Day reply - INVOLUNTARY fatherlessness

Barack addressed the congregation at the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago, IL on June 15, 2008.

This is my response:

Barack is right on when he talks about the need for fathers to be more involved with their kids. But he completely misses the point that most absent fathers did NOT choose to walk away, they were FORCED OUT as innocent defendants in no-fault divorces. Democrats uphold defendants' rights, right? Apparently not in family court and not when there are no criminal charges against the defendant. We can NOT strengthen fatherhood if we ignore the ease with which any family court judge can terminate the parental rights of any good, devoted father in divorce court.

Also, Obama offers several proposals to "strengthen fatherhood" - but they pretty much ALL require the father to be divorced and pay his support on time. Fathers who pay no support through an agency - BECAUSE they live at home and provide direct support - do not qualify for Obama's program. By focusing on improving support collection, Obama's plan actually will make divorce and support money MORE attractive to moms who are fearful of dad's job (in)security, his plan will increase the divorce incentives we have now and will make MORE children fatherless.

This is not change. "More money for single moms" is the same-old thing we've done for decades, and it's a big part of how we got to a place where Obama needs to chide absent fathers - it IS the engine of big government's effort to REPLACE fathers as providers of family security.

Also, Obama looks at fathers who have already decided to walk away, and he wants to convince them to turn around and walk back. He'd be a lot more successful if he was doing something for the fathers who were FORCED away, who already want to spend more time with their kids.

Equal protection of the fundamental parental rights of all fit parents, will eliminate the divorce incentive and strengthen families. THAT would be a change! Does Obama have the courage to challenge the liberal media's "All Men Suck" template? Not so far....

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• barack
• obama
• fathers
• day
• church
• chicago
• illinois
• equality
• reform
• justice
• children
• involuntary
• fatherless
• divorce

[Xycopixie]

um, dude I understand what you're saying but Obama obviously is not speaking to your situation; this vid is a little misdirected.

oh and BTW divorce laws were developed at a time when women didn't have much financial opportunities and gender roles were very strong so it isn't really a government conspiracy to push for divorces- the laws are just outdated.

[steve66oh]

Pixie, I agree with you on both points: 1)Obama is not talking about devoted dads forced out of familes - my complaint is that Obama is ignoring this problem, and 2) I don't say this is a DELIBERATE conspiracy, just that the laws now ACT as a divorce incentive.

(but, read Kate Millet, "Sexual Politics" 2.3, 1969 for her description of family as the patriarchal unit from which patriarchal society is built. Or read Karl Marx for his declaration that the concept of "family" should be abolished)

[Amadeo78]

Frankly,if you look at the stats on who wins custody and at what percentage the imbalance is clear. The modern family will soon be composed of: Woman, Child and State.

[RoseCityRose]

I love Obama, .but his speech really irked me....When a man can get a 5000 bill slapped on him for back child support with one phone call because his ex threw a tantrum, with immediate payment required, if he can't they can take his driver's license,half his paycheck, PUT IT ON YOUR CREDIT. How is a father supposed to transport his child, or get a loan to provide his child with a home??? The government needs to start realizing the major role that WOMEN play in fatherless homes. And I AM A WOMAN

[themaniusedtob]

@RoseCityRose thank you finally a lady that understands

[themaniusedtob]

@RoseCityRose thank you finaly a lady that understands

[maaruz1979]

@aferg76 one has to realize these recessions hit the black community harder than other communities. black male unemployment is easily double that of whites. only a very naive person does not realize the effect this has on the family structure. that is not to excuse abandonment, but it is not so cut & dried as the talking heads make it appear

[maaruz1979]

great video, man. actually what obama was doing was using black men as fodder to pander to conservative whites for votes- like a two-bit whore

[aferg76]

@steve66oh in the black community it is more voluntary than voluntary. i think obama was speaking manly to the black community. over 65% of fathers are missing from black homes.

[steve66oh]

@marlee51 - unilateral divorce IS a problem. But, honestly, people DO have a right to associate -or not- with whoever they want (provided the other consents to the association). When my spouse chose to leave me, she had THAT right. What she DIDN'T have was a right to demand that I leave my son. No-fault divorce MUST be interpreted as the FILER's request to leave the whole family and pay support.

[elevatemaui]

@stealth99 AGREE

[elevatemaui]

THANK YOU, Steve!

[derekeddy]

Its is just a tragedy that the states give women the right to hurt their children and emotionally deprive the children of their fathers. I go through this on a daily as my son's mother conveniently is never home when I go to pick him up at scheduled times. Often she calls and says that he will not be going with me & just hangs up. The courts will not punish her. They are of the mind that to punish her is to punish the child. I guess its OK to punish my son by depriving him of his father.