Father's Day: Obama tells black fathers to engage their children

[DeepModem Mom]

Source: LAT/AP

From the Associated Press
June 15, 2008

CHICAGO -- Barack Obama celebrated Father's Day by calling on black fathers, who he said are "missing from too many lives and too many homes," to become active in raising their children. "They have abandoned their responsibilities, acting like boys instead of men. And the foundations of our families are weaker because of it," the Democratic presidential candidate said today at a largely black church in his hometown.

Reminding the congregation of his firsthand experience growing up without a father, Obama said he was lucky to have loving grandparents who helped his mother. He got support, second chances and scholarships that helped him get an education. Obama's father left when he was 2. "A lot of children don't get those chances. There is no margin for error in their lives," said Obama, an Illinois senator.

"I resolved many years ago that it was my obligation to break the cycle -- that if I could be anything in life, I would be a good father to my girls," added Obama, whose daughters, Sasha and Malia, and his wife, Michelle, watched from the audience....

Obama often speaks about the importance of parental involvement. In Washington, he sponsored legislation to get more child support money to children by offering a tax credit for fathers who pay support, more efficient collection and penalties for fathers who don't meet their obligations. The issue adds to his family values credentials and lets voters see him delivering a stern message to black voters....

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-obama16-2008jun16,0,7517092.story

[Carnea]

1. Well better than the fundies who get engaged to their children...nt

[Athens30603]

7. Like Woody Allen? ;) n/t

[BlooInBloo]

2. A fine message, one that lots of black folks have been saying for decades....

My almost-certainly doomed attempt to avoid "He's Bill Cosby"-hand-wringing.

[BOHICA06]

3. It starts with a lifetime commitment to another .... a wife .... prior to

pregnancy and childbirth.

[Frustratedlady]

4. I'm glad to see this. This cycle must be broken for all families...

You play, you pay. These girls are being left with the responsibilities of motherhood while the guys move on to the next. These children deserve better.

[Towlie]

5. Bad idea! I don't like this!

No matter how correct he might be, this is bound to generate damaging criticism. He would have been much better off to address America's fathers in general.

Bill Cosby could have gotten away with it, but mark my word, this was a big mistake for a campaigning politician.

[treestar]

6. I agree. Say it to all the fathers, don't play into that right wing

meme "President of the Black People Only."

We know that is not what he intended, but the US is full of morans.

[tyne]

8. I disagree.

The black community has, for a long time, needed more strong AA leaders to stand up and speak the truth. He was at a specific venue saying the right thing.

What are racists gonna say, "OH no...he's saying that many AA men need to be better fathers"!

No...they'll appreciate this....even though they won't admit it.

[Towlie]

10. But maybe it wasn't really like the Associated Press said.

This Chicago Tribune article seems to say that he was addressing all fathers, not just black ones, just as I said he should have.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-61508-obama-father-apostolic,0,5902076.story

[DeepModem Mom]

12. Thanks, Towlie, for posting this link. I posted the OP, and I'm really wondering...

now about the true nature of this story.

[gblady]

13. All fathers....

I was surprised when I saw the black father headline on Yahoo...
because while in a couple of lines, he spoke of AA fathers...
the whole jist was about all fathers...

hate it when the media twists the message like that.

[madrchsod]

18. yahoo is as bad as fox

since netscape mail was bought by yahoo i`m subjected to this shit from the asshole writers at yahoo. i have`t read anything that has`t been slanted against barack...

[BlooInBloo]

9. Yah - because GOLLY - if it weren't for this, they wouldn't say *anything*!!!

:rofl:

[bunkerbuster1]

11. You had a head-scratching moment about Obama. Some advice...

Not that it's worth all that much, but you might appreciate this perspective.

There've been times when I've had a "WTF?" moment or two with Obama as a campaigner. Like when he decided to formally leave his church a few weeks ago.

I've come to realize that Obama's political judgement is probably a good deal more finely honed than mine; it's got him this far, and he's doing splendidly so far.

I guess this is a long way of saying he's probably got a very good handle on what's politically expedient, and I suspect that this speech will be well received, or at very worst, won't hurt him at all.

[auburnblu]

15. No Bill Cosby has not got away with it

I wondered how long it would take for a few of the "I'm Enlightened" crowd to criticize Obama on this. Bill Cosby is now labeled a sell out by some for ths same message. Kudos to Bill Cosby and Obama for caring more about the future of black children than about the feeling of a bunch of know-it-alls. This message is one that fathers of all races should heed. Maybe some critics benefit through their job or politically by so many children being born to unwed mothers or from situations where the father leaves at a very early age.

Obama endured this as a child, he knows the pain it causes the child and the hardship it causes the mother. He has every right and is right to bring this up on Father's Day. He wants change and maybe part of that change is a country with a more stable family structure. I really do question the motives of those that are such harsh critics of Cosby and Obama. What do these critics have to lose if the message of Cosby and Obama can begin to turn things in a better direction?

[Captain Hilts]

19. Cosby's been fried for saying that. nt

[roseBudd]

24. The Cosby thing is more of a "he's talking out of school"

[Carnea]

27. Many of Black leaders are speaking out against this

One of my favorites is Bill Maxwell of the St Petersburg times. He has been labeled as an Uncle Tom by radical elements in the Saint Petersburg activist community (Which supports no snitch despite heavy black on black violence.) He speaks out against no snitch and other "Uhura" attitudes and is vilified by some of his own....

You can read some of his stuff here... http://www.tampabay.com/writers/article380406.ece

[bigbrother05]

14. I wrote to the AP for their Title

I listened to the sermon, I did not hear one time Black fathers.

[hollowdweller]

16. Subtle Racisim

In the press coverage? They probably didn't even realize that they did it but that's the way it works.

[Igel]

21. Context in resolving the referent for "our" suffices. (that is all)

[DeepModem Mom]

25. Thank you, bigbrother! Please let us know if you hear from them.

I, as I think you know, posted this OP, and, at the time, I had seen no other reports so I took this one at face value. I feel some responsibility now for posting an article that seems to have been misleading.

[DuaneBidoux]

17. I have no problem here. Period.

[sallyseven]

20. I think that Obams can do a lot of good

for his race. Too often the black people who made it did not turn around and help other blacks. I noticed this first when Senator Brooke did not help his people. I was shocked. Most of the time the black race was looked down upon and really needed a view of a light at the end of the tunnel. Very few ever turned around to help up their fellow black citizens. Can't leave it for the whites to do that in those days. Maybe he can be an example for other black professionals to reach back and assist. We are all americans and respect the flag and our constitution now lets respect each other.

[Zuiderelle]

22. So misleading, to claim that he said this to black fathers, when he clearly said it OF all fathers.

by calling on black fathers, who he said are "missing from too many lives and too many homes"

They are making it SEEM that he was talking only to BLACK fathers, when he actually said this:

"We also need families to raise our children," he said. "We need fathers to realize that responsibility does not end at conception. We need them to realize that what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child. It's the courage to raise one."

....

"Of all the rocks upon which we build our lives, we are reminded today that family is the most important," Obama said. "And we are called to recognize and honor how critical every father is to that foundation."

But, "if we are honest with ourselves, we'll admit that too many fathers also are missing, missing from too many lives and too many homes.

"They have abandoned their responsibilities, acting like boys instead of men," he said. "And the foundations of our families are weaker because of it."

NOWHERE in there does he say "BLACK FATHERS." I guess they can get away with this "truthiness" since he made the speech to a black congregation. Well, technically, he told the black fathers in the congregation that, but this incredibly misleading.

[hedgehog]

23. Years ago, Daniel Patrick Monihan got labeled a racist for suggesting that

communities without fathers in the homes would fall into poverty and disorder. In all the uproar, people missed his second point; that what was happening in black communities then would also happen in white communities. I live in what was until very recently a mostly white town and I have seen the process Daniel Patrick Monihan predicted take place. It's one reason some younger people are becoming more conservative about sex than older people. They see the consequences every day.


It's not entirely about personal responsibility. If there are no jobs in the area, even the strongest communities and families fall apart. I applaud Obama for addressing this problem as both a personal and a societal responsibility.


BTW - I think it's all about having the person or persons involved with bringing a life into the world understanding that it's at least an 18 year full-time first priority commitment. In other words, it's not a declaration that families are only for straight couples. It's an admonition to reproduce responsibly!

[FrenchieCat]

26. Barack Obama has been saying this for some time......and telling this message

in the Black churches and no, the Black community doesn't take offense....cause most know that it is true, in terms of percentages, the Black male seems to be missing more from the family home than other races. There are reasons for this, but the percentage still holds. I believe that Obama was talking to fathers in general, and to Black fathers specifically. As someone from the Black community, I will attest that he is correct, and the only folks who would take offense are those fathers that are MIA.