Monday, June 20, 2011

Alternative opinion

I didn't want to post this in the comments section because it had some bad language, and I can't alter an incoming comment in any way. However it was an interesting perspective and I didn't want it to get buried, so I thought I would post it here.

This is in response to my WND column The Forgotten Fathers. On the WND site a liberal reader had posted a comment as follows:

Patrice, you're making it sound as though the problem were the result of some sinister liberal plot to make fathers unimportant. Wrong. The problem is due to adverse socio-economic conditions in America. Hardly any one is saying that it's not good for children to grow up in intact families with loving, responsible fathers. This is a very good thing. But given the poverty, the lack of opportunity due to economic difficulties, etc, it's very tough for so many people to live this kind of stable and economically secure life.

Also on the WND site, there was a reply to this comment I would like to include:

As usual, you confuse cause and effect. The socio-economic plight is the RESULT of the breakdown of the family, not the cause of it. Is there a positive feedback loop? Of course. Money problems create stress that can break marriages that are not on a firm foundation, but the primary cause is the breakdown of the family, which was indeed a malicious plot by subversives who WANTED to undermine the nation at its core. They INTENTIONALLY created these socio-economic conditions by encouraging single-motherhood.

Anyway, in response to the first viewpoint, a blog reader tried to post a reply. As I said I deleted the comment but I'm posting it here, language cleaned up:

I agree with the [above] comment. My mom died of cancer when I was young and we drowned in medical bills while my father worked his butt off working several jobs. These things happen. And they happened under Reagan. I worked full-time just out of high school and still had to apply for aid because despite the hours that I worked, I still couldn't afford to pay for rent and food. Welcome to small town America where jobs are few and they pay [expletive]. Eventually, decades later, I moved up a little, but I was lucky. I didn't have any major health issues or children to take care of. America has been in decline for over 30 years. Wages have been stagnet for 30 years while debt has gone up. The social fabric of this country has been tearing for a long, long time and no it doesn't have a [irreverent expletive] thing to do with your god (whatever your god is). And no, it's not because of this or that political party. We have one party in this country: The Corporate Party. Everything else is simply designed to keep you entertained while they steal your money. They've succeeded. The ship is still sinking while all these stupid culture wars and political rants go on.

I welcome your thoughts.

4 comments:

  1. I'm sure there isn't one single cause of all the problems in America (or any other country).

    I do agree that chain events can cascade in multiple levels and bring multiple woes.

    While I would like to, I can't even blame it all on the Devil either, since 1) we all make poor choices and 2) we all suffer consequences that we have no control over.

    Plus there is "personal responsibility" and "social responsibility" fighting between themselves and acting like they are at completely opposite sides of "whatever" issue; yet if everyone took care of their personal responsibilities, then it would not only decrease social problems but also make any there were, much easier to address and actually solve.

    hmmmmm, maybe there is one single thing we could blame: Greed.

    But that is a whole other subject :)

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  2. I’ve had trouble finding the part in the Constitution that guaranteed all Americans the right to TV, cell phones, the newest clothes and toys, a house, a car and happiness. It was the PERSUIT of happiness that the founding fathers wanted for us. I’ve known people that were dirt poor that worked their tails off to make sure their kids finished school, went to college, and was successful. I moved away from Louisiana because I was tired of watching single, poor moms perpetuate their poor choices onto their children. These were kids that were 3rd generation welfare, that were taught that being poor was ok, and school was for chumps. Teen pregnancy got you free government money and if that didn’t work, the race card was always handy. Life’s not fair, ever.

    We have friends that look down on us and say “Only rich people can fill their gas tank” or to my wife, “Why do you even work, your husband’s an engineer.” It’s because since we don’t have children yet, we can afford to work. Our cars, house, and student loan payments are the result of YEARS of hard work in school. I earned that car for all the ramen I had to endure to make sure I finished school. Even then, I struggled with poor choices. I failed out of college twice. I finally went back when I was 28. Life was never handed to me.
    With all that rant being said, I disagree with the last comment about corporate America stealing from us while distracting us. I feel it’s the entitlement of the poor that is doing this nation in. We spend and spend to make sure everyone has free bread and circuses. You are forced to feel bad if you don’t “help the poor.” I’ve seen the poor in Louisiana. They drive better cars with me, have better phones and computers than me, and eat better than me. I think this nation slowly changed their policy from welfare being “a hand up” to “a hand out.” Only when this insane spending gets curtailed will this country begin to move in the correct direction.

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  3. I can agree that things have been going down hill for a while and blame can be laid in so many places. No single person or entity really did any one thing IMHO. The soup just had the right ingerdients. A large dose of money hungry corporate goons, a dash of government over reaching, add a cup of newly "independant" female and a twist of immasculated male and viola. Today's issues. Men unwilling to be men, women happy to be single mothers, and a country without any since of worth or family values. Luckily some women see the value of building their homes before their resume and some men still know how to show honor, strength, courage, and wisdom and will work hard to teach those values to their children. They are the hope for the future. A man who happily and proudly adores his wife, who makes mistakes and learns from them. He is a man I want for President. A steel worker, a military man who started out enlisted, a factory man, a farmer. Show me that man.

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  4. This topic hits close to home for me, as I have lived on both sides. I was widowed very young and raised two boys on my own. Then married again years later, and had two more children. My husband is a beautiful man who all the kids adore.
    Of course, we all believe that fathers are important. And of course we should ALL raise our children with the highest of morals and responsibility. But, to be honest, families like yours (Lewis family) are far and few between. Meaning, two parents, at home, with a great foundation.
    I believe the familial unit is broken because of lack of support from family or the village, so to speak. Families are not only meant to be parents and children, but aunts, uncles and most of all grandparents, and teachers (elders, and positive peers). A majority of boys are raised without a positive male influence and don't know how to become the good fathers, they are intended to be. Life to them, is how much child support they have to pay.
    Good kids are easy to raise by one parent, or two. Some kids are just "hard" from the beginning and require more than what one person can give them.
    Our way of life (economically) is easier now than it has been in written history. But, I can see that disappearing rapidly. I can see the 4-5th generation welfare families, suffering greatly when the government stops handing out the free birth control, and food stamps. They seriously don't know how to live without it.
    I have taught my children to live, love, respect, honor, and have compassion for everyone. The have good work ethic, are polite, and educated. Are they perfect? No way. But, they are mine, and father or not, appreciate all the male influences of their life. As do I.

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