Classical Values :: HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

June 21, 2009

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Of course, I'm not a father, nor do I have one, as my dad died decades ago.

But I'm sure there are plenty of readers who are dads or are married to one, so I found something which might be of interest. Dr. Helen reflects on a Spectator article about today's neutered dads, and offers some Father's Day advice:

...I was recently at a spa getting a pedicure and a young boy and his sister were sitting next to their mom. The young boy blurted out, "I can't help it that I'm not a girl!" in response to something they were saying. I was taken back a bit. When did you used to hear boys saying that and in a serious way?

Our society simultaneously thinks it's funny that boys have been regulated to second class citizenship and at the same time, they feel it it their "just desserts." Afterall, they must pay for whatever happened to women in past times. This is cruel and vindictive but worst of all, it is happening because we let it.

Perhaps this Father's Day, we should all think about what it mean to have "a bit more courage," when it comes to helping the next generation of boys succeed. Without courage, we (and they) are lost.

What she heard that boy say is a sad but interesting commentary on human adaptability. The kid is smart enough to realize that being a male is a disadvantage, yet he's savvy enough to understand the paramount importance of claiming his niche as a victim -- something that in the old days men tended not to do. Newly manufactured morality can be a two edged sword. If boys are considered useless creatures with girls as their victims, they'll simply go on strike and claim their counter-victimhood. Little wonder so many men are opting out, even if it means they get nothing for Father's Day.

Fathers deserve gratitude today for simply being men who didn't opt out. I realize that's not the original purpose of Father's Day, but hey, times change.

posted by Eric on 06.21.09 at 09:53 AM

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Comments

I think we have suffered enough from gender related issues, we are all human and should be entitled to survive without these defining issues.
Our present state of political correct morality is as rigid, defined and constricting, (producing the same feelings of guilt and inadequacy), as the moralistic religious system it is trying to replace.
Instead of "all men are created equal" why not all are created equal?

Hugh · June 21, 2009 10:59 AM

The use of "regulated to second-class citizenship" instead of "relegated ..." is wonderful, even if it was unintentional, as it is so true.
And it isn't a "moralistic religious system" PC is trying to replace. It's one based on Jefferson's and Locke's rationality. Unfortunately that isn't robust enough to withstand modern immoralism. And how in the world, by the way, does "moralistic" come to be a pejorative? Would "immoralistic" be better? Apparently some people think so.

Robert Speirs · June 21, 2009 12:27 PM

I find it interesting that R Speirs has assumed I think a PC
system is trying to replace the Declaration of Independence.
I am concerned that many in our society do not consider the term "man" or "mankind" to include woman.
Life should not be a competition between male and female
because of this.
Historical, (scientific, biblical, koran, torah and all) writings refer to our species as "man", (including all, male and female), our present highly educated nitpicking society seems unable to understand this.

Hugh · June 21, 2009 01:33 PM

When my younger son was three he told me he wanted to be a girl. I asked him why. He said "Because they get to have all the adventures and win all the fights." Then he gave me examples from Saturday morning cartoons. Heck, it's hard, these days, to find a book with a brave, resourceful male protagonist, much less for kids.

When my younger son -- slow developing in sexual terms -- was eight or nine he got called to the school because he'd been accused of sexual harrassment. And 'confessed'. Since at the time he had speech issues and couldn't pronounce harrassement I descenced on the school like the wrath of ... me.

This as far as I could gather is what happened -- Kid was trying to get the attention of little female friend who was surrounded by other kids. He reached her through the melee and touched her behind twice. And said something like "Do you want to play my space game?"

Playground guard decided this was "sexual harrassment" and hauled both kids inside to the principal, to be properly treated like criminal and victim. By the time I was done they ADMITTED the whole thing was pretty silly since neither of the kids had any idea what anyone's behind had to do with sex -- but they were still going to put the girl "through counseling" for you know... hidden injuries.

I pointed out in my days, if a boy touched me, sexually or not (or a girl for that matter) and i didn't like it, he got punched. End of matter

They told me violence doesn't solve anything. But apparently victimhood and counseling does? And I beg to differ. The idiots I punched were pretty much 'solved' in the sense they didn't touch without permission again.

Portia · June 23, 2009 10:57 PM