Brownback on Broken American Families
Via the NY Times, former Republican presidential candidate Sam Brownback writes, briefly and brilliantly about the plight of the American family and our youth two generations removed from the free love revolution.
Over the past five decades in the United States, the marriage rate has gone down and the divorce rate has gone up. In 1960, the out-of-wedlock birth rate was 5 percent. Now it is 37 percent. While you can valiantly raise a good child in another setting and we ought to celebrate it when it happens, the best way to rear a child is between a mom and dad bonded together for life.
Children brought up with a mom and dad bonded in marriage are, on average, far more likely to succeed in school, avoid crime and live happier and healthier lives. The best way to reduce poverty, fight crime and improve education is to rebuild the family.
Yes sir, that is correct. My own mother was a single parent for a time before re-marrying my step-father. Although it might make for a better story I won’t say that she was a failing parent during this period. That wouldn’t be true. But Brownback is correct in saying that 2 parents are better than 1.
First, there’s something about having an engaged male in the house that makes discipline issues not happen. Prevention is, after all, the best cure of all. Second, 2 sets of eyes and ears make sure that budding problems get nipped early. Parents of either gender need backup, especially when kids reach their teenage years. Third, 2 parents are simply able to devote more time to their children than a single parent and this investment results in the successes that Brownback mentions.
The one thing that Brownback doesn’t mention in this short editorial is that a significant reason for the number of single mothers in America today is the self-indulgent behavior of young men in our society.
If you want to have a serious conversation about the failure of marriage as an institution you have to begin there, in my opinion.
I am not a fan of Barack Obama’s social policies. Frankly I believe that they are too expensive, too liberal, and too forgiving of those who refuse to accept responsibility for their own lives.
But nine months ago, before he lost me, Obama nailed the issue with young men’s lack of maturity and its effect on society dead to rights:
“There are a lot of men out there who need to stop acting like boys; who need to realize that responsibility does not end at conception; who need to know that what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child but the courage to raise a child”
Obama was speaking specifically about young black males in that statement. But his words are more important than that and should not be bound by the race issue.
Increasingly young men of all creeds, classes, and colors are coming of age without male role models in their lives and it shows in their childish behavioral patterns.
The way to combat this, it seems to me, is to re-inject men into the lives of boys. Homes, churches, and schools all need intentionally put good men in the way of wayward boys so that they have the opportunity to learn what it means to be a man.
Life is so long. Don’t let it go all alone.
Those are very good remarks by Obama, indeed.
The question is, of course, in how far can politicians impact this? They can talk about it, but should they be actively involved i.e. legislate the matter?
One of the possible solutions, it seems to me, is ruin men who walk out on their children financially.
I agree completely with that last part, Michael. One area where I’d have absolutely no problem acquiescing to govt involvement would be to use the IRS to garnish wages of fathers if they’re not voluntarily supporting their children.
I happen to think that legalized abortion has contributed to the irresponsible behavior of men; by posturing that abortion vs. carrying a pregnancy to term is completely the woman’s decision, the male opts out of taking responsibility for the sexual liason that led to the pregnancy.
BTW, continuing the theme of giving credit where credit is due, Obama had some good remarks about the family in a recent speech in regard to parental involvement with education and school discipline, too. I disagree with Obama on a lot of political/social issues, but I am heartened to see that his approach on the issues affecting families in general and black families in particular are more in line with Bill Cosby than with Jesse Jackson.