By Christi Parsons
President Obama pledged a series of new initiatives to support responsible fatherhood on Monday, but called on fathers to recognize the limits of government to achieve what only they can do in the home.
In his annual Father's Day event, Obama urged fathers to mentor their own children - and to reach out to those in the community who don't have strong parental or guardian support.
"We can't legislate fatherhood," Obama told a crowd gathered on the southeast side of Washington. "But what we can do is send a clear message to our fathers that there is no excuse for failing to meet their obligations."
The message echoed that of a noted Obama campaign speech from 2008, when he told absent fathers to stop making excuses and take economic and emotional responsibility for their children.
Last year, Obama launched what he called a national conversation about fatherhood, and on Monday he unveiled some of the ideas his administration has come up with as a result.
Photo credit: AP / Susan Walsh
The White House is kicking off a program to recruit mentors and give them support, administration officials said. The Department of Justice is starting a fathering re-entry program for ex-offenders, which they plan to institute in courts across the country to help ex-convicts find jobs and pay child support.
The NFL Players' Association is also getting involved by sponsoring local forums on parenting, and the national Parent Teacher Association will help promote participation.
While those programs will have actual effect, Obama predicted, he argued the most government can do is send a message about the importance of active parenting.
"What we can do is make it easier for fathers who make responsible choices and harder for those who avoid them," Obama said. "What we can do is come together and support fathers who are willing to step up and be good parents, partners and providers."
Comments
Barry is speaking from experience he had a dead beat dad and a white trash mom. so this is one time he knows what hes talking about
Posted by: Libtard | June 21, 2010 12:01 PM
Congratulations to President Obama for pushing fathers to take responsibilities for their children. The last time Obama advocated this back in 2008 Jesse Jackson responded by threatening to cut off Obama's Crown Jewels and turn him into a Eunuch. The President is completely correct on this issue.
Posted by: depot jim | June 21, 2010 12:08 PM
The Republican party loves family values celebrations like Fathers Day. Just ask Mark Sanford, John Ensign and David Vitter..
Posted by: Benny Blades | June 21, 2010 12:36 PM
"We can't legislate fatherhood". Spoken like a GOPer.
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How to tell when there's an election on the horizon: When Democrats start parroting Republican principles.
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Posted by: Just sayin' | June 21, 2010 12:47 PM
He MUST know from first hand experience when HIS father left him so that Barry would be raised by a "Typical" White woman.
Posted by: senator dirksen | June 21, 2010 3:15 PM
What liberals don't understand or like lie about is that Republicans are upset at the creeps in the Republican party and will criticize them as loudly as the Democrats, while Democrats embrace those who have 9 children with 8 women. Look at Jesse Jackson; were he a Republican, his career would have ended when we learned about Karin Sanford. Look at R Kelly, who has sex with little girls and performs in the Obama White House. Look at Barney Frank, whose boyfriend was running a brothel out of their apartment. Look at John Edwards - do you REALLY think dozens of reporters would have kept quiet about Reille Hunter had he been a Republican? But in 2008 he was being considered for VP! Look at Jom McGreevey, Eliot Spitzer, David Patterson and countless others. All held in high esteem by liberals.
Look at how good a job liberals have done in the Black community, were 80% of children are born out of wedlock and the phrase "20-year old mother of 3" is not unusual.
Posted by: Dan C | June 21, 2010 5:12 PM
Like M L King, the President brings out the viciousness in the above posters. Because the Presidnet represents an example to be emulated by others. Something they can't stand.
Like Libtard. Who, standing on the highest ladder he could find, on tippy toes, and stretching as far as he could, still could not touch Obama's SHOES.
Posted by: ornery | June 21, 2010 7:25 PM
Dan C-
There is no shortage of republicans that were involved in sex scandals. Many of them continued their careers. No party has a monopoly on that.
And please, R. Kelly never performed at the White House. Are you mistaken, or are you just making things up?
Posted by: martin | June 21, 2010 11:04 PM
Dan: You are probably thinking of P Diddy - hard to tell these talented Dem Rappers apart. Diddy campaigned hard for Owebomba. Who can forget the "Obama Or Die" t-shirt line and chant at the BET Awards in '08?
Diddy is a fine representative of Democrat values and ideology:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-fC1T3zH5E
Posted by: Diddy - Leader of the Dem Party | June 22, 2010 7:37 AM
Something tells me horery didnt know his daddy either and thats why he has such empathy for the president but the blame shouldnt be placed squarely on these dead beat dads the moms who sleep with anyone that comes along are just as vile.
Posted by: Libtard | June 22, 2010 10:03 AM
The Darkening Face of a Diverse America
Those who have longed for a more diverse America may soon get their wish.
According to a Wall Sreet Journal article, “U.S. Nears Racial Milestone,” whites in America will soon become a minority. That demographic sea change could occur as early as next year, at least among newborns.
Based on a Census report, 48.6% of all newborns coming into the world and into America between July 2008 and July 2009 were non-white. That percentage is up from 46.8% the previous year and the trend seems likely to continue since white women are having fewer children, more minority women are of child-bearing age, and because of the increase in mixed marriages.
Minorities already constitute majorities in 9 states and the District of Columbia: Hawaii (81%), D.C. (78%), New Mexico (72%) and the nation’s largest state, California (71%).
America has long been called a “melting pot,” of sorts, a term that has been in general usage for over a hundred years. However, up until recently, that melding of heterogeneous groups into one homogeneous whole has been mainly a blending of people of European extraction and it’s easier to blend people with some cultural similarities. . .
(Read more at http://www.genelalor.com/blog1/?p=1750)
Posted by: Berlet98 | June 23, 2010 6:08 PM