8.03.2010

Obama and His Fathercentrism

 

By the Awesome Randi James

It has become more than apparent that our President has some psychological issues related to his father being "absent."

But is it really that serious? And does he have to make the rest of us suffer with him?

We all know that the President, in spite of having an absent father, turned out quite well. In fact, President Obama said that his mother was "frequently absent." So, where does this leave us? Is this such an atrocity because of the racial issues? Because we knowz dat da man keeps telling us dat da Black family be damned 'cuz of all of dem single momz.

Obama's father was an "intellectual" who pursued his goals, including attending Harvard. He was like many men who are committed to education and career first, and thus leaving the family behind. He may not have been "there" for Obama but Obama can still attribute some of his own success to his genes.

How many other Black boys and men can say the same?

And don't go blaming single Black mothers, again. If these fatherless kids end up as troublesome youth and adults, you can likely attribute that to the characters of their fathers, coupled with the constraints of life in poverty.

Obama described his own father as "volatile and vaguely threatening." Would he have wanted someone like this in his life full-time?

What Obama is doing and preaching is unfair, because he is coming from a position of privilege.

Didn't Obama make his family secondary to his career?

The fact that he remains married and participating in his household [as a "father"] is related to the resources that he has had available to him (education and money for both Barack and Michelle, and a patient wife whose number one duty is the kids), coupled with his value system and self-esteem issues related to his family of origin.

I respect that as a role model, our President is intent upon helping us reach the mountaintops through speech directed at fathers. But we would be better served if Obama focused on our educational system and jobs, respected different family styles and values, and licked and healed his wounds on his own dollar and time. By giving people the tools they need to reach their potential, everything else will fall into place. Stop legislating the family.

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