Different than mine. But perhaps more perceptive. I keep vacillating on this one. I am sooooo down with the whole "Fatherhood At All Costs" deal. In fact, on an individual level, I think poverty is simply not an excuse for potentially screwing up a kids life. But that's not a "public policy" point of view--the sort of perspective that looks at the behavior of a mass group of people. It's like something I'd want to hear in a church (yes, I know) or something my own Pops dropped on me. It's tough to know whether Barack is sincere or running a very subtle Sista Souljah move. I suspect it's both. He understands that the images of black folks are so distorted that he can say some pretty rudimentary shit (Be a father to your child) that sits firmly within the mainstream of black thinking (hell human thinking), and be lauded for his courage because there's this idea that black people, you know, spend their days cursing the white man for everything from bad credit to getting caught in the rain. It's actually quite smart, politically, at least.
The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood 
Copyright © 2009 by The Atlantic Monthly Group. All rights reserved.
If only because of his own story, I find it hard to believe that his speech was anything but a sincere call for action regarding an issue he cares about and is cruelly aware of.
I am so sick of the absentee black father being the face of black fatherhood. I am so sick of it. People have these conversations about absentee black fathers regularly yet white people are saying that Obama is brave for addressing something that black have never bothered to talk about. Bullshit! I have a strong black father. I see rolemodels of black fatherhood in uncles, grandfathers, cousins, friends, family friends, friend's fathers and neighbors yet they never get any mention. Only the absentee ones to make all black men look irresponsible and even loose.
My white professor once thought it was okay to say, "Black men incapable of being fathers...its probably genetic" (He's been married three times). How insulting. However while we argue about the ones who do wrong and say that they should get called out, we are all getting painted with the same public perception because speaking about the shortcomings of some blacks have become big business. They have been doing that in this country since they brought us here in boats. It is far from new...far. This converstaion isn't new. It is done for a reason, publically, for a reason.
I believe in not only personal responsiblity but also social reponsiblity as communities. I talk about this all the time. However I do it directly to those that I feel need to hear it. Its not everyone and it is surely not the whole world who have low opinions of black regardless.
Blacks love to be the scapegoats. Why wasn't this a speech for everyone?
I hate deadbeat dads which is why I look to praise good dads on Father's Day however I guess men like my father do not exist. People learn by example. That is why we must showcase black fathers who are great. They could influence others, I have seen it happen. My cousin calls my father all the time for man to man advice about fatherhood.
Here is a wonderful cartoon that everyone will probably enjoy:
http://www.prometheus6.org/node/21331
Exactly my point!
I agree with this poster. This isn't a new ' theme' with Obama; he's been saying it FOR YEARS. And, what he's saying is THE TRUTH. Also, what he's saying is absolutely nothing that I haven't heard at church, in the beauty shop, at BBQ's.
I READ Obama's speeches before I read the Media's accounts. Ever since they completely distorted his speech in Hampton, I have expected nothing less from ' The Media'. The simpleton reporting on this issue proves my point, because it's obvious they didn't bother reading the speech or watching it.
Black folks eat chicken and watermelon is "the TRUTH" as well, Rikyrah. Condone that.
And funny you should mention the speech at Hampton. That's when the brother said something about QUIET RIOTS, right. What's up with the disconnect?
Also, it was that same media you agreed with when it came to Rev. Wright. Now, it was obvious to me that so many people, including Obama, who had their opinions and attitudes about Wright's NPC appearance didn't bother reading the speech or what precipitated the questions that asked in the Q&A and, somehow, the same character questioning and people were quick to FOLLOW THE MEDIA LINE when it came to Wright isn't suppose to apply to Obama? WHY? The political implication questioning people were quick to apply to every YouTube of Wright doesn't apply to Obama? WHY?
To be clear, bs rhetoric is UNACCEPTABLE no matter who it comes from. But maybe you know some dead beat Black dad's who blame their triflin' behavior on racism or as Obama said the "injustices of the past."
That's clear bs just like the other bs stereotypes he's been floating since 2004 like that "acting white" sh*t. We got enough with White folks floating ignorant stereotypes. I'll be damned if we elect a Black man to be the Stereotype Floater In Chief.
Now tell me? What happened to that "Black president" thing he wasn't running for? What happened to that there's no BLACK AMERICA, no White America bs rhetoric? Obama via his rhetoric is colorblind in one eye just like them ignorant, racist White conservatives. He can see and pathologize things Black real good.
He talks all this stuff about being a "uniter" and getting beyond old divisions but his rhetoric is steeped in the divisions, the fault lines that exists in the Black community. Now ain't that about a b*tch.
And no. I won't stop pointing out how he constantly privileges Whites and paints them as VICTIMS, scared like a muthafucka to speak the TRUTH about Whites or even the government they have proximate controlling influence over.
Pandering when they asked him what his name was (Toby), he readily denounced Farrakhan, someone he had no connection to other than skin tone, under the lie that he decries racism in every form but in his campaign and in his race speech he excused White racism because it's not politically helpful to decry White racism (let alone any White "pathology") and no where near as image boosting as it is to tell the "TRUTH" on Father's Day about absentee Black fathers.
It's also the "TRUTH" that there are absent Black mothers but you couldn't pay him a two term presidency to make a speech like that though he's already went halfway with the Chicken and Watermelon thing.
Love that chicken at Popeyes...
You Obama partisans are something else.