Next Week:
Making Sense of Voter ID

October 20, 2014

While campaigning some of us felt many people were more interested in sports; especially football, than in participating in solving our Nation’s problems. To many fans, sports seemed an escape, to avoid thinking about the chaos they saw going on around them.  But now even sports has become part of the latest chaos

Let us make it clear, there are certain social norms that need to be followed regardless of whether a person is a football player, the President, a citizen or just a visitor in our country.  For example, you don’t punch out your wife, girl friend or anyone else for that matter.  You don’t use foul language, at least not in public, because it offends others and speaks volumes about your vocabulary.  You should not drink and drive or text message while driving.  The list goes on, but you get the idea!

From all directions, we seem to be hearing discussions about the inappropriate acts of a very few sports figures. Fans don’t want to see their favorite sports figure involved in hideous behavior nor publicly watch them unjustifiably injure their family or any other person.  One would think, with all the important news of the day, that the isolated incidents of sports figures domestic issues would not be so consuming.  Now even the sports channels have been focused on whether the Commissioner of the NFL did enough to be Judge and Jury in an ongoing police matter.  

But even so, it seems we all need a hero, a role model, a person who we can trust and to try to imitate.  Some look to sports figures.  Others look to political leaders.  Still others look to actors and actresses.  In our view they are looking in the wrong place and building false hopes. 

It is true, we all make mistakes.  But we want to speak directly to parents and especially to fathers. Fathers (and all parents) significantly affect the boundaries in which their children act.  It is your responsibility to help in raising your family.  Spend time interacting with your children and spouse, listen, share how you feel about important issues and why.  Some of us have haven’t done a very good job of doing this and are confronted with the reality that we can never reclaim the lost time and the lost opportunities.  We are not doomed to failure however.  Resolve now to focus on what is important.  Fathers; listen, it is critical!  Just ask any woman.  She’ll agree!  Pay attention and look for real reasons, perhaps unspoken, as to what the real issues are.  Understand that you cannot solve all the problems of the world, but you can provide a loving, nurturing, and safe environment for your family. For those of faith, remember, there is a God who knows, listens, understands and helps. 

Don’t ever give up hope!  You were born for a reason and each and every one of us has a purpose and important part to play.  Our acceptance of this will impact not only how we live our lives, but also the lives of countless others around us!

So Dads, let’s be that hero our family needs!!!

John, Bill, and Mark