Commentary by Uncle Mike
Happy Father’s Day everyone! I hope that everyone had an opportunity to celebrate with family and loved ones. I want to take this time to share something with you. What a father is, and what a father isn’t.
Growing up there were times when I was a bit of trouble for both my mother and my father. Most of the time, I deserved it. It must have worked as I am not typing this from a jail cell. Back in the 1960s it was acceptable to spank children. I’m not saying parents would take their day out on their children, beat them or do permanent damage in anyway. But usually, spanking would be used to make a fundamental change in behavior. Spanking works. It worked back then, and it would probably work today if society hadn’t change the norm to allow kids to be controlled by the state and not by the parents.
There are too many instances today where the children can modify their parents’ behavior. These are the same kids that will run to the state to try to sue their parents for their independence before they are anywhere near mentally prepared for the challenges of adulthood.
Back when parenting was a function of both mother and Father, it was generally the father that provided the discipline. The father would try to do things such as impart reasoning and wisdom to teach the child better behavior, and to learn the difference between right and wrong.
Fast forward to today, and we find families that are often stretched to provide discipline to children. Children that may have a tougher time growing up due to minimal parental oversight or having a single-parent home.
Back in the 20th century, the father was responsible for that discipline that provided honesty to the children to help them be prepared to be good citizens and adults.
Enter Santa Claus. Santa Claus was always the figure that was there to provide children with everything they want. Come December 25th, dreams, wishes, and desires all come true because of a man from the north pole that would show up and provide gifts if a child was good you around. Now let’s be serious about the whole thing! What child is good all year?
Now here we are in the 21st-century and the state, the government is trying to present itself as Santa Claus. It is their intent to be able to provide everything anyone wants, be it dreams, wishes and all their desires. Everything will be taken care of by a government that is running on debt money.
A good father will have the strength to tell his children that those things you want will come to you if you work for it. To think that the government will provide you with everything you need is the same as believing in Santa 365 days a year. The real world doesn’t work that way.
A father will share with you his wisdom, his experience, and teach you things 365 days a year. A father will be honest with you even though he knows the truth might hurt you or be something you’d rather not hear. That is the real value of a father. It’s someone who has the strength to be honest with children and help prepare them for a world that revolves on fiction or downright lies.
As much as a child may want, Santa Claus could never take the place of a good father. I can only hope that the father in your life has been good, kind, honest and especially truthful. That’s not Santa’s job. That’s what Father’s are for.
Uncle Mike
