Father's Day Brings Mixed Feelings For One Dad
PITTSBURGH (NewsRadio1020 KDKA) - As Father's Day approaches, many families are looking for a way to show their dad that they're thankful for having him in their lives.
Many dad's would enjoy just relaxing and spending time with their children. But what about the kids that don't have a dad to celebrate Father's Day with?
Darryn "Dutch" Martin is a father to 2-year-old son, Luther, and this is the second year he has felt like a part of the holiday. Martin grew up in a welfare household where he was the youngest of six children. After his father left, a void grew in his soul that became emotionally crippling to his development.
Mixed Feelings on Father's Day (Pt. 1)
Martin began to question who would teach him to drive, or tie a necktie, balance a check book, and most importantly, how to be a man. He learned many of life's lessons the hard way. The pain of losing his father never went away.
In June 2013, the National Center for Public Policy Research published a paper, "A New Visions Commentary" that included Martin's piece entitled, "Mixed Feelings on Father's Day."
Since he was a child, he always wondered about the importance of fathers and assessed his own family situation to determine how a father's influence affects a child's development.
In his paper, he states, "economic and social progress in the black community was utterly ruined by the expansion of the welfare state. A new bureaucracy basically subsidized irresponsibility and social dysfunction. Unmarried black women were essentially encouraged by government subsidy to have children out of wedlock. Weak-willed black men got an excuse to be lazy and irresponsible, siring as many illegitimate kids with as many women as they pleased."
Mixed Feelings on Father's Day (Pt. 2)
Martin feels that in the 1960's under Lydon Baines Johnson the "War on Poverty" ruined all the work their ancestors had done.
He continues that nowadays, "too many young black boys now grow up to become functionally illiterate, trouser-sagging thugs pointed toward prison or an early grave. Young black girls become irresponsible 'queens' who look to Uncle Sam to provide for them and their out-of-wedlock children rather than the boys they 'hooked up' with."
Mike Pintek is live weekdays noon to 3 p.m. only on NewsRadio 1020 KDKA!
