How can I go about reviewing the transcript of the sermon for myself, so that I can give an honest comment, unlike everyone else???

As a result of my own youthful ignorance, no birth control, I became a seventeen year old single father on the day I graduated high school 34 years ago. In order to repay the hospital bill, ($1,700.00), and support my son, ($150.00 per month), I decided to join the U.S. Army. After serving my two year hitch I was honorably discharged from the Army and returned home to start my life which included helping to raise and support my son. I am proud of my son’s accomplishments and the fact that I played an integral part in his life despite the fact I was the “non-custodial” parent.

That said I strongly believe that my son, as all children, would have been better served being raised in a two parent family environment. However as long as girls/women have a safety net of being financially supported by non-custodial fathers, or by the government I think girls/women will continue becoming pregnant, keeping the baby and doing so without any regard for the consequences of the child. This is precisely why we are now seeing generation after generation of so-called “strong matriarchal households” where little or no regard is given to the value of a father, other than for insemination purposes.  This is also why we hear our young professional athletes crediting their mothers, grandmothers and/or great grandmothers” for their “success” on the field or on the court.  Ironically many of these same highly paid athletes are non-custodial fathers themselves having irresponsibly fathered one or more children while still in their teens. We have created a sub-society that “celebrates” children having children. Where children are being raised by single mothers, grandmothers and great grandmothers and these girls/women are “proud of it”. It has become acceptable for a girl to become pregnant at an early age while unmarried and to “keep the baby” no matter what consequences.

I think it is fine for Senator Obama to scold non-custodial fathers, so-called “dead beat dads” who do not financially support their children the of America. But I think he should have the courage to send out a stronger message to the irresponsible “unwed mothers, grandmothers and great grandmothers “ of America to stop this irresponsible behavior of getting pregnant without any regard to the consequences. Grandmothers and great grandmothers, many of whom were irresponsible unwed mothers themselves, should not be raising the children of America. American’s should no longer condone this irresponsible behavior of children having children. It a national embarrassment. We have birth control, we have adoption. Let’s start using these very important tools to curb this huge societal problem.

Women will continue to have babies they cannot afford as long as the government will be their substitute husband provider protector.

Another thing that I think is important for Black men know, (1) If you have done your best to be a father, that is all you can do. Don’t force the issue.

(2) If you attempt to force the issue, and you want others to see your attempt to be a father, you open yourselves up for a domestic case to be brought against you. How many Black men are in prison today, because of domestic issues? Their attempts were to meet standards set by others, but only apply to you. Hence, the comment I made earlier about CEOs working 100-hour weeks, who aren’t labeled “Dead Beat Dads”.

(3) If you pay child support and you want time with your child, usually you won’t get it, they have already labeled you as a “dead beat dad.” There was a story in the Seattle Times where a reporter interviews a teenager waiting for the new Nike store to open. The teenager was reported as saying he had over 250 pairs of Nike, all of which he has not worn over 3 times. In the meantime, the father was struggling to make a $400 per month child support payment to keep from going to jail. Should those payments be labeled, “Child Support” or “Nike Support?” Now, why isn’t Barack making that an “issue”?

(4) Don’t worry yourselves with where your child support payments are going, simply be comfortable in knowing you are paying it. In my book, that makes you a responsible father.

If Barack really cares about this problem, why is he attempting to make it an “issue”? Why wouldn’t he just try to solve the problem by doing something about it?

You see, Barack is not approaching this ‘issue” from that standpoint, because caring for Black men is not on his agenda. However, he will surely accept your vote come Election Day.

Barack wants to feel good about himself, and he is willing to step on the necks of Black men to do it. He struggles with his own identity, consequently, he compares himself to other Black men so that he feels more superior.

That approach will not work with me, nor should it work with all of the hard working, caring, loving and intelligent Black men of America. Please don’t feel you have to vote for Barack because one day you aspire to be like him. Obama has nothing on the planet that I would want, because I don’t compare myself to others to create my identity, nor should you.

You should look inside yourselves and find your own identity and feel good about who you really are, and don’t accept the labels and standards others have set for you, because they only fit to serve someone’s agenda aside from yours.

#79346 by Dr. Knowitall, PhD, PhD on 6/19 at 3:42 pm

“Statistics show, over and over, that there is a strong correlation between poverty and just about every social ill in this country.”

I agree.  That is a huge problem but, ethnic groups in America are fighting far more than poverty, they have the added burden of blatant racism beating them down.

Oh, and by the way, I’m not angry, just grumpy.

Possibly I have incorrectly assumed you are white as am I.  I know...Ass-u-me.  I have lived in black communities for a number of years.  It helped me to see and understand many things.  But I have never felt it got me a “black experience”.  Sorry, but us white people just can’t go there.

Bill Cosby came out with some very interesting advise for young black people a while back and created a firestorm of protest.  As with Obama, I agreed with what Cosby said.  More importantly, so did many other black people.

I for one would like to see the very rich black Americans (Bill Cosby, Oprah Winfrey, and Barak Obama to name a few)do all they can for the poor of all ethnic groups.  I say this because us white folks sure aren’t doing it.

“I thought everyone would agree with me, since what I said makes perfect sense.”

That gave me a chuckle...I have thought the same thing for myself...and then somebody pops my bubble.
That’s why it’s so important to listen to other people (not only me of course) and respond civily, which you did.  That keeps the debate going and the learning cure going in the up direction. 

Thank you Dr. Knowitall, PhD, PhD.

A lot of Black Americans should be outraged with Obama’s comments.  If I were in the audience, security would have to be pretty strict to keep me from attempting to bury my foot deep into Obama’s bottom.

What is a father anyway, Mr. Barack Obama? When was the last time you saw your kids? Why aren’t CEOs who work 100 hour weeks called “Dead Beat Dads”, when they don’t spend time with their kids? Who created that label and why does it only seem to apply to Black men and low income White men?

Why did you choose to go down to the Black communities to tell them they have a problem? If you didn’t come bearing gifts and solutions; about face! They know there are problems and they know that there are not many solutions. What are YOU going to do about it?

Another thing, Mr. Barack Obama, what makes you think that by attempting to sound like a preacher, you will garner votes from the Black community? Many Black Americans are sick and tired of the preacher talking down to them and telling them that if they don’t do this or that, they are going to hell. Many Blacks are far more intelligent than those who simply accepted the words of others back in the day.

And, in case you didn’t know, because you have not been connected to the Black community, WEZ CAN READ NOW, SAH!

As someone who has direct knowledge of this issue…
The first thing that has to be dealt with is the way a lot of young black men are taught...to get as many, as much, as often as possible when it comes to sex and women. It’s simply everywhere! Some women are led to believe a child will anchor a love/relationship.  The reality of the responsibility of parenting too often comes after the bling, videos, partying and breakups.  Then the cycle is pepetuated by children raising children.  Too often in one breath there is reward for “spreading it around” and ridicule for the obvious byproduct of the “liv’n large” lifestyle.
Our message to the youth must be consistant and start early.

One of the major problems is all too often women are not held accountable for choosing to give birth to a child while being unmarried.  Women really think it’s Ok to have a child knowing she not married, with very low prospects of financial stability and no financial safety net.  Too often we hear excuses of mistakes and perceived comittment.  We must stop accepting bad behavior when it comes to the young women not using birth control.
Today there is no excuse for women having 2, 3, 4 children when they are unmarried and broke.
In order for this behavior to change we must first call it what it is ....simply bad behavior.  In this country there is no excuse. There’s a drug store on every corner with 10 different kinds of birth control.
No wonder so many youths are growing up violent, unresponsive and anti-social.  They are angry.  They see all around them in the media other familes who are poor but have loving homes with parents who thought, waited and prepared for their arrival. ( and I’m not talking about just hetro couples either) Angry children grow to be angry adults.  They grow up feeling cheated.

I think some of Obama’s speach was right on the nose. I was a father at 20 years old, my father died a month after my son was born. I was a high school drop-out and had no skills to properly support my family. After my father died I took on the responsibility of supporting my mother, sister and brother. I simply worked two and sometimes three jobs. If a high school drop-out can raise 2 families a poor black man can raise one. I was raised in a poor family and simply took up where my father left off. We depended on food stamps at times but pulled out of it just fine. I don’t think men running out on their responsibilities is a black problem, men of all races do that, it is most prevalent among blacks because it is tolerated by their peers. Being too poor to raise a family is an excuse used by all races. Being man enough to take your responsibility is actually caring enough of what people, including yourself, think of you. I could have never forgivin myself for walking out on what needed done.

#79178 by Dr. Knowitall, PhD, PhD on 6/19 at 5:13 am

So...your a black person?  “People like Obama”?...don’t understand the problem?  Really?

Please, tell me the credentials you carry to make you an expert on this subject.  Please explain why “resonate” used by a black person talking about a uniquely black problem is the wrong “word” to use.  Please explain why Obama has no idea about this problem given “he” grew up without his father.  Obviously your statement leaves me reeling.