Father's Day: For Obama, more than just a card and tie
| Washington
Under President Obama, the once-perfunctory White House marking of Father鈥檚 Day has become a significant theme, with policy implications.
Over the past year, officials from the Obama administration held a six-city listening tour on responsible fatherhood to help develop programs that address fatherlessness. On Monday, Mr. Obama announced next steps via a President鈥檚 Fatherhood and Mentoring Initiative, including:
鈥� A proposal for a new Fatherhood, Marriage and Families Innovation Fund, designed to expand on local fatherhood and family-strengthening programs across the United States.
鈥� Funding through the Department of Labor for transitional jobs programs to help noncustodial parents become prepared for and find work.
鈥� Creation, by the Justice Department, of 鈥渇athering reentry courts鈥� for fathers as they are leaving the criminal justice system. The goal is to connect fathers with employment, allowing them to make child-support payments and reconnect with their families.
Obama extended Father鈥檚 Day into Monday, delivering remarks on fatherhood at an arts and recreation center in southeast Washington called the ARC, followed by a Father鈥檚 Day 鈥渕entoring barbecue鈥� on the South Lawn of the White House.
鈥淔athers are our first teachers and coaches 鈥� or in my house, assistant teachers and assistant coaches [laughter] 鈥� to mom,鈥� Obama said in his remarks at the ARC. 鈥淏ut they鈥檙e our mentors, our role models. They show us by the example they set the kind of people they want us to become.鈥�
Later, he emphasized that there鈥檚 only so much government can do about chronic fatherlessness in America. 鈥淣ow, I can鈥檛 legislate fatherhood 鈥� I can鈥檛 force anybody to love a child,鈥� Obama said. 鈥淏ut what we can do is send a clear message to our fathers that there is no excuse for failing to meet their obligations.鈥�
Obama took up the theme of fatherhood in his 2008 presidential campaign, speaking of his own absent father and how his mother and grandparents tried to fill the void. He returned to that topic on Monday, saying that in spite of their efforts, he 鈥渟till felt the weight of [his father鈥檚] absence.鈥� Obama鈥檚 quest to understand his father 鈥� and ultimately himself 鈥� was the subject of his bestselling 1995 memoir, 鈥淒reams From My Father.鈥�
Some African-Americans have been uncomfortable with Obama鈥檚 outspokenness on parenting issues, as it can appear that he is airing the black community鈥檚 dirty laundry before a national audience. Comedian Bill Cosby encountered a similar reaction in 2004 when he took some African-Americans to task for their parenting practices.
But this White House has clearly made a determination that Obama can speak to certain pathologies prevalent in minority communities as no other president can. At times, the message comes not in a speech, but in actions. Obama and his wife, Michelle, regularly attend events at their daughters鈥� schools, including performances, parent-teacher conferences, and sports.
Last Friday evening, Obama kicked off Father鈥檚 Day weekend by taking his girls to the Chicago White Sox-Washington Nationals baseball game.
The White House also appeared to break new ground in this year鈥檚 annual Father鈥檚 Day proclamation. Obama referred to families with 鈥渢wo fathers,鈥� possibly the first time a presidential Father鈥檚 Day statement has taken a bow to gay parenting.
"Nurturing families come in many forms, and children may be raised by a father and mother, a single father, two fathers, a stepfather, a grandfather, or caring guardian," he said.
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