First Lady pushing Fatherhood, let's give her some info and letters...

[MYSONSDAD]

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Giving Fatherhood Some Pop
At NFI Gala, Laura Bush Touts Role of Dads in Families

By Roxanne Roberts
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 20, 2005; Page C01

God, Dad and apple pie. Nothing against moms, but the new mantra of
the Bush administration is all about fathers.

"Celebrating fatherhood is something our whole society should be
doing," Laura Bush said at last night's National Fatherhood Initiative
awards gala. The address at the Willard Hotel was part of the first
lady's Helping America's Youth project to give children -- especially
boys -- adult role models.

Moms, it seems, are a given. It's fathers, or the lack thereof, who
are getting all the attention these days. The high-profile
organization promotes the importance of dads as loving, involved
parents -- and the presence of the first lady gave its message a White
House seal of approval.

She was, of course, preaching to the choir. The audience was full of
guests committed to traditional families, traditional dads and
traditional values who are deeply concerned about the number of
single-parent households in the United States.

At every stage of parenting, the first lady told the 250 guests, it's
easier for fathers than mothers to become disconnected. Unwed fathers
are frightened of the responsibilities of a baby, career demands take
dads out of the home and men aren't taught to trust their paternal
instincts.

"It's Mom who usually provides the kiss that makes the pain go away,
and Dad who's up for wrestling on the living room floor," Bush said.
"But the differences don't allow one parent off the hook while the
other provides all the support and love. Parenting is best done as a
team, with both Mom and Dad fully committed to raising their children."

Helping America's Youth includes proposals for two federal programs: A
"Responsible Fatherhood" initiative for community and faith-based
organizations to provide training to keep fathers involved emotionally
and financially, and a "Healthy Marriage" initiative for research into
ways to keep marriages strong.

"Helping men become good fathers who show their love is what this
organization is all about, and that's why your work is so vital," she
told the audience. "Every father faces challenges, regardless of his
circumstances. The father who's absent because he's in prison or the
father who's absent because he works 80 hours a week both have
children who wish they could see their dads more. The National
Fatherhood Initiative provides help for fathers in just about every
situation imaginable."

The NFI was founded in 1994 by Reagan White House aide Don Eberly;
Wade Horn, former (Bush 41) commissioner for children, youth and
families; and Institute for American Values founder David Blankenhorn.
Their mission: promote the well-being of children by increasing the
number of involved fathers, using high-profile advertising campaigns
on television, radio, print, Internet and billboards. In 2001, Eberly
and Horn left to work for the current President Bush: Eberly as deputy
assistant for faith-based and community initiatives and Horn as
assistant HHS secretary for children and families.

NFI officially is nonprofit and nonpartisan but it leans to the right,
with funding from conservative groups such as the Bradley and Scaife
family foundations. Supporters praise the group for educational and
outreach programs. Critics charge that it exaggerates and distorts
research on the effects on children of being fatherless to promote
traditional, patriarchal family structures.

"This isn't about trying to use data for some kind of agenda," said
NFI President Roland Warren. "This is about the data that shows kids
overwhelmingly do better with involved, responsible and committed
fathers."

To underscore its point, NFI began presenting awards in 1997 to
high-profile individuals, corporations and organizations. Past winners
include actors James Earl Jones and Tom Selleck, country music star
Tim McGraw, NFL quarterback Jim Kelly, AT&T, Johnson & Johnson and
Chevrolet.

Emcee Leon Harris last night presented corporate awards to tax firm
KPMG for its parental leave policies, and to Levi Strauss Signature,
Principal Financial Group and Saturn for print and broadcast
advertising promoting "father-friendly" role models.

This year, Fox News analyst Fred Barnes, Orlando Magic Vice President
Pat Williams, country music singer Buddy Jewell and Atlanta Falcons
player Allen Rossum received Fatherhood Awards.

"I think you have to learn how to do it," said Williams, the father of
19 children, including 14 adopted from four countries. "In many ways,
I'm my father's protege," said Williams, who just finished his 38th
book, in which he interviewed 800 people about the most influential
figure in their lives. "Over and over I got the same answer: 'My dad.'
This is no slap at moms in any way, but Dad -- you are the key person."

"It's very simple: If the father's not there, the kids have less of a
chance of being successful and happy," said Barnes, the father of
four. "Of course you need moms, too. I'm not a social scientist, but
everything I've seen and experienced tells me a traditional family
with mother and father and kids works best."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3507-2005Apr20.html

http://forums.washingtonpost.com/wpforums/messages/?msg=3092

write the editor and keep this a hot issue,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13301-2000Mar5.html.

"Children learn what they live"