Fatherhood

WorldNetDaily has a rather lengthy commentary by Bob Just, about the subversion of fatherhood and authority in America:

‘Any normal culture encourages what is good in society and discourages what is bad. However, right now we’ve got just the opposite—an overtly destructive culture that increasingly loves what is bad and hates what is good (or at least can’t distinguish one from the other). And parental authority, which many cultural elites see as a form of tyranny—based on childhood experience no doubt—is high on its hit list. You could call it an agenda, but again, it’s really more of an attitude.’

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WorldNetDaily

When it comes to parental authority, the exception has become the rule. Let’s face it, we’re not perfect. Parents make mistakes, but too often popular culture depicts discipline as the mistake. Fathers tend to bear the brunt of that misapprehension.

I can understand the need for writers, producers, and marketers to appeal to a child’s sense of indignation and injustice. Really, it stinks being a kid: always needing permission, crossing boundaries you didn’t know were there, not being able to do what you want.

So I understand popular culture’s appeal to an adolescent’s sense of oppression and injustice:

‘…Disney director Dan Schneider, explain[s] his approach:

“What I try to do is create a world where the kids are in charge,” says Schneider. “Real kids are always being told what to do. Parents and teachers run things and kids are subject to their rules and whims.”

Schneider’s use of the word “whim” is revealing. That’s how anti-authority cultural elites see America’s parents; father doesn’t “know best” anymore—he rules by whim. But on television targeted at tweens, directors make sure that kids get “revenge.”‘

If we’re honest with ourselves, parents’ actions can seem arbitrary, even cruel. But I suspect that discipline, for the most part, is considered and deliberate, if not often perfect. It’s certainly true for my son. There is reasoning behind my parenting, and just discipline can’t exist in a vacuum.

To imply otherwise only fools children into mistaking fantasy for reality.