“We’ve Got a Country to Save”
Throughout the past few weeks, I have been reading columns written by Larry Elder. Elder is an American right-wing political commentator as well as a radio host for a show named The Larry Elder Show. Elder’s opinions and views on topics are heavily influenced by his political stance, being conservative. One column that clearly displays is called, “We’ve Got a Country to Save.” This column not only allows us to clearly recognize his conservative thoughts but as well as understand his writing styles and how he uses tone to further emphasize his claim.
Elder’s main focus in this column is to inform the public about the problems the Democratic Party possesses, the idea that the government must prioritize its people and property, as well as stating that fatherlessness is a crisis. Elder begins his column by stating that the Democratic Party pushes Americans into thinking that America is systemically racist and that they do this to make the “blacks feel angry, oppressed and discriminated against” in order to “get a near-monolithic black vote.” Elder’s bias can already be seen through this one idea. He puts down the Democratic Party by stating that they make people feel a negative way in order to gain their vote. He then uses words such as, “It is a lie” and “cannot win” to further display his bias. Next, he talks about how its the government’s number one responsibility is to protect people and property. He stated that the “Soft on crime” George Soros, who is a democrat, along with the district attorneys do neither. Elder, again can be seen having bias due to his political views. He criticizes a man for not doing the government’s main job and he happens to be a democrat. He also states that the Democrats claim to care so much about the black and brown people getting hurt in urban America. Lastly, Elder mentions that incentivized men abandoning their financial and moral responsibility “is not a problem; it is a crisis.” In the many columns I’ve read written by Larry Elder, I’ve noticed that he uses plenty of facts and statistics to prove his claim, which helps indicate his writing style. For example, he mentions that “a kid raised without a father is five times more likely to be poor and commit crime, nine times more likely to drop out of school and 20 times more likely to end up in jail.” Elder’s opinions are influenced by bias and supported with facts and statistics.
Discussion Question: Do you think kids growing up without a father are more likely to be less successful than those that do? If so why? And as Elder stated, do you think this is more than just a problem?
I believe that kids growing up without a father figure present aren’t necessarily going to be unsuccessful, but they won’t be exposed to that of a “normal” family dynamic. These kids will be shown what a single mother has to do in order to keep her family afloat, which one day is what the children will believe they have to mirror. Having only a mother supporting her whole family whether it’s only two kids or four is a daily struggle, money might become tight, getting the kids places wouldn’t be easy, and the time you actually spend with them might barely be over two hours. This doesn’t mean that the children won’t grow up and go to college, find a good job, and one day have a family of their own it just means that they will struggle more to get to that point. If the child was raised right and was able to see how much their mother did for them each day I don’t think that it would become a problem, but it if were an alternate situation and the children didn’t have the drive to succeed then it would be a major problem.
I don’t think all kids without a present father are going to be unsuccessful but statistically they are. Personally, I think successfulness comes from your drive and motivation. A kid might be motivated to not live the same life their parents did because of their upbringing while others might feel that they’re almost destined to that life and give up on trying. Honestly, I think it is more than just a problem, I know so many people without a present father/mother and they always seem to be “different” than those with a “normal” or “better” family. This being said, I think successfulness depends on the person and children with unpresent fathers is a rising problem in the United States.
Personally, I do not believe that growing up without a father figure is debilitating to development in any manner, despite Elder’s beliefs. While Elder does use data to support his point, let’s not forget how easy it is for statistics to be manipulated. As a conservative male, it seems pretty easy to understand how, from his perspective, seeing a surge in children grow up without fathers being threatening. The dynamic within these households is completely different in comparison to what is considered to be a “traditional” family, with a father no longer being the main provider. However, does this really have such a significant impact on the child, as Elder claims? Yes, it’s undeniable that not having a father figure impacts a child, but to define it as a “crisis” is to ignore these children’s ability to persist. Humans, by nature, are resilient. Things beyond someone’s control should never have to define them. Their efforts should not be considered less simply because or their background. These children should not be viewed as problems. They should be viewed as people who, like everyone else in the world, are flawed.
In the traditional sense, it is the father who disciplines their child, in order for them to grow up to be both sensible and strong enough to not only survive in this world, but to prosper. It is undeniable to exclaim that a child is troublesomely altered by the absence of a father figure, and however skeptically skewed the statistics may be, it is still very much noteworthy to realize a negative impact has occurred. Without the experienced guidance bestowed from father to child, the latter is left drifting through the labyrinth that is life itself. Now, times are changing and so are parental roles, therefore there is no reason why a mother cannot provide the guidance expected from the father. However, to properly answer the question, I believe that successfulness is something that is defined by the work you invest into whatever it is you wish to be successful at, but those who lack the proper counsel attained by a father will be at a disadvantage to those who so far possess that helping hand, resulting proportionally in more people without fathers being unsuccessful compared to those with. To say that this is a crisis would perhaps be an overstatement, because regardless of parental status, most people are already leading unavailing lives. It just so happens that people without fathers tend to experience this to a greater degree.
I believe that kids who grow up without a father are indeed more likely to be unsuccessful than those with a father figure in the household. I took the facts that Elder provided and I went and did more research to find my opinion on the subject. I found that a major effect from a fatherless kid is that they tend to be less educated. 71% of all High School dropouts are fatherless, and those who do graduate from school, often do not have the financial support from their mother to further their education by enrolling in a college. There is also plenty of variables that come into play when looking into single mothers and their children. Are they financially stable? Where is the kid growing up? Did the kid have any father figures in his life, perhaps the father of a friend? With that being said, not every kid without a father is unsuccessful. some of the most successful and decorated athletes of all time grew up without a father figure, (LeBron James, Mike Tyson, Kevin Durant). Even with the statistical disadvantages these men faced growing up without a father, they were able to become extremely influential and successful in their lives. Overall, I agree that this is more than just a problem, however, not every kid that grows up without a father is destined to be unsuccessful.
Children that grow up without a father can be more susceptible to feeling abandoned, and having less confidence. Fathers play a key role in our lives by helping us navigate through challenges, and teaching us to keep a level head while we are struggling. In my experience meeting people without fathers, they seem to be a little less confident and/or less social. It’s an interesting thing to think about. However, I disagree that someone who grows up without a father is more likely to be unsuccessful than someone that grew up with a father. Success in my opinion isn’t something you are or are not born into, but rather something that comes from yourself. I do agree that the amount of children without a mother/father is a growing crisis in the United States, however thinking of a solution to fix it is tough. Overall, growing up missing either parent can alter a child’s perception, development, and confidence, but the father certainly plays a crucial role in his child’s life, being more of a role model and guide throughout your life.
I do not believe that not having a father figure in your life would make you less successful. I personally believe that your successfulness doesn’t completely come from your upbringing. Sure it would play some sort of a role but your successfulness also comes from the compassion you show for what you decide to do with your life. Also, being hard working can make you successful. For example, if you’re an extremely lazy person with no work ethic, you will not be as successful as someone who is extremely hard working and tries their best at what they do. I think that not having a father figure in your life might make it more difficult, but it’s all about what you make out of your life. Some people that had the crappiest upbringing could be the most successful in the world if they put their mind to it. I both disagree and agree with what Elder stated. This is because I do agree that children should grow up with a Mother and a Father but, life and family situations aren’t the same for everyone. I disagree because there are many successful people in this world that didn’t have a father growing up and I also disagree that children without a father figure will be less successful than a child with a father figure.
I don’t think that not having a father would make someone less successful than those who do have a father figure. But, I do think that people growing up without a father are at a disadvantage since fathers play a very important role in their kids development. Fathers help young children by enforcing rules and they also help provide the feeling of security. If a kid does not have this, it can result in difficulty with their development for sure. Whether or not you have a father figure present in your life, it does not determine the outcome of your life. Success comes from your desire to work hard despite the setbacks we face. There are many people who take their difficult upbringings as motivation to work harder and make their lives better for themselves. I do think that this is a problem especially with what the statistics show but I do not think that having a father figure determines your success.
Personally, I believe a child who must grow up without a father has the same chance as becoming successful as a person who has a mother and father. When making this decision I thought about how a child with only a mother would be raised versus how a child with both parents would be raised. In these situations there could be some differences in resources like a place to live, a stable income, and food to eat which makes it harder to think about. The thing that really makes me think that having a father or not does not determine ones successfulness is the fact that a person’s future is determined by their own motivation and determination. When babies are born they are not given a title “successful” or “not successful”. Every person in this world has to work for what they want unless somehow they are given it. This means that no matter one parent or two, a person’s successfulness is determined on how much effort they want to put into it. Although some people may have a rough start because of difficulties they can not change, I believe that kids growing up without a father are just as likely to become successful as people with both parents.
In general, I do believe that people who grow up without a father figure are less likely to be successful, however, everyone has different experiences and reacts differently to those experiences. Some people may end up more independent and develop an understanding on their own of what is right, while others may learn from the wrong people and end up being involved in crime. Kids who are raised without a father figure are more likely to live in poverty, more likely to drop out of school, and more likely to commit a felony. I do believe that kids growing up without a father figure is more than just a problem. Parents play an important role in a kids life. Without both parents, difficult situations are created.
While the absence of a father doesn’t guarantee an unsuccessful child, research suggests that a stable and supportive family environment, which often includes both parents, can significantly contribute to a child’s well-being and success. While many factors come into play, the presence of both parents generally provides a broader range of perspectives, emotional support, and role models, which can help mitigate challenges and enhance a child’s chances of success.