"Our Step-Fathers"

Sunday is “Father’s Day”. I like this holiday; as a father I get whatever I want to eat, and I can watch the White Sox without any “moaning or sighing” from others who are not as enthusiastic as I am about my Sox.

When growing up, we had a pretty big day when “Father’s Day” rolled around; after all, with six children, Mom and Nona, we all had an interest in making the day special for Dad. Nona and Mom would make a special dinner (every dinner was a little special, we were Italian) and there was cake or Italian cookies or pastry. Dad would receive his share of presents and cards and would smile as he surveyed his family. I don’t believe anything was more important to my Father than his family was. As the eldest child, I was privileged to know how much my Dad would sacrifice to make sure his family didn’t “go without”.

He would talk to me about doing well in school, so I could do better than he had done in his life. He would tell me how wonderful it was to have a family to take care of and love; everything else was secondary to that for him. He always took pride in anything we did as children, and he never failed to make us laugh at the “drop of a hat”. Dad’s main wish for us was that we had good character, followed the rules, treated people well and were never ashamed of our actions or works. I believe any good father would endorse those values. I hope I have given my daughter those same guides for her life. Men learn how to be a father from their fathers.

Over 230 years ago, America had a man we called “The Father of Our Country”, George Washington. Every “father” America has had since George was our President was a kind of a “step-father”, who has taken the responsibility that George passed on to them. You see George didn’t have any “model” to follow when he became our “Father”, and he was to become the “measuring stick” for all the “fathers” that followed him.

I have written some words about George before, and I can see why he has been held in such high regard for all these many years. A man of property, who didn’t need to be rebellious to the King of England, took up the cause of individual freedom and liberty, because he knew it was the right thing to do. He sacrificed much of his own wealth to persevere through our fight for independence; the cause was more important to him than his personal gain. He was visible to his troops throughout the most trying times of the Revolution, always doing his best to keep up the spirits of his men, and never showing his concerns as he faced the most powerful army on earth at that time; he shouldered all of his worries alone. When he stepped down from the Presidency, he gave a speech which was full of advice for those who would follow him; good advice, which still applies today.

We have had many “step-fathers” since George left office; some better than others, all measured against Washington. Lincoln, T. Roosevelt, Jackson, FDR, Eisenhower, Kennedy and all the rest have assumed the mantle of “Father of America”. All of those men have left a legacy from their time as our “father”; but each of them had models to follow as they became the “step-fathers of America”.

I wonder what George would say about our current “step-father”? Does our “step-father” reflect those values that George modeled in those first difficult years of America’s conception? Did George make excuses for himself when things weren’t going well? Did George ever reflect weakness to his men or his nation? Did George ever divide the people by their station in life? What would George say about the state of America today? Division instead of unity, weakness instead of strength, politics instead of statesmanship and blame instead of responsibility seem to be our “order of the day” under our current “step-father”.

Perhaps our next “step-father” can move us closer to the beliefs and values of our “first father”, an America of individual choice and freedom, strong not weak and dedicated to the precepts of our Constitution. What type of “father” do you want for America?