WEEKEND DISPATCH FROM THE REAR AREA — June 16-17, 2012 — State Parks and Father’s Day
Is Father’s Day a “hallmark holiday” designed by entrepeneurs to make a buck or is it really a day to honor dad? Certainly in Judeo-Christian traditions based on the Ten Commandments one should honor thy mother and father all the time. But in today’s society perhaps it is wise to have a special day to remind the world about the value of father’s (and not just because I enjoyed the special attention today).
Mother’s certainly deserve recognition every single day (especially the mother of my children). But one of the root causes of the various social ills in our society is the fact too many father’s are absent in the lives of too many children. Kids need both parents to be actively involved in their lives (regardless of whether or not their parents are married). We tend to give men a pass in situations where the parents are not married. As long as they send a check for child support it seems we care little about their active involvement. We should encourage and expect active participation by all fathers for the overall health of our society. Of course I am not advocating the government pass a law or regulation to require this, rather I suggest some old-fashioned peer pressure and shame as motivators. The courts should also be sure that father’s who want to be involved are allowed to do so.
Enough of that rant.
For Father’s Day we went to Interstate Park in Taylors Falls, Minnesota. State Parks are a regular weekend staple of the Sutton Family, but Interstate is especially interesting because of the falls and because of the “potholes” formed in the bedrock formed during the last glacial period. Very fun for the kids, but you really need to keep your head on a swivel because of the rocks and cliffs.
For more information go to: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/interstate/index.html
