Comments on: Ask Dr. Helen: Does a Father-Free Home Breed Success — Or Just Power-Hungry Politicians?

By: Justice1

Justice1 — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:20:05 +0000

“Famous leaders of the 20th century who lost their fathers in adolescence or earlier:

Hitler, A.
Stalin, J.
Hussein, S.

I’m sure that there are many more.”

Self hating boomer, George Washington was also raised by a single mother. Maybe you should add him to your list as well.

By: skeptic

skeptic — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:08:51 +0000

What’s with all the questions, Dr. Helen? Thought you were the psychologist. Have you no theories, no answers to share with us? Or is the truth that answers vary widely with individual circumstances, but you can’t throw red meat to the wolves at Pajamas Media with a truthful answer like that? Better to bring up disingenuous questions in the guise of solving real problems, then throw the seeds of hate out to the haters to foment. Ever take ethics in graduate school, Doctor Helen? Didn’t think so. You are a disgrace to so many things.

By: joe

joe — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:34:48 +0000

“I wonder what Mark Sanford did with his kids on Father’s Day.”

Huh? Since when the hell is a FATHER supposed to do something with or for his kids on FATHER’S day.

By: sheesh

sheesh — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 02:07:44 +0000

I wonder what Mark Sanford did with his kids on Father’s Day.

By: David P

David P — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:17:27 +0000

I don’t have time to read all the comments, though several are very good. My two cents are: Fatherless breeds more fatherlessness and divorce breeds more divorce. My father had serious emotional problems and was gone most of the time after I was 5. Mom simply could not fill all the gaps, and I turned into a loner who did not participate much with groups or sports. When I finally married at age 33, I thought all was well but cracks developed when I couldn’t bring proper calm and discipline to situations. We eventually divorced, though I am still very involved with my kids, and will not do to them what my father did to me. My sisters are also divorced, and have come to hate men or the idea of marriage.

By: DcFather

DcFather — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 09:57:07 +0000

One has no future in the Democratic party unless they can promote the idea that government makes a better husband and father than do husbands and fathers. They themselves are of course always good husbands and fathers, in their own mind at least, it’s just everyone else who needs to be displaced by government programs.

To big government leftists, fathers are an enemy to be destroyed in order to gain power and control over every detail of people’s lives and income. Where class warfare failed, government induced destruction of the family has been wildly successful in growing government size and control.

To expect anything other than a “government as father” candidate from the left is absurd.

By: Confused in Virginia

Confused in Virginia — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 05:46:57 +0000

Joe,

I absolutely agree with you. Humans are very complex, and to try to pin down “the one reason” for someone’s behavior is ridiculous.

By: ked5

ked5 — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 05:10:08 +0000

30. Assistant Village Idiot:

Self-hating B and jw touch on interesting deeper questions. I read years ago that there was a measurable difference on some measure between children who had lost their fathers to divorce vs death. I can’t find it, and have no idea whether it is actually true.

~~~
I recall reading the same study. I think it was late 70’s, ‘80 at the latest. It is a subject of meaning to me as my father died when I was 12. I recall it stating children who lost their father’s to death faired better than children whose parents divorced. My father’s death was very devestating. I’m grateful to have a wonderful husband, who is a wonderful father, to our daughter’s and our son’s.

By: Joe

Joe — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 01:10:43 +0000

Seems to me that what’s going on the common mistake of looking for THE REASON for someone’s behavior and latching onto lacking a father (or mother) as THAT REASON. It’s piss poor psychology and just as dumb as all the other theories which attempt to use a single event to explain someone’s psychological makeup.

By: Terbreugghen

Terbreugghen — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:44:37 +0000

I grew up with my granparents, my oldest brother grew up in a fatherless home. He is — and always was — “driven,” but without the ability to enjoy the fruits of his enormous drive. He rose through the ranks of the military officer class to become a young Colonel, but it was a sham because he was just convicted of defrauding the government of some serious money. On the other hand, my life is much more quiet. I teach at a college, I just adopted my 8 year old granddaughter and recently bought a modest house. I think my life is better, and I’m convinced my “dad” had something to do with that.