A Tribute to Fathers

Hello Patriots,

This weekend we celebrate Father’s Day.

Fathers play an important role that is foundational not only to our families but society as a whole.

I have come to determine that the more we see society attack certain roles, we can rest assured that those roles are of extreme importance.

We have seen this attack not only on fathers, but men in general.

I won’t bore you with a bunch statistic, but here are a few that I believe sum up just how important dads really are to their families:

85% of youth who are currently in prison grew up in fatherless homes.

Kids without fathers in the home are 2x more likely to drop out of school.

44% of the homes without a father present are living in poverty.

Only 68% of children will spend their entire childhood with an intact family.

And yet, where is the emphasis on building strong fathers and families?

This post is not to alienate fathers who are not able to be in the home for one reason or the other.

I understand there are complex family relationships, and I am very aware of and sensitive to those matters.

My intention here is the exact opposite.

As we look at these statistics, there is no doubt that fathers play a pivotal role in society.

As a nation we should be focusing our energy on building them into better men and fathers.

And yet, we see the opposite happening.

Men are being told that their masculinity is toxic – that being the “head” of their household is submissive to women.

They are being heavily scrutinized when they take the role of protector.

Not only is their role being weakened, but also every strategy is being invented to take them out of the home as much as possible.

On top of the stresses of being a father, society tries to tell us that wanting to do those things for our family is somehow bad.

This further adds to the confusion and weight fathers are already bearing.

I am here to tell you the exact opposite is true.

This desire for fatherhood is not only good, but it is a righteous endeavor that is true to our natures.

We should be unapologetic in our pursuit to be the best fathers possible.

Society be damned, let us follow the truth of what it means to be a father and man! 

For not only the fathers out there, but all of our male readers, we celebrate the importance of your role in society.

Our country is stronger when men are stronger.

It wasn’t until I was a father that I fully realized the weight of that responsibility.

I see the men around me who have given so much to provide, protect, and stabilize society and I am grateful.

To each of you, Happy Father’s Day!

Regardless of the shortcomings we have as fathers, each day is a new day to be a little bit better.

To be stronger mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, etc.

The goal is not perfection, but rather improvement and progress.

If we as men are making ourselves a little bit stronger every day, our families (regardless of what that looks like for you), communities, and country will be stronger as a result.

Thank you for reading!

Regards, 
Darron Rowley

Founder of Freedom Elements