Channeling Dr. Huxtable

Mr. Obama made an inspiring speech in church on Father's Day in which he preached the value of personal responsibility, especially as it concerned young black males, "missing in action."

In all fairness to the presumptive nominee, he did suggest some ways his administration would try to help lure African American men back to home and hearth, but didn't seem to acknowledge the underlying problem of the lack of good jobs and education in minority communities. 50% would still drop out, 25% would be un- or under employed, and future prospects would still be dismal even if Young Black America stayed home with the kids 24/7. Besides, everybody pays child support now; they take the money right out of one's paycheck.

The fact is that any poor man who wants to make sure his offspring have medical coverage, food assistance, safe housing and and any other means-tested social program that would benefit the children would risk placing these out of reach the day he moved in and got a job. He would merely be condemning his family to the ranks of the uninsured working poor: sickly, hungry, cold and working all the time. A family with two, three or four minimum wage jobs could never afford decent housing, transportation, food, medical care, and child care these days. Much less leisure and any spare time with the family.

Poor men love their children as much as anybody, maybe more. Mr. Obama knows that without more and better paying jobs, and health care reform, continuing to beat up on our young men, (everybody's scared of black guys anyway) is just a minstrel show for the benefit of white voters.