Editor: Father’s Day came and went with not as much interest and enthusiasm as Mother’s Day. Is it that men are given little importance in society because of the absence of responsibilities as a man, or is it just a gender bias?{{more}}

Come to think of it, there are far too many single parents in our society. It means that many men produce children and then are not there to support and guide them. Of course, there are reasons for such behaviour. Time, however, does not permit me to develop that subject. Suffice it to say, many men have simply been “worthless” in just producing a child and abandoning it. There are, however, many good men, husbands and fathers in our nation. Seldom do we hear about the good men in society; instead, men are made to look bad.

While we have to agree that the rise in crimes in our nation is related to many factors, we have to agree that the absence of men in the homes is a big contributing factor. When a boy grows in the home and there is no male figure to give guidance and acceptance, then that boy can end up in gangs, for those boys have been searching for love and acceptance. They are looking for a male role model. When that is missing at home, those boys end up on the street with the gangs where they are shown acceptance and love, though in the wrong way.

Many young men are searching for their true identity and struggling with their self-worth. This can lead a person to become gay and to a life of crime. For in seeking and searching, he experiments.

Many children grow up without proper guidance and role models at home. They don’t have a male figure to look up to for protection, friendship and guidance. So, at an early age, they seek to take on manhood, although they are not yet ready for such. The gun and the gangs then become an active part of their lives. For to them, being able to protect themselves is a way of showing their manhood.

It is therefore important that men take on their responsibilities. Having said that, many ladies sometimes lure men into having sex with them. This action can sometimes produce children. So, since it was just a fling and not real love, the man walks out of her life and does not take on the responsibility of being a father.

My urge is for all men to be men and stand up to their responsibilities. Men, do not walk away from your children. I also would like to call upon the human rights association to also look into the crime situation which is mainly committed by men. I further recommend that they have a town hall meeting with the male gender and have an open discussion on how men can be good fathers and also offer help to many young men in our society. The churches and other community groups also have to play a part in addressing this problem in our world today.

Kennard King