Happy Father’s Day. Today, I hope you are blessed to spend the day with your father — and to make happy memories. This marks my third Father’s Day without my daddy, but I am blessed with a lifetime of precious memories and the knowledge that mine ranked right up there with the finest of fathers.
Daddy set a good example and taught me early on the meaning of good company.
If you are a father, today is your day. I hope you are celebrating with your children — and most importantly, living up to the important position you hold. That means being a good role model.
As a role model, children learn from their fathers and their actions. Children emulate behavior, good and bad. Therefore knowing yourself, and how others — especially your children — perceive you, is key when children are learning from you both directly and indirectly. Teaching right from wrong and demonstrating good behavior should be a lifetime commitment for fathers.
With that said, please look in the mirror and step up your game, if need be. I’ve been thinking about the importance of good role models a lot lately, especially in a time when insults, rude behavior and profane language are accepted as normal and even applauded.
A case in point: A week ago actor Robert DeNiro dropped some f-bombs about President Donald Trump while introducing a performance by Bruce Springsteen at the Tony Awards. “First, I wanna say, —— Trump,’” De Niro said. “It’s no longer ‘Down with Trump,’ it’s ——Trump.”
The comments earned De Niro a standing ovation from the crowd at New York’s Radio City Music Hall and became a trending topic on social media.
That’s not being a good example for your six kids. And it does nothing to raise the level of public discourse. In fact, it only re-enforces the points Trump supporters make about Hollywood liberals.
In The New York Times Opinion Section, Op-Ed columnist Frank Bruni writes: “Dear Robert De Niro, Samantha Bee and other Trump haters: I get that you’re angry. I’m angry, too. But anger isn’t a strategy. Sometimes it’s a trap. When you find yourself spewing four-letter words, you’ve fallen into it. You’ve chosen cheap theatrics over the long game, catharsis over cunning. You think you’re raising your fist when you’re really raising a white flag.”
Indeed. If DeNiro wanted to use his gig introducing Springsteen as a political platform, he could have offered some thoughtful and thought-provoking remarks and demonstrated a little class.
But no. F-bombs, bleeps.
And not to be outdone at hurling insults and demonstrating rude behavior, Trump set his thumbs to tweeting, offering these remarks on Twitter: “Robert De Niro, a very Low IQ individual, has received too many shots to the head by real boxers in movies. I watched him last night and truly believe he may be ‘punch-drunk.’ I guess he doesn’t…”
Trump uses two Twitter accounts: @realDonaldTrump and @POTUS. His remarks about DeNiro are consistent with the type of comments he makes daily about world leaders with whom he disagrees; the media; political opponents in both major parties and pretty much anyone who dares to challenge or disagree with him.
No issue is too small, no argument too petty for him to offer comment. That’s not being a good example to your five kids — or to the nation of children you serve and represent. Just as DeNiro could have offered some thoughtful and thought-provoking remarks and demonstrated a little class, Trump could have taken the opportunity to behave as a statesman.
I’m not suggesting that these guys are bad fathers, but they definitely have missed some opportunities to be better role models.
It’s up to you to be a good role model for your children. That means showing them a good example of how to conduct yourself. If you tell them to be kind, then don’t let them see you bad-mouthing others. If you tell them to be honest, don’t let them see you lying. If you tell them not to curse, don’t let them see you using profanity.
Happy Father’s Day. Be a good one.
Shea Wilson is the former managing editor of the El Dorado News-Times. Email her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @sheawilson7.