The hype abounds and you are bound to know: June 16, the third Sunday in June, is Father’s Day. Long promoted by commercial interests, Father’s Day did not become an official holiday in the U.S. until 1972. Unlike Mother’s Day, it did not originate as a Father’s Day of Peace. But it could become one.
An Internet search for “mothers against war” provides a link for “Mothers Against War” and many similar links. Searching for “fathers against war,” however, provides links for “War Against Fathers,” which rails against the “feminization” of men.
Similarly, searching for “mothers against guns” leads to links for “Mothers Against Guns,” “Moms Against Guns,” and lots of similar links. But “fathers against guns” provides links to sites regarding views on guns from the U.S. founding fathers, a link to “Dads love lasers on guns,” and a suggestion that children buy a laser for Dad’s gun for Father’s Day.
On the brighter side, there’s a link to a Facebook page for 1,000,000 moms and dads against gun violence, which leads to a trailer for a powerful anti-gun violence film.
This Sunday, let us honor fathers who:
- rear their children in love and security
- refrain from spanking, beating, or terrorizing their children
- promote nonviolence in their homes, their communities, and their countries
- promote peace and social justice
Our country has provided some superb role models for fathers and father figures for peace, nonviolence, and social justice. Here are a few men and organizations that we will be honoring on Sunday:
Kathie Malley-Morrison, Professor of Psychology
One step that we can take toward achieving peace is educating children about peaceful conflict resolution. Peace Tales: World Folktales to Talk About, by Margaret Read MacDonald, includes 34 folktales and proverbs from around the globe, organized into two sections: war and peace.