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Letters To the Editor

Importance of dads
Dear Editor,

Divorce has become commonplace; unwedded couples have begun to share homes and have children. This has created homes with an absent parent, mainly an absent dad.

Child rearing once was exclusively considered mother-oriented. The father’s major role was to bring home the bacon. That changed with psychologist Fitzhugh Dodson’s 1974 publication of “How to Father.”

His publication brought to light that whether present or sometimes absent, fathers are important and have a great influence on the lives of their children.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 24 million (34 percent) children live in father – absent homes. Children who live apart from their biological fathers are, on average, at least two to three times more likely to be poor, to use drugs, to experience educational, health, emotional and behavioral problems, to be victims of child abuse, and to engage in criminal behavior than those who live with their married, biological (or adoptive) parents.

Girls who grow up in father-absent homes are more likely as teenagers, to become pregnant. (Fatherhood.org)

President Barrack Obama has stated, “It turns out that with the father being involved, the kids are less likely to do drugs…girls are less likely to get pregnant. And so that message is something that we want to make sure gets out there.”

Is the message out there? Are we talking to our single dads and moms about this important topic? What can our community, churches, and various organizations do to help dads become dads, engaged dads?

This is a topic that we can no longer ignore. We must begin a conversation on the importance of dads in the lives of their children. Our dads must be made to feel needed and valued.

Fergenia H. Hood
Holly Springs

Library cards
Dear Editor:

As students head back to school, we encourage parents to visit the Marshall County Library and make sure their children and teens sign up for the most important school supply of all – a library card.

September is Library Card Sign-up Month, a time when the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country remind parents and caregivers that a library card is the smartest card you can own.

When it comes to achieving academic success, a library card provides students with access to a world of both print and electronic resources. Students can access free databases, online homework help and attend programs, activities and clubs that provide an added value to the educational experience. No wonder that 84 percent of Americans agree that the public library is important to education.

Today’s students learn differently than their predecessors, with studies indicating that students most effectively learn when they are allowed to follow their personal interests. Libraries and librarians are on the frontlines of engaging these students, making a library card an essential tool for inspiring a passion for learning.

What better place is there to explore and develop new interests than at the library? Come into one of our branches in Holly Springs, Byhalia or Potts Camp. Any member of the library staff can assist you. We ask that anyone under 18 have a parent or guardian with them and anyone applying for a card either live, work or own property in Marshall County.

This September, open the door to a world of possibilities for the student in your life and sign up for a library card today.

Respectfully,
Amanda McDonald
Director, Marshall County Library System

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