The Editor, Sir:

I write in response to your Letter of the Day published on May 5 by Mark Clarke, who sounds to my mind like a father who has been scorched by the system. I empathise, but not greatly.

Men seem to get what they deserve! Then, they embellish the little that they do to make it seem like they are the heroes! Y'all aren't! I agree that men ought to be an integral part of their children's lives, but are they?

You all make it what it is, then you complain. You, just as much as the women, scatter your irresponsible seed, then, maybe, visit once or twice per week (less frequently as the child gets older) and think you're doing a great job! (men are even more irresponsible than the women if you take into consideration the fact that when a woman gets pregnant, she is stuck with the child inside her body and must offer at least some amount of care before, during and after birth, unlike the men who scatter, then leave!).

Emotionally unavailable

Then, you have those who are physically but never emotionally available, thinking if they hand out the money that's good enough. "I sent him/her through university and she always wore the hottest clothes"

Then, there is the father who takes care of all his children well, but created such an 'emotionally stable' pseudo-environment by creating so many different contentious environments for the child to deal with through the numerous baby mothers he'll have to face when it's their time to see his father.

Or you reprimand (oftentimes physically abusing) when the child is rude because you are the tough guy and think that is good enough! And dare a mother to interrupt, she'll get a fine whipping too! Then, you've got the ones that are way too good to be true: Oh he loves his little girl, so you leave him to babysit and later on in life you find out your child has constantly been abused by her FATHER.

Complacency in justice system

Are you starting to get where the judicial system gets its 'complacency' from? What the judicial system should do (with the requisite resources) is to ensure that each parent (male or female) is first well trained to be a father then monitored.

But men have really made it bad for themselves, and I think most of the men who want to be with their children (those living outside of the household) are not fully prepared and willing to take on the mammoth task of parenting. They just want their names attached to the situation.

I am, etc.,

RENAE SIMMS

earner_24000@yahoo.com

Mandeville