Today is Father's Day, a celebration that occupies a special place in the hearts of Americans. Recent sociological and psychological research has confirmed what common sense would never have doubted: The importance of fathers can't be overestimated. Unto the second, third and fourth generations, fathers have an irreplaceable impact on their children. This is true in the negative sense as well: The absence of fathers has what we now know to be a devastating impact. Boys in fatherless households are less likely to finish school and are more likely to use drugs and to end up in trouble with the law. Girls suffer many of these pathologies as well, to which may be added increased promiscuity and difficulty in establishing stable, long-lasting relationships with men.
Here's to Father's Day and to good fathers everywhere. We salute each and every one of you.
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