Paul Halley writes that God and an Oprah contributor both view absent fathers as creating problems for women from childhood through adulthood.
To the Editor:
I was very pleased to see Bridgeton Mayor Albert Kelly's Sept. 21 column, "We're facing a 'dad defecit' and we need men to be there for our youth," which recognized this issue in our community.
Bridgeton Mayor Albert KellyI recently watched some episodes of "Iyanla: Fix My Life" on The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). In the first episode, host Iyanla Vanzant had 300 women who admitted that they had trouble with relationships with men. She asked them, "Who has a 'daddy-hole' in their life? Who feels broken because your daddy wasn't there for you?" In response, almost the whole audience stood up.
The next episode featured a woman who had run away from her family after 16 years of marriage. The big issue that caused this behavior seemed to be the woman's wish that she could have been a "daddy's girl."
Virtually every episode of this program has involved absent-father issues. This, and a lot of scientific evidence, screams at a society that keeps insisting that it doesn't matter what a man does with his sexuality as long as he is happy.
Let's restore a sacred respect for biological "daddy and mommy" families that I believe God has designed for us. We are teaching our young men and women that it doesn't matter what do with their sexuality, as long they are happy. This is an extremely selfish viewpoint that leads to individual disaster and community disaster.
Paul Halley
Stow Creek
Give Pope Francis an N.J. shore vacation
To the Editor:
Pope Francis must be just about out of gas! Cuba, Washington, New York and Philadelphia all on one trip.
If I were him, I'd go south from Philly to the Villa Maria by the Sea convent and retreat, which covers several blocks just off the beach in Stone Harbor. A week or so of early autumn beach weather, warm surf and ocean breeze would be great "R&R" before he goes back to Rome.
That's what I would do, if I were him!
Harry Walker
Pitman
Best candidate for unexpired school board term
To the Editor:
Washington Township school board candidate Julie Yankanich has been a Girl Scout leader in township service unit for five years. My daughter Sloane is a proud member of Troop 62222.
Last year, Yankanich's troop coordinated three important service projects. Members made 40 pairs of "scittens" (scarves attached to mittens) and donated them to Robin's Nest. Then, they made more than 400 rainbow loom bracelets for scared or sick children who visit the Kennedy Memorial Hospital emergency room. And the troop helped coordinate our yearly Baby Bundle, an event which requires the scouts to create and place donation bins in schools, and then host event to garner more donations for Choices of the Heart.
Additionally, Yankanich's husband, Steve, has coached intramural girls' soccer for the last two years. It is evident to anyone who has interacted with the Yankanich family that they are dedicated to the community.
I am writing to endorse Julie Yankanich as a woman dedicated to the well-being of the children in Washington Township and for her candidacy for an unexpired school board term on Nov. 3.
She instills in every child with whom she interacts the need to leave a place better than the child found it.
Brooke Morett
Washington Township
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