Apparently the men’s magazine Esquire believes that fathers don’t care for their children, or are not involved in their care at all . In Esquire’s new piece The Real Worst-Case Scenario for Swine Flu 2.0, Esquire contributing editor Thomas P.M. Barnett repeatedly refers specifically and only to “moms” when discussing the flu’s possible harm to children. Barnett writes:
Could a new wave of the H1N1 virus become as radioactive for Obama as Katrina was for Bush?…An in-depth assessment of the risks to moms and politicians across the country… [T]he next wave of the H1N1 virus (“swine flu,”) is going to be a big deal…most young people recover within a few days without requiring medical treatment beyond what a caring mom would instinctively muster…Just how difficult could things get for moms and Obama alike?
Apparently only moms care about their kids–there’s no reference at all to “dads” or “fathers”, and only one reference to “parents.” Please write Esquire Magazine at esquireeditor@hearstcorp.com and please call editor-in-chief David Granger at 212-649-4270 and his assistant at 212-649-4271 and ask them to change “moms’ to “moms and dads’ or “parents.” Also, please write them by clicking on http://www.esquire.com/talk and going to “The Editors’ in the drop down menu. We live in a culture which degrades and disregards fathers, and an important part of making political change is changing the culture. I’d be surprised to see such a thoughtless dismissal of fathers even in an article in the mainstream media–it’s even more surprising in a men’s magazine. Thanks to Fathers & Families supporter Brian Sawyer for the information.