Joe Pitts: “on Sunday, millions of Americans will be taking dad out for dinner to celebrate Father's Day. Father's Day is the one…”

“on Sunday, millions of Americans will be taking dad out for dinner to celebrate Father's Day. Father's Day is the one day every year that we set aside to say thank you to the men who raised us, taught us to fish, to play baseball, taught us to know right from wrong. But there is a sad side to Father's Day as well. See, everyone has a father, but not everyone has a dad. In fact, fatherhood is in real trouble in America today. One-third of the children in America today do not live with their father, and one-third of all American children live in a house without an adult male. Since 1960, the percentage of single parent families has grown 248 percent. What is the result: 226 percent increase in violent crime, 430 percent increase in out-of-wedlock teen pregnancy, sadly 134 percent increase in teen suicides. Now an absent father is not the only reason so many kids are in trouble. But can anyone doubt that it is at least part of the reason? All the absent fathers and all the deadbeat dads in America should think hard this weekend about the role they could be playing in the lives of their children. A father's job is an important one. We should all remember that.”