President Obama's Father's Day Message (Video, Transcript)

Transcript

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"If I could be anything, I'd be a good father", by President Barack Obama (Pictures)

From the Parade Magazine:

As the father of two young girls who have shown such poise, humor, and patience in the unconventional life into which they have been thrust, I mark this Father’s Day — our first in the White House — with a deep sense of gratitude. One of the greatest benefits of being President is that I now live right above the office. I see my girls off to school nearly every morning and have dinner with them nearly every night. It is a welcome change after so many years out on the campaign trail and commuting between Chicago and Capitol Hill.

But I observe this Father’s Day not just as a father grateful to be present in my daughters’ lives but also as a son who grew up without a father in my own life. My father left my family when I was 2 years old, and I knew him mainly from the letters he wrote and the stories my family told. And while I was lucky to have two wonderful grandparents who poured everything they had into helping my mother raise my sister and me, I still felt the weight of his absence throughout my childhood.

As an adult, working as a community organizer and later as a legislator, I would often walk through the streets of Chicago’s South Side and see boys marked by that same absence — boys without supervision or direction or anyone to help them as they struggled to grow into men. I identified with their frustration and disengagement — with their sense of having been let down. read more here.....

The President takes Sasha and Malia to The Dairy Godmother, a frozen custard shop just outside Washington.






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Obama Celebrates Fatherhood (Video)

The President hosts a Young Men’s Barbeque at the White House for students from local schools to discuss the importance of fatherhood and taking personal responsibility. He is joined by well-known fathers from across the country, as well as everyday fathers who have successfully managed to fulfill their obligations. All of these men serve as exemplary examples of the spirit of fatherhood, and can serve as examples for these young men and men across the country. June 19, 2009.

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