A Man's Stand Against Poverty

In 1964, Lyndon Baines Johnson stood up and declared in the most masculine of words: A War on Poverty. A manly pursuit.

Never again would an American child lie down to sleep hungry. Never again would a mother worry about having enough money to care for her children. Never again would a family shiver through a cold, winter's night. Never again would a father... 

Be necessary.

For almost every one of the last fifty years, the United States has spent more money than the year before on programs to help grow out of poverty. Pretty quick, that has become more than ONE TRILLION DOLLARS a year.

And the results?

In those fifty years, the percentage of children born to unmarried parents has climbed from less than ten percent to well over forty percent. And Supplemental Security Income, SNAP, Medicaid, and countless other programs have taken over where once fathers fought.

It is not to say that these programs are bad in and of themselves. By no means. They have buoyed countless families in the midst of financial and physical strife.

Yet, the number one indicator of whether or not a child will grow up in poverty is not whether his mother has access to food stamps or she gets Medicaid. It's not even the mother's employment status. The number one indicator of childhood poverty is whether or not Mom and Dad are married when the kid is born.

A child born to unmarried parents is seventy-five percent more likely to grow up in poverty than a child born to married parents.

In all of President Johnson's bravado, calling forth the heroes of our time to slay the mighty beasts holding captive unfortunate souls, the ones called to take up arms and bind themselves to this task are simply excused. Replaced by governmental oversight and upbringing. Regulatorially removed.

Never again would a father... be necessary.

The War on Poverty had a noble goal that remains unchanged. It should bring out the courageous. And, it should bring out the strategic.

It should bring out a hero.

It should bring out a father.

A father who looks to find a beautiful woman and marry her. To show her that she is worth fighting for. To wait for her until he has laid down his life in commitment for her. And to set aside the thought of ever finding another.

What does that mean? It means waiting to have sex with her until the night after she walks down the aisle in a stunning white dress and he promises to give all of himself - his life, his wealth, his joys, and his sorrows - to her and for her. To have rejoice in her and with her.

And then. Only then, to seek to have children with her.

In this war, a hero looks like:

A man who chooses to be a virgin until marriage. Yes it is a choice. And, no it's not just for you. It is for you wife. And, yes, it is counter cultural. But is it worth it? YES! One thousand times, YES!

A man who chooses to be there in his family. To love his wife. To love his children. To care for them with humility and gentleness. To guard them and protect them. To teach them. And to play with them.

That is a hero.

That is how I will take up my fight in the War on Poverty. That is how we will begin to win.

And, never again will a father be replaceable.

C.F. Brake is a young attorney working to change the culture for the sake of our young men and women. Follow the blog on Twitter (@cf_brake) or e-mail C.F. Brake at cfbrakeblog@gmail.com.