1、奧巴馬演講OurResponsibilityasFathers父親的責(zé)任：奧巴馬2008年6月15日在芝加哥南部的上帝使徒教堂參加周日禮拜（SundayServices）時發(fā)表了演講，該日正好是父親節(jié)（6月的第三個周日）。奧巴馬結(jié)合自己的身世就父親在家庭社會的責(zé)任發(fā)表演講。他批評美國父親在家庭中父親角色的缺失，敦促他們、尤其是黑人父親在撫養(yǎng)子女方面承擔(dān)起更多的責(zé)任。奧巴馬的這篇演講獲得普遍好評，加深了人們對他是個有責(zé)任感的總統(tǒng)候選人的印象。從演講中可以看出，他強調(diào)的競爭是一種“追求卓越”，同時又要兼具“同理心”的價值觀。他的強者觀念是：“把別人擊倒的人不是強者，把別人扶起來的人才是強者”。奧巴

2、馬在父親節(jié)的演講：（演講稿與最終現(xiàn)場發(fā)揮有少許出入，不影響）June15,2008Obama'sSpeechonFatherhoodBarackObamaApostolicChurchofGodChicago,ILOfalltherocksuponwhichwebuildourlives,weareremindedtodaythatfamilyisthemostimportant.Andwearecalledtorecognizeandhonorhowcriticaleveryfatheristothatfoundation.Theyareteachersandcoaches.They

3、arementorsandrolemodels.Theyareexamplesofsuccessandthemenwhoconstantlypushustowardit.Butifwearehonestwithourselves,we'lladmitthatwhattoomanyfathersalsoareismissing-missingfromtoomanylivesandtoomanyhomes.Theyhaveabandonedtheirresponsibilities,actinglikeboysinsteadofmen.Andthefoundationsofourfamil

4、iesareweakerbecauseofit.YouandIknowhowtruethisisintheAfrican-Americancommunity.Weknowthatmorethanhalfofallblackchildrenliveinsingle-parenthouseholds,anumberthathasdoubled-doubled-sincewewerechildren.Weknowthestatistics-thatchildrenwhogrowupwithoutafatherarefivetimesmorelikelytoliveinpovertyandcommit

5、crime;ninetimesmorelikelytodropoutofschoolsandtwentytimesmorelikelytoendupinprison.Theyaremorelikelytohavebehavioralproblems,orrunawayfromhome,orbecometeenageparentsthemselves.Andthefoundationsofourcommunityareweakerbecauseofit.Howmanytimesinthelastyearhasthiscitylostachildatthehandsofanotherchild?H

6、owmanytimeshaveourheartsstoppedinthemiddleofthenightwiththesoundofagunshotorasiren?Howmanyteenagershaveweseenhangingaroundonstreetcornerswhentheyshouldbesittinginaclassroom?Howmanyaresittinginprisonwhentheyshouldbeworking,oratleastlookingforajob?Howmanyinthisgenerationarewewillingtolosetopovertyorvi

7、olenceoraddiction?Howmany?Yes,weneedmorecopsonthestreet.Yes,weneedfewergunsinthehandsofpeoplewhoshouldn'thavethem.Yes,weneedmoremoneyforourschools,andmoreoutstandingteachersintheclassroom,andmoreafterschoolprogramsforourchildren.Yes,weneedmorejobsandmorejobtrainingandmoreopportunityinourcommunit

8、ies.Butwealsoneedfamiliestoraiseourchildren.Weneedfatherstorealizethatresponsibilitydoesnotendatconception.Weneedthemtorealizethatwhatmakesyouamanisnottheabilitytohaveachild-it'sthecouragetoraiseone.Weneedtohelpallthemothersouttherewhoareraisingthesekidsbythemselves;themotherswhodropthemoffatsch

9、ool,gotowork,pickupthemupintheafternoon,workanothershift,getdinner,makelunches,paythebills,fixthehouse,andalltheotherthingsittakesbothparentstodo.Somanyofthesewomenaredoingaheroicjob,buttheyneedsupport.Theyneedanotherparent.Theirchildrenneedanotherparent.That'swhatkeepstheirfoundationstrong.It&#

10、39;swhatkeepsthefoundationofourcountrystrong.Iknowwhatitmeanstohaveanabsentfather,althoughmycircumstancesweren'tastoughastheyareformanyyoungpeopletoday.EventhoughmyfatherleftuswhenIwastwoyearsold,andIonlyknewhimfromthelettershewroteandthestoriesthatmyfamilytold,Iwasluckierthanmost.IgrewupinHawai

11、i,andhadtwowonderfulgrandparentsfromKansaswhopouredeverythingtheyhadintohelpingmymotherraisemysisterandme-whoworkedwithhertoteachusaboutloveandrespectandtheobligationswehavetooneanother.IscrewedupmoreoftenthanIshould've,butIgotplentyofsecondchances.Andeventhoughwedidn'thavealotofmoney,schola

12、rshipsgavemetheopportunitytogotosomeofthebestschoolsinthecountry.Alotofkidsdon'tgetthesechancestoday.Thereisnomarginforerrorintheirlives.Somyownstoryisdifferentinthatway.Still,Iknowthetollthatbeingasingleparenttookonmymother-howshestruggledattimestothepaybills;togiveusthethingsthatotherkidshad;t

13、oplayalltherolesthatbothparentsaresupposedtoplay.AndIknowthetollittookonme.SoIresolvedmanyyearsagothatitwasmyobligationtobreakthecycle-thatifIcouldbeanythinginlife,Iwouldbeagoodfathertomygirls;thatifIcouldgivethemanything,Iwouldgivethemthatrock-thatfoundation-onwhichtobuildtheirlives.Andthatwouldbet

14、hegreatestgiftIcouldoffer.IsaythisknowingthatIhavebeenanimperfectfather-knowingthatIhavemademistakesandwillcontinuetomakemore;wishingthatIcouldbehomeformygirlsandmywifemorethanIamrightnow.Isaythisknowingallofthesethingsbecauseevenasweareimperfect,evenaswefacedifficultcircumstances,therearestillcerta

15、inlessonswemuststrivetoliveandlearnasfathers-whetherweareblackorwhite;richorpoor;fromtheSouthSideorthewealthiestsuburb.Thefirstissettinganexampleofexcellenceforourchildren-becauseifwewanttosethighexpectationsforthem,we'vegottosethighexpectationsforourselves.It'sgreatifyouhaveajob;it'seve

16、nbetterifyouhaveacollegedegree.It'sawonderfulthingifyouaremarriedandlivinginahomewithyourchildren,butdon'tjustsitinthehouseandwatch"SportsCenter"allweekendlong.That'swhysomanychildrenaregrowingupinfrontofthetelevision.Asfathersandparents,we'vegottospendmoretimewiththem,andh

17、elpthemwiththeirhomework,andreplacethevideogameortheremotecontrolwithabookonceinawhile.That'showwebuildthatfoundation.Weknowthateducationiseverythingtoourchildren'sfuture.WeknowthattheywillnolongerjustcompeteforgoodjobswithchildrenfromIndiana,butchildrenfromIndiaandChinaandallovertheworld.We

18、knowtheworkandthestudyingandthelevelofeducationthatrequires.Youknow,sometimesI'llgotoaneighth-gradegraduationandthere'sallthatpompandcircumstanceandgownsandflowers.AndIthinktomyself,it'sjusteighthgrade.Toreallycompete,theyneedtograduatehighschool,andthentheyneedtograduatecollege,andtheyp

19、robablyneedagraduatedegreetoo.Aneighth-gradeeducationdoesn'tcutittoday.Let'sgivethemahandshakeandtellthemtogettheirbuttsbackinthelibrary!It'suptous-asfathersandparents-toinstillthisethicofexcellenceinourchildren.It'suptoustosaytoourdaughters,don'teverletimagesonTVtellyouwhatyouar

20、eworth,becauseIexpectyoutodreamwithoutlimitandreachforthosegoals.It'suptoustotelloursons,thosesongsontheradiomayglorifyviolence,butinmyhouseweliveglorytoachievement,selfrespect,andhardwork.It'suptoustosetthesehighexpectations.Andthatmeansmeetingthoseexpectationsourselves.Thatmeanssettingexam

21、plesofexcellenceinourownlives.Thesecondthingweneedtodoasfathersispassalongthevalueofempathytoourchildren.Notsympathy,butempathy-theabilitytostandinsomebodyelse'sshoes;tolookattheworldthroughtheireyes.Sometimesit'ssoeasytogetcaughtupin"us,"thatweforgetaboutourobligationstooneanother

22、.There'sacultureinoursocietythatsaysrememberingtheseobligationsissomehowsoft-thatwecan'tshowweakness,andsothereforewecan'tshowkindness.Butouryoungboysandgirlsseethat.Theyseewhenyouareignoringormistreatingyourwife.Theyseewhenyouareinconsiderateathome;orwhenyouaredistant;orwhenyouarethinki

23、ngonlyofyourself.Andsoit'snosurprisewhenweseethatbehaviorinourschoolsoronourstreets.That'swhywepassonthevaluesofempathyandkindnesstoourchildrenbylivingthem.Weneedtoshowourkidsthatyou'renotstrongbyputtingotherpeopledown-you'restrongbyliftingthemup.That'sourresponsibilityasfathers.

24、Andbytheway-it'saresponsibilitythatalsoextendstoWashington.Becauseiffathersaredoingtheirpart;ifthey'retakingourresponsibilitiesseriouslytobetherefortheirchildren,andsethighexpectationsforthem,andinstillinthemasenseofexcellenceandempathy,thenourgovernmentshouldmeetthemhalfway.Weshouldbemaking

25、iteasierforfatherswhomakeresponsiblechoicesandharderforthosewhoavoidthem.Weshouldgetridofthefinancialpenaltiesweimposeonmarriedcouplesrightnow,andstartmakingsurethateverydimeofchildsupportgoesdirectlytohelpingchildreninsteadofsomebureaucrat.Weshouldrewardfatherswhopaythatchildsupportwithjobtraininga

26、ndjobopportunitiesandalargerEarnedIncomeTaxCreditthatcanhelpthempaythebills.Weshouldexpandprogramswhereregisterednursesvisitexpectantandnewmothersandhelpthemlearnhowtocareforthemselvesbeforethebabyisbornandwhattodoafter-programsthathavehelpedincreasefatherinvolvement,women'semployment,andchildre

27、n'sreadinessforschool.Weshouldhelpthesenewfamiliescarefortheirchildrenbyexpandingmaternityandpaternityleave,andweshouldguaranteeeveryworkermorepaidsickleavesotheycanstayhometotakecareoftheirchildwithoutlosingtheirincome.Weshouldtakeallofthesestepstobuildastrongfoundationforourchildren.Butweshoul

28、dalsoknowthatevenifwedo;evenifwemeetourobligationsasfathersandparents;evenifWashingtondoesitsparttoo,wewillstillfacedifficultchallengesinourlives.Therewillstillbedaysofstruggleandheartache.Therainswillstillcomeandthewindswillstillblow.Andthatiswhythefinallessonwemustlearnasfathersisalsothegreatestgi

29、ftwecanpassontoourchildren-andthatisthegiftofhope.I'mnottalkingaboutanidlehopethat'slittlemorethanblindoptimismorwillfulignoranceoftheproblemsweface.I'mtalkingabouthopeasthatspiritinsideusthatinsists,despiteallevidencetothecontrary,thatsomethingbetteriswaitingforusifwe'rewillingtowor

30、kforitandfightforit.Ifwearewillingtobelieve.IwasansweringquestionsatatownhallmeetinginWisconsintheotherdayandayoungmanraisedhishand,andIfiguredhe'daskaboutcollegetuitionorenergyormaybethewarinIraq.Butinsteadhelookedatmeveryseriouslyandheasked,"Whatdoeslifemeantoyou?"Now,Ihavetoadmittha

31、tIwasn'tquitepreparedforthatone.IthinkIstammeredforalittlebit,butthenIstoppedandgaveitsomethought,andIsaidthis:WhenIwasayoungman,Ithoughtlifewasallaboutme-howdoImakemywayintheworld,andhowdoIbecomesuccessfulandhowdoIgetthethingsthatIwant.Butnow,myliferevolvesaroundmytwolittlegirls.AndwhatIthinkaboutiswhatkindofworldI'mleavingthem.Aretheylivinginacountywherethere'sahugegapbetweenafewwhoa