Definition: bas•tard - noun - a person born of unmarried parents; an illegitimate child.

A very wise man by the name of name Martin Luther King said," Our world begins to end when we are silent about things that matter".

IMHO, the plight of bastards and their effect on our society matters. It is very appropriate to call attention to it on Fathers Day. There are good reasons why the word "bastard" has a negative connotation. Of course not all bastards suffer the shortcomings, moral deficiencies and mental disorders listed in the article below. Those exceptions are the "lucky bastards".

On Father's Day, here is some sobering information concerning dads. According to the U.S. Census, one-third of American children are growing up without their biological fathers, while 40% of newborn babies in the U.S. are delivered to unmarried mothers. This percentage has increased about ten-fold since 1950.
Even more sobering: According to the CDC, over 72% of black children in the U.S. are born out-of-wedlock, along with over 52% of Hispanic children. Thus, while accounting for only about one quarter of the total U.S. population, blacks and Hispanics account for about 57% of the total number of out-of-wedlock births.

The absence of dad is devastating for children in a wide variety of ways. Children from single-parent homes are twice as likely to be suspended or expelled from school and are more than twice as likely to be arrested for a juvenile crime. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 85% of children with behavioral disorders don't have a father at home.

Children living without dad are much more likely to abuse drugs, commit suicide, and run away from home. They are more likely to have lower academic achievement along with lower self-esteem. Children born to unwed mothers are about seven times more likely to live in poverty than children with fathers in the home. The correlation between fatherless homes and the negative effects on the family is irrefutable.

With statistics like these, which have been trending in this negative direction for decades, one would think that no matter a person's religion, political persuasions, etc., it would be clear to most that it benefits our culture to support traditional marriage.

Yet, in spite of all this, the left continues its march towards the destruction of the family. Led by the homosexual movement and its war on marriage, like-minded liberals in the media, the aiding and abetting by Democrats in Washington, and Feministas like Gloria Steinem (who once declared, "A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle.") and NY Times columnist Maureen Dowd, author of "Are Men Necessary?" (which has been described as "the manifesto of the man-hating movement"), the varied attacks on the family are well funded, coordinated, and unrelenting.

read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/06/the_war_on_the_family_rages_on.html

Wal-Mart Wins Ruling in Sex-Bias Case

In the largest sexual discrimination lawsuit ever, the Supreme Court sided with retail king Wal-Mart (WMT) on Monday, overturning a ruling that granted class-action status to female employees that had sought billions of dollars.
The unanimous decision, which was written by Justice Antonin Scalia, concerned the ability of 1.5 million female Wal-Mart employees to team up to sue the world’s largest retailer for gender discrimination.

Read more: http://www.foxbusiness.com/industries/2011/06/20/supreme-court-sides-with-wal-mart-in-sex-bias-case/

Is there any downside to discrimination based on sex? I can't think of any. Nature abhors a vacuum, so does economics. If talented women are not reaching their potential at Walmart, wouldn't that give other companies the opportunity to scoop up these talented women? Doesn't this give those talented women the opportunity to open their own business and perhaps compete with Walmart? In the free market, the cream always rises to the top. This principle is easy to see in professional sports. The best athletes in the country play pro ball. The best actors/actresses get to be in the movies and TV. The most interesting authors write the best selling books. Discrimination, like diversity, is neither good nor bad in and of itself. If a restaurant will only serve men, that opens up a market for restaurants the serve women. In a market that is free from government interference, things will work out exactly as they should, but not necessarily equal.

For example, there are almost no female auto mechanics because women don't like, or are not talented, in that field of work. There are few Blacks in the NBA because the most talented basketball players are black. Most nail salons are owned and staffed by Asians because that is what they choose to do. The owners choose to hire their own kind. Most Chinese restaurants are owned and staffed by Chinese because the owners prefer Chines to work for them. Most cabs are driven by Arabs, because that is what they choose to do. This neither right nor wrong, this is exactly as things should be.

The government has no business demanding that private companies can not discriminate. Just as the government has no business forcing private companies to discriminate.