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Show The Emery County Review, Tuesday, June 24, 2008 The FAMILY PAGE Horoscope Focus On The Family Crossword B3 Figuratively Speaking FOCUS ON THE FAMILY Without the Guidance of a Father, Boys Can Be Led Astray Dr. James Dobson Q A Why is early supervision and discipline of a son by his father so important? Let me illustrate this principle with a recent finding from the world of nature. Other than dogs, which I have always loved, the animals that fascinate me the most are elephants. These magnificent creatures are highly emotional and surprisingly intelligent. I suppose that’s why it is disturbing to see them suffering the encroachment of civilization. That is happening in the Pilanesberg National Park in northwestern South Africa. Rangers there have reported that young bull elephants in that region have become increasingly violent in recent years -- especially to nearby white rhinos. Without provocation, an elephant will knock a rhinoceros over and then kneel and gore it to death. This is not typical elephant behavior and it’s been very difficult to explain. But now, game wardens think they’ve cracked the code. Apparently, the aggressiveness is a byproduct of government programs to reduce elephant populations by killing the older animals. Almost all of the young rogues were orphaned when they were calves, depriving them of adult contact. Under normal circumstances, dominant older males keep the young bulls in line and serve as role models for them. In the absence of that influence, “juvenile delinquents” grow up to terrorize their neighbors. I know it’s risky to apply animal behavior too liberally to human beings, but the parallel here is too striking to miss. Let me say it one more time: The absence of early supervision and discipline is often catastrophic -- for teen-agers and for elephants. Prisons are populated primarily by men who were abandoned or rejected by their fathers. Motivational speaker and writer Zig Ziglar quotes his friend Bill Glass, a dedicated evangelist who counseled almost every weekend for 25 years with men who were incarcerated, as saying that among the thousands of prisoners he had met, not one of them genuinely loved his dad. Ninetyfive percent of those on death row hated their fathers. In 1998, there were 1,202,107 people in federal or state prisons. Of that number 94 percent were males. Of the 3,452 prisoners awaiting execution, only 48 were women. That amounts to 98.6 percent males. Clearly, as author Barbara Jackson said, “it is far easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” Some years ago, executives of a greeting-card company decided to do something special for Mother’s Day. They set up a table in a federal prison, inviting any inmate who so desired to send a free card to his mom. The lines were so long, they had to make another trip to the factory to get more cards. Due to the success of the event, they decided to do the same thing on Father’s Day, but this time no one came. Not one prisoner felt the need to send a card to his dad. Many had no idea who their fathers even were. What a sobering illustration of a dad’s importance to his children. Contrast that story with a conversation FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING HOROSCOPE Week of June 23 - June 29 Wanda Perry Copley News Service ARIES (March 21 - April 19): You will have an opportunity to express your emotions this week. Voice your feelings or opinions and get everything out into the open. TAURUS (April 20 - May 20): Escape from your comfort zone or areas of familiarity. Join a new social club or group and discover what others might have in common with you. GEMINI (May 21 - June 21): Take time to examine your finances and vow to eliminate the expenses that have been draining your pocket. Sit down and outline a revised budget. CANCER (June 22 - July 22): With the sun in your sign this week, expect waylaid plans or goals to magically come together. Follow a lucky streak all the way to the bank. LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22): You will find an audience of anxious people waiting to hear your views. Convey your thoughts and share your recent discoveries in science or religion. VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22): Ideal friendships require patience, honesty and sometimes compromise. Concentrate on harmonizing or blending your energy with trusted associates. LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 23): Make an effort to combine your professional undertakings with other creative interests. Both of these areas in your life are very important. SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 21): The accent is on travel, foreign cultures and customs. In your quest for understanding, be prepared to cover a lot of ground both physically and mentally. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21): Previous investments will begin to pay off now. Reinvest your earnings and continue to plant fiscal seeds for future prosperity. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19): Help partners to see their strengths and weaknesses in a loving and gentle way. Avoid being too overbearing or demanding. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18): What you are willing to give in selfless service comes back to you multiplied. Offer your time and energy to a charitable group or an individual in need. PISCES (Feb. 19 - March 20): Look for valuable feedback from children, younger siblings or peers. Bypass their immaturity and make it a wonderful learning experience for everyone involved. If your birthday is this week, you will find activities that take you off of your beaten path quite refreshing and enlightening during the coming year. Search out opportunities for personal growth that offer practical guidelines for obtaining the desired results. Pay attention to your internal clock and allow it to guide you through a challenging period. You may be required to take responsibility for the care of an elder family member or friend. Approach this assignment with an affirming and encouraging mind-set Also born this week: Frances McDormand, Ambrose Bierce, George Orwell, Derek Jeter, Helen Keller and John Cusack. (For more information go to WandaPerry.com) I once had with a man named Bill Houghton, who was president of a large construction firm. Through the years, he had hired and managed thousands of employees. I asked him: “When you are thinking of hiring an employee -- especially a man -- what do you look for?” His answer surprised me. He said, “I look primarily at the relationship between the man and his father. If he felt loved by his dad and respected his authority, he’s likely to be a good employee.” Then he added, “I won’t hire a young man who has been in rebellion against his dad. He will have difficulty with me, too.” I have also observed that the relationship between a boy and his father sets the tone for so much of what is to come. He is that important at home. Dr. Dobson is founder and chairman of the board of the nonprofit organization Focus on the Family, Colorado Springs, CO 80995(www.family.org). Questions and answers are excerpted from “Solid Answers” and “Bringing Up Boys,” both published by Tyndale House. Copyright 2008 James Dobson, Inc. Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate. John MacIntyre 1, 2 (tie): Rank of the Japanese, British and Germans as the overall best tourists, according to the findings of a global survey of hoteliers by Expedia. 11: Rank of Americans overall. 1, 2, 3: Rank of the Americans, Canadians and Russians as the most generous. 1: Rank of the Americans as those who lead the way with putting effort into learning a few key sayings in the local language and sampling local delicacies. Source: Expedia. 1: Rank of Hong Kong (.hk) as the most dangerous country to surf and search on the Web, according to a McAfee survey. 2, 3, 4, 5: Rank of Peo- ple’s Republic of China (.cn), Philippines (.ph), Romania (.ro) and Russia (.ru) on the list of dangerous surfing places. 41.5: Percentage increase over 2007 in the chance of downloading spyware, adware, viruses or other unwanted software. Source: McAfee Inc. 118.6: Number of televi- 19: Percentage of workers 13: Percentage of these who report they have taken office supplies for personal use in the past year, according to a Spherion Workplace Snapshot survey. sion channels that the average U.S. home now receives, according to a report from The Nielsen Co. channels that the average household tunes in to for at least 10 minutes per week. who feel it is wrong to take office supplies. Source: Spherion. Source: Nielsen Media Research - Communications. 52: Percentage of Americans who believe it is likely 100 or more of the current 535 incumbent members of Congress have had extramarital affairs, according to a survey by Wilson Research Strategies. 50: Percentage increase in 25: Percentage who believe 22: Of those who admit to having stolen office supplies, percentage who felt guilty or regretted the act. 74: Percentage of workers the number of stay-at-home dads over the past decade, according to the Census Bureau. 64: Percentage of fathers who say being a stay-athome dad is more challenging than their career, according to an Adecco USA Workplace Insights survey. 71: Percentage of mothers who agree. Source: Adecco. 300 or more have had an extramarital affair. 11: Percentage who say nearly all (500 or more). Source: Wilson Research Strategies. 14: Percentage of baby boomers who seem eager to retire, according to a survey of senior HR executives in North America by Novations Group. 42: Percentage who seem no more eager to retire than previous age groups. Source: Novations Group Inc. 68: Percentage of business travelers who are now staying at less-expensive/lowerstar-rated hotels to save on travel costs, according to a survey by Orbitz for Business and Business Traveler Magazine. 79: Percentage of business travelers and corporate travel managers who are feeling some degree of pressure to cut travel expenses. 41: Percentage of compa- nies that are tightening their travel policies and implementing more restrictions on travelers for hotels and dining. Source: Orbitz. 94: Percentage of Ameri- cans who support the development and funding of solar energy, according to findings reported in the Schott Solar Barometer. 77: Percentage of Ameri- cans who feel that the development of solar power and other renewable energy sources should be a major priority of the federal government. Source: SCHOTT North America, Inc. Idle Thought “Life has meaning only if one barters it day by day for something other than itself.” -- Antoine de Saint-Exupery See Page B8 for Puzzle Answers. Copyright 2008 John MacIntyre Inc. Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate. |
