Weekly Bites feat. Greg Santomero – Looking for Activist Dads
Greg Santomero – Creative Director and Featured Columnist
Hello. New guy here.
I have a story to share.
A few weeks ago my wife, Angela, and I went to an intimate dinner hosted by a friend who’s doing more than her part to rid our cities’ streets of illegal guns.
Seated next to me that evening was a woman named Donna. It didn’t take me long to learn that Donna was actually Donna Dees, founder of the Million Mom March. I’ve never met Donna before but I understood the strength of 1,000,000+ moms assembling down in Washington DC to be heard.
As the two of us discussed automatic weapons and gun violence in the United States, I was in awe of what Donna had accomplished…especially in the pre-Twitter days!
If you tell me you’ve orchestrated an immense group of women to come together, with the common goal of making our kids’ world safer, you’ve got my attention. Unfortunately though, my excitement quickly morphed into embarrassment.
So, how do I say this? Umm, err..was the big game on TV that day? So, where was I or the rest of the fellas?
Regardless of one’s position on illegal guns, why are the majority of men not stepping up to the plate on HUGE family issues? Should it be okay that they’re not even involved in many of these parental, not exclusively maternal, conversations?
I honestly started to get inspired that night talking to Ms. Dees. It takes two to conceive a child, but many men tend to step away a bit after that, leaving it to well over a million moms.
Hence, my desire to start sharing my voice. I’ve met some inspiring men out there that are stepping it up for parental issues that they feel are important to their children’s welfare; and therefore, don’t dismiss it as women’s work.
Let’s hear about your dad, husband or friend who challenges that tired old gender stereotype. We might not hear about a million, but I’m listening.
~Greg Santomero
Creative Director, Featured Columnist and Resident Dad for BonBon Break
Read more from Greg here.
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