Todd Unctuous on Bill Clinton

Last updated on: December 26, 2014 at 7:55 pm by Fr. Dwight Longenecker

Todd Unctuous on Bill Clinton 2014-12-26T19:55:46-05:00 Fr. Dwight Longenecker

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Guest blogger Todd Unctuous is top commentator for MSM. With a degree in Media Studies from Scranton Community College, Todd writes for many papers and websites, and is known for his incisive writing, objective reporting and razor sharp comment.

I see from today’s headlines that one of America’s greatest statesmen, former President William Jefferson Rockefeller Clinton has been awarded the Father of the Year award. In a world where prizes for genuine accomplishments are rare it is heart warming to see President Clinton receive such a well earned award.

His dedication not only to his daughter Chelsea Jefferson Rodham Clinton, but also to his lovely wife the statesman and Secretary of Defense, Hillary Jefferson Rodham Clinton, BaD, Ma (Oxon) is heart warming indeed. When I see the Clinton family together I immediately think of other heart warming American families who stand as role models for our country of America. I think of Fred and Wilma Flintstone with their charming daughter Pebbles. Or the loving Kennedy clan. Like the Kennedy men, Bill Clinton was able to combine strong, loving, gentle and humorous fathering with a lust for life and a zest for living that was irrepressible. Who can forget their wonderful parties with White House interns, the moonlight drives home and the dazzling friendships with movie stars? To think they had all that and the comforts of home, the faithful wife, the adoring children and the cozy fireside…

One of the strengths of Bill Clinton’s fathering was his ability to break free from the restricting conventions of “conventional” family life. He was able to be a strong and supportive partner of Hillary Jefferson Rodham Roosevelt Clinton while busy working late in the Oval Office. Not only was he able to hold down the job of the most important person in the world, and be a loving father to “Pebbles”, but he also took time out of his busy schedule to pay attention to the needs of the young interns, office workers and secretaries who he worked with over the years. These extra “daughters” also demanded his love, and he was able to give of himself to their needs. One only needs to see photographs and videos of these smiling young women embracing him to realize what a good “father” he was to them.

His creative approach to parenting might be called “open fatherhood”. He showed that he was not bound by the conventions of traditional patriarchy with it’s oppression and abuse of women. He allowed Hillary Rodham Jefferson Roosevelt Mandela Clinton to become her own person and not just stay home like the mother in Leave it to Beaver. He encouraged his daughter to become one of the most successful news reporters in the country–getting to the top of her profession sheerly on her good looks and amazing talent and without using any of her parents’ contacts or never once trading on her famous name. In his relationships with the other women in his life he was always respectful and gentlemanly–being a genial father figure to the many young ladies in his circle.

Indeed, as President Emeritus of our nation hasn’t he really become a Father to us All? Perhaps this is why his name “William Jefferson Clinton” includes a reference to the father of our country, Thomas Jefferson Kincade–who not only wrote the Emancipation Proclamation, but also became “America’s Painter of Light.”

President Bill Clinton’s award as Father of the Year is an honor rightly bestowed. By only having one child he was able to show our nation of men how to focus his fathering on one special child. By promoting choice in the so called “abortion debate” he was able to help other men make good choices about whether to be a father or not. Just like every child should be a wanted child, so every father should want to be a father. Bill Clinton has done a great service to fathers world over by showing the way.

This award today reminds me of the great day when the world’s community of very important people awarded President Barack Obama with the much-deserved Nobel Peace Prize. Since the award he has gone on to merit the honor by keeping peace throughout the world through the use of selective bombing raids, surgical strikes with drones, the occupation of two countries by our peace keeping forces. He too has shown how to be a father to two beautiful girls, and he has affirmed the role of parenting by emphasizing publicly that he would not want his daughters to be punished with a child. Again showing that every child should be a wanted child.

I realize that there will be some extreme right wingers who may disagree with the selection of President Bill Clinton as Father of the Year. They will say he was more concerned with becoming President and having sexual affairs then being a good father. They are predictable. These people who cling to their religion and guns will criticize any award that is made. They are sour, angry people usually with eight or ten children who they “home school”. The women staying at home to bake cookies and the men avoiding the responsibility of a serious career to play “touch football” or take their boys hunting. No doubt these are the sort of people who think it is quaint and cozy to read bedtime Bible stories to their children. This “Little House on the Prairie” type of America is out of date and out of touch.

I am not opposed to religion. Although I am not myself a religious person, I do believe myself to be spiritual. I certainly respect people with a strong and vibrant faith like Nancy Pelosi, Melinda Gates, the female vocalist Justin Bieber and the well known entertainer Katherine Jefferson Schori. I also believe in the freedom of worship which was anshrined in our nations’ Bill of Rites. Religious people should have the freedom to do what they want in their churches, synagogues and former supermarkets. This freedom should extend for a full two hours for every Sunday morning. Unless the person is Jewish, Muslim, Hindu or Seventh Day Adventists who worship on other days.

I personally am looking forward to reading excerpts from Bill Clinton’s book on being a Father. I have been told by contacts in the publishing industry that the title of the book is Thank Heaven for Little Girls. Which is the title of a song by the famous French singer Pepe LePew, and it helps me wind up this column by saying a heart felt, “Thank Heaven for William Jefferson Clinton—Father of the Year!”

Todd Unctuous is forty-two.

For those who find Todd’s post disconcerting or controversial take time to learn more about him here.

To read all of Todd’s posts use the ‘category’ tool in the right sidebar.

Todd Unctuous

Alter Egos

Humor

Previous Post

January 6, 2013

Revolution and Revelation

Next Post

January 19, 2013 Reality and Religion

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Anglican Matters Apologetics Architecture Blobble Study Book Reviews Brideshead Caitlin O'Rourke Catholic Art Catholic Culture Church Politics Chust for Nice Contemporary Culture Duane Mandible Ed Blanch Film Reviews Fr Harvey Nicolaitan Frank Viola Mantilla the Hon More Christianity Mrs Brady Catholic Old Lady Mystery of the Magi Norman Anderson Queen Hillary Saints and Supernatural Spirituality The Inklings The Vicar Theology Todd Unctuous Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz