Filed under: Family/Relationships
*Considering the age of the typical reader and the seriousness of this threatening issue, I trust that everyone will exhibit maturity while reading*
An attractive design grabs the attention of anyone sexually active. Two shades of blue are the dominant colors. A medium turquoise acts as the base and a dark turquoise gives color to the silhouetted couple on the lower left-hand side of this 3″x3″x1″ box. In the middle of the small box on the right-hand side lies a black, horizontal, and rectangular strip with white capitalized lettering spelling “lubricated”. Just above this is “trojan-enz” in large, white, and bold letters. A tab with a center opening stems from the top of the box allowing it to be easily stocked . On this tab the manufacturer boasts in capitalized white letters “America’s #1 condom, trusted for over 80 years”, and prints a golden Trojan warrior helmet, it’s prominent logo, in the upper right hand corner.
Opening this box yields three 2″x2″ connected aluminum square packages. The packages, however, are designed to be easily separated. These medium turquoise wrappers also sport “trojan-enz” in capital letters and the Trojan logo, in white, on the upper and lower right-hand corners. Opening one of these packages reveals the prize: a well constructed, 7.9″ long 2″ wide, cylindrical latex sheathe that acts as a male contraceptive.
Condoms are a fairly inexpensive ($3.99 gets you a box of three) form of birth control and are available at many convenient stores, gas stations, large store chains, and even online. They are extremely easy to use and even come with instructions. Not only that, but the knowledge of their existence and advantages (a 98% success rate for protecting against STIs and pregnancy) is widespread among American society. So, one really must ponder, why are there so many unintended pregnancies each year?
What’s the price of having an unplanned child? Really, go ahead and calculate the expenses. It adds up to be a pretty hefty price, right? Now, factor in the emotional and societal pressures and you’ve a large amount of stress with which to cope. This combination of mental and financial strain coupled with an increase in responsibility is obviously the leading cause of the community crumbling epidemic: paternal abandonment.
Sadly, fathers unable to bear the burden of such a life altering event relinquish their parental duties and opt for a much less intimate relationship (be it support from afar such as child support or complete disertion) with the child, which truly causes confusion and instability. I’ve personally witnessed the devastating effect this has on not only the children, but the mother as well. My sister, Jessica Pope and her three children–Demetrius, Dorian, and Danielle Chatman–live in a fatherless household; and, although the children are well provided for, the effects of an absentee father are evident. Upon observing Demetrius’ slightly feminine behavior, Dorian’s questioning of his father’s whereabouts, and Danielle’s unruly manners toward male authoritative figures, one can begin to acknowledge the consequences that fatherlessness creates.
Many individuals would deem my niece and nephews’ case as mild. To them the repercussions of fatherlessness extends much further. It is generally believed that the lack of fatherhood in our communities attribute to the rise in crime, teen pregnancies, and overall deterioration of our culture over the last few decades. Many also feel that if we, as a nation, can eliminate teen and unplanned pregnancies then we can effectively reverse the trend of paternal abandonment and regain a grip on delinquency in our communities.
So, if you’re sexually active, please take heed! Commit to using birth control each and every time you have sex and we can invert the progressively upward curve of fatherless homes in America. In the words of BET, “Rap it Up”.
