The Good Feed Blog editors share the important story of Mad Dads.
Big thanks to Man Making’s Earl Hipp who shared with us a group of dads in Omaha who are taking back the city night by talking to young people, being role models and examples of what the men of the community should be about.
This video starts with John Foster, who created Mad Dads after his son was brutally beaten for having the wrong color car. When John saw his beaten son, he picked up a gun and went looking for the perpetrators…
But he didn’t find them. And he’s grateful. He doesn’t want to be a part of the problem, he’s glad for the opportunity to be a part of the solution.
“We can’t wait for the state to build a new prison, because what that means is that we’re willing to sit by and wait to accept additional victims, additional crime. That’s crazy.”
Mad Dads now has groups all over the country, and will help other Mad Dads form their own.
What do you think of the efforts of Mad Dads? Is there something like this that you can do in your own community to make a difference in the lives of young men?
About The Good Feed Blog Editors
There a different kinds of thugs out there. There are the ones who have an altercation with someone and vandalize their property. They’re afraid of direct confrontation. In my experience, the problem is resolved much quicker through reciprocity. I wanted to experiment with weed growing up, but the local drug dealer wouldn’t sell me any because my brothers would have kicked his butt right after they kicked mine. That’s why the local gang sent girls to recruit me instead of telling me they’d beat me up if I didn’t join.
Most of the gang members/ex-gang members I’ve known joined the gang for protection of that group a much smaller portion joined because they thought they’d be tough now kind of a protection/power hybrid. Sometimes it helps, but a friend told me of a member who didn’t get help from the gang to beat someone up because he lost the fight to a guy wearing a dress. He got more humiliated than assistance.
Many of the guys who stopped gang banging stopped because they got married and had kids. They got real jobs. They found something more important than themselves and took responsibility. I have a friend who bought large amounts of life insurance because he thinks his past will eventually catch up with him. He’s good with that. He doesn’t want his wife and daughter to pay the price. We can teach boys responsibility, but how do we protect them while they’re learning it?
Chicago = worse gang activity in the country. hope there is a chapter of “Mad Dad here?