His actions taught me how to stand up for what is right.
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Was a long time ago, but the seed planted that day, became the tree that is.
I was 12 years old and an idealist. A great reader, influenced by Jack London and Upton Sinclair — concepts of heroic standing up for the underdog.
Our family of six at dinner, together around table. Dad always encouraged conversation. This night was different. He said that yesterday he had been at a special general meeting at his upmarket, prestigious golf club. It had been called to vote on an amendment to the club’s rules which forbade Jewish people from being members of the club.
I was horrified to hear this. As a naive 12-year-old, I thought this stuff was from the past, concentration camps, and WWII.
Dad explained that the issue was hotly debated and that he had got up and spoke in favor of the proposed change to allow Jewish people in as members. The motion was lost and the ban stayed. I was later to understand that all the private golf clubs had a similar ban and the Jewish people ended up creating their own golf club. Now that has changed; it is illegal.
I was so proud of my dad that night. He was up there with Jack London and Upton Sinclair. Years later, after I had stood up many times for what I thought was right I wondered where I had got this ability from. After much reflection, I was taken back to that night and realized that my dad had taught me, by his actions, that I could stand up.
After watching The Big Short and Wolf of Wall Street in the last year, I realized how important building the counter-narrative is. A counter-story to corruption and inequality.
The more we stand up as Dads, as men in society the more we build the counter-narrative. It has a multiplier effect, never underestimate it.
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Photo: GettyImages
Great you’ve written about your dad here Paddy. Tom sure there is a good amount of men bashing about, but also its not just about promoting agenda’s either, its about the truth being seen and a balance of the truth of the awful stories with truth of beautiful stories about fathers and men is I feel valid.
Thanks for sharing Paddy. There are countless stories of such dad’s that have been lost through the years. It’s important that men like you pass these stories on to future generations. As it stands now, history has been rewritten to where men/fathers/husbands are seen in negative light so as to promote agenda’s.