Garth Rattray

Jamaica spearheaded the bold and revolutionary move (in the Caribbean) of abolishing the bastardy laws during the Michael Manley regime of the 1970s. This was achieved through the Family Law Committee of Jamaica, chaired by Justice Ira DeCordova Rowe Q.C., O.J. With the Status of the Children Act 1976, children born out of wedlock were legally pari passu (on equal footing) with their legitimate siblings.

Not only was the new law meant to eliminate the concept of illegitimacy, it was also intended to force fathers to better provide for their 'outside' children. It was (navely) believed that if middle and upper-class Jamaican fathers were forced by society and the law to take better care of their 'outside' children, lower-class men would follow their example and also take care of their children (most of whom were conceived outside of wedlock). The well-being of all children was expected to improve.

Although this year marks the 31st anniversary of the Status of the Children Act, many children continue to be treated as if they were illegitimate (an outlawed status). Uncaring fathers (from all social strata) deny them the physical, emotional and financial support legally and morally due to them. The law decrees that children of marriages or unions of any kind must be taken care of by their fathers, but it is not utilised nearly as much as it should be. I've come to realise that, whereas there no longer exists illegitimate children, we have an abundance of illegitimate fathers - that is, fathers operating outside the norm of what fathers should be.

Distressing

There are many responsible and caring dads around, but every Father's Day I can't help but recall the many sad, deprived children and adults that know little or nothing about their biological fathers - many of whom are walking around carefree and free, indiscriminately sowing more than just wild oats on any willing fertile ground. It's distressing to see that deadbeat dads don't recognise the essentiality of a stable home for the wholesome development of children. This especially holds true for our boys. Gang affiliation and criminal behaviour correlates well with the lack of a positive male role model. Boys need fathers for imprinting and patterning.

Wayward behaviour of men

We have a bad habit of ignoring sensitive issues for the sake of so-called propriety. We pretend that our children are blissfully ignorant of the harsh realities of life. Our schools should teach responsible parenting to pre-teens and teens, along with other life skills. At least this way they will learn the true meaning of motherhood and fatherhood. They will also learn the right and proper way of raising children in a nurturing environment.

Unfortunately, I must put some of the blame for the wayward behaviour of many of our men on women. A lot of them see their ability to raise children on their own as an indication of their strength and a measure of their independence. Out of frustration, some readily abandon their efforts to incorporate unwilling fathers into the lives of their progeny. Whenever there's a poor response, they go it alone.

Many women cannot be bothered to pursue deadbeat dads because extracting financial and/or emotional support from them is too strenuous. They constantly complain that the courts are not user-friendly and are far too lenient with the men. But, there's a backlash to that reasoning: the real victims are the children that have been denied a strong male influence. Eventually, our entire society pays a high price for illegitimate fathers.