European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 17, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 18 stars and stripes june Thomas publisher Richard general Europe col Stephen commander news and editorial Robb Grindstaff Doug Clawson executive editor managing editor Europe Sam Europe Bureau chief Joseph Mideast Bureau chief Marni assistant Bureau chief assistant managing editors Mary news Sean sports Brian features Christopher Patrick news editor Joe web editor addresses mail unit Apoate 09211 International mail Postrach 64345 Germany fax Dan 3498416 0 email news   Central office 529 14th Street suite Washington do phone Dan 3127630900 or 202 fax 202 7610890 editorial director 529 14th suite do phone Dan 3127630945 or 202 How to Call us editor Dan 3498264 0 6155601264 letters Dan 3498237 0 sports Dan 3498225 0 circulation Dan 3498437 0 advertising Dan 0 news bureaus Germany country code Bamberg Mark car 459 Box Apo a 091393703 Dan 4697957 0 or fax Dan 4698007 or 0 email  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ombudsman welcomes comments from be contacted by email at , or by phone at opinion Happy fathers you poor slobs a week before fathers cartoonist Berkeley breathed did a very cartoonist thing and caused a controversy to be stirred Over a comic strip that seemed to slight fathers while celebrating Les Kathleen Parker Man More or reaction has been Swift and predictable out rage on the right smug contempt for the right on the in the Middle is one Happy who got a Rise from a jaded though the message of the strip May be interpreted More than one either As advancing an idea or exposing a cultural phenomenon outrage is not necessarily for those who missed the strip also syndicated by the washing ton Post writers group talking about third grader Davie Dinkle having two multiple says one says the no dad asks opus the existential pen Guin and namesake of the in the following the boys won Der How Davie Din Kle will do without a male role Model in the crash a Tele vision set showing a baseball Batter on the screen is hurled through a the Clever fellow behind this gesture of apparent dissatisfaction is the usual suspect a cigarettes Mokin White Guy wearing a three Day Beard and a Cap festooned with what appears to be a set of Mam Maries in a Bikini now that was a you Moron shouts the male role there you the gag is a Tad shows two boys breathed comic strip might have faded into the ethers if it didst Cut so close to the if it we rent one More insult added to a history that Long ago ceased to but cartoonists would be out of business without stereotypes and Cli we get the some see the strip As anti dad and pro lesbian including lesbian see it As making the Point that gender Doest necessarily predict Good or bad others might see it As simple recognition that the they Are All of which is to the comic strip is it also contains multiple layers of the first truth is that same sex couples today Are raising among them one of the grandchildren of the vice presi Dent of the United another truth is that kids Are having conversations like the one in the a child who has two mommies or two dad Dies will get noticed and talked it is entirely possible that two Little boys who love their mothers might think that having two mothers would be twice As sort of like having two Candy bars in Stead of just heres another truth children dont know but heres the big Gest truth of All men and fathers have been on the receiving end of a male bashing trend for the past 20 years or and Treyve had breathed comic strip might have faded into the ethers if it didst Cut so close to the if it we rent one More insult added to a history that Long ago ceased to on men Are depicted As boors or while in the broader Cul there deadbeats or wife in a 1999 study of How fathers were presented in 102 primetime the National fatherhood initiative found Only four in which a father was portrayed As present and involved in his childrens at the same time Little boys and girls Are seeing dumb daddies on More than a third dont live with their own owing either to divorce or single despite inevitable exceptions to the it is merely ignorant to say that a fathers absence has no effect on study after study shows an association Between fatherless Ness and a wide Range of social including drug promiscuity and Delin two mommies May work out Fine for some and some just like some Are contemptible slobs or but neither observation diminishes the larger truth that children need a most of whom Are in the cartoonish characters we love to breathed comic intended or revealed where we have arrived As a society in our attitudes toward male role mod otherwise known As fathers two lesbian mommies Are while dad is a Vio substance bus ing in such a we can be grate Ful for an existential Penguin whose voice offers a counterweight to the know Noth ingress of opus Penguin asked the appropriate question no dad Kathleen Parker is a member of Washington Post writers Tell us what you think stars and stripes your comments on editorials and columns that Are published in the and values letters on topics of importance in the lives of our All letters must be and must include the writers address or base and Telephone please limit All letters to 300 we Reserve the right to edit letters for taste and Send your letters to mail stars and stripes unit 29480 Apo a 09211 International mail stars and stripes Postrach 1330 64345 Griesheim via fax country code 0 Dan 3498395 email 3r5attm sch Evula for a at fast Yoke Wotsch Dulip for am doonesbury by folks Tim again for our featuring hi6hli6htsfrom upcoming strips you wont want Tomissa planwurlif5 around them the turns another mikes mom makes a for and my stuffed p Peak if Only less map character reunion a Jig Suevera Fem nazi Trumps hair pens a Kythe my Fox