racism

[ryoder]

What an excellent thread and nobody is resorting to name calling!
Ok I grew up in poverty with no father around and I did fine. It depends on the situation.

There is research that shows that a poor black male growing up with a father in the home is more likely to graduate college than an upper-middle class white male growing up with a single mother.

Dads do matter. For me it didn't matter but I had other father figures in my life very close by, like my grandpa who taught 9th grade science. He is awesome and kept me and my brother on the straight and narrow and taught us what it was to be a man.

I think you'll find that a functional family unit with a male and female present nurturing the children is the best way to a positive outcome.

Fathers Matter: Dads Are Not Optional to Child Well-BeingThe Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation

From that link:
n terms of economic well-being, children who grow up in homes where both parents are present are 82 percent less likely to live in poverty. Intact families tend to fare better in a wide range of economic measures; on average they have a higher net worth, higher income, more household assets, and greater savings.