The Rhetoric of Fathers

I keep hearing and reading a preface from fathers who share a default response to all the abuses being brought to light: "As a father of a daughter..." It's almost as if their eyes are finally opened to the great hardships their daughters have endured and/or will face. Really? Enough! I mean, as a "father of a daughter" how could you just be realizing this now? Stop using fatherhood as some excuse that separates you (as fathers) from this ancient behavior towards women and children because you have daughters. The fact that you're saying, "As a father of a daughter...," is not that far removed from looking at your daughters in a manner that somewhat objectifies them. Instead, raise your children in a way that doesn't modify their genders or identities as being the obstacles. You should be saying, "As my daughter's father, I take responsibility for how I behave. I model through example and she knows what's not acceptable."