At 5:46 p.m. yesterday we published an essay by Michael Oren, former Israeli ambassador to the U.S., that asked if an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear program was imminent. A little more than two hours later, Israel began that strike.

Father's Day falls on Sunday, June 15 this year. The holiday will see families gathered together to honor and celebrate father figures in all forms, from grandfathers to stepdads and 'chosen' dads. And the origin of Father's Day has a deep connection to American history and single dads.It's a story that begins in Spokane, Washington in 1909, with a young woman named Sonora Smart Dodd. It's an important tale in American history that was uncovered by the researcher Naama Lanski and her team at MyHeritage.com (an online genealogy platform)—who reached out to Sonora’s great-granddaughter and the last living direct heir, Betsy Roddy—as well as researched historical documents and records from the time period.Dodd was listening to a church sermon on Mother's Day when it struck her: "Why isn’t there a Father’s Day?" Her father, a Civil War veteran named William Jackson Smart, deserved to be honored. Photo of Sonora Smart Dodd.Courtesy of MyHeritageBetsy Roddy tells Upworthy that after Sonora's mother's death in 1898 (when she was just 16), William Jackson Smart raised her and her five younger brothers on his own—something that bucked cultural tradition at the time. "Rather than pass his children off to relatives, he chose to keep them at home and serve as mother and father for 6 young children," she says.After Sonora approached her pastor about establishing a Father's Day, her vision came to fruition in 1910 when the inaugural Father's Day was held. Drawing of William Jackson Smart.Courtesy of MyHeritage"It took a year, but she petitioned the ministerial alliance and YWCA in Spokane," Roddy tells Upworthy. "It was a simple celebration city-wide, and Father's Day was proclaimed by the local government. They handed out red and white roses—red to living fathers and white for fathers who had passed. It became official symbol of Father's Day."The holiday quickly went nationwide, but it would be another 60+ years until it was recognized by the United States federal government. Dodd petitioned and lobbied for Father's Day to become a national holiday. "She worked pretty tirelessly to push the concept forward," adds Roddy.Finally, in 1972 under President Richard Nixon, the third Sunday in June was officially proclaimed Father's Day and signed into law. Dodd was 90 years old, alive and well and able to her tireless work pay off. Roddy was able to develop a relationship with her great-grandmother before she passed away at 96. "My great-grandmothers stuck to the idea and vision of this being a national holiday. She fearlessly took on something much bigger than herself, before women had the right to vote," says Roddy. "It's easy to lose sight of that in context of today's world. She took on something women didn't do that was incredibly courageous. It's also a story of a woman's courage. To hold fast to an idea and see it through is a lesson for all of us. It's not just my great-grandma's legacy, it's an American story and legacy."Adds Lanski, " At a time when parenthood was seen almost exclusively through a maternal lens, she championed the vital role of fathers and fatherhood - shaped by her own experience being raised by a dedicated and proud single father."

Never getting fired of playing it.

A scathing take.

A pioneering hit.

A furious anthem.

The only one worth paying attention to.

The actor was only 49 when he took on the role of senior citizen Fred Sanford.

Senator Alex Padilla crashing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s Thursday press conference, shouting over her about her “exaggerations,” and pushing against federal law enforcement officers exemplified the Democratic Party’s sudden preference for stunts over substance. The party lacks leaders. It overflows with followers. In the streets, activists engage in what amounts to group catharsis for show. They make gestures. Even the ones that involve violence seem primarily aimed at generating attention. Surely, more effective methods of inflicting harm exist than torching Waymos or Tom Brady-ing chunks of concrete. The injuries that ensue come as a cost, acceptable to the perpetrators, of achieving the main goal of ensuring a captive, cable-news audience for behavior expressing their outrage. (RELATED: Los Angeles Isn’t What’s Burning. The Democrat Party Might Well Be.) Nobody throws the remnant of smashed-up cinderblocks in Congress — yet. When a party insists on the backasswards strategy of imitation of anonymous activists by elected leaders, one cannot dismiss the possibility of something akin to this happening in the near future. In the near present, New York Democrat John Mannion screamed at New York Republican Mike Lawler on the floor of the House of Representatives. “Get on your f—ing side, Lawler,” he yelled Thursday afternoon. “This is f—ing madness, man. We’ve had enough.” Earlier this week, a grand jury in New Jersey indicted Lamonica McIver, a House Democrat, on three counts of forcibly impeding and interfering with federal law enforcement officers. The raw video of the alleged criminal act appears to show a woman dressed in red who strongly resembles the congresswoman shoving uniformed federal personnel at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility. Recall Rep. Al Green of Texas standing up, shaking his cane, and interrupting Donald Trump as he addressed a joint session of Congress in March. The sergeant-at-arms escorted him from the chamber. Rather than chasten his colleagues, they doubled down by holding aloft lollipop signs touting such messages as “false,” “Musk steals,” and “Save Medicaid” while the president spoke. “He owned us,” a Democratic strategist told TheHill.com. “He made us look like what we are: f‑‑‑ing buffoons.” (RELATED: The Best Predictor of Brat Behavior in Congress) Buffoons do not learn. Lack of consequences remains the primary reason why even the most simple of creatures do not learn. Al Green won 100 percent of the vote in 2024. Lamonica McIver beat her Republican opponent 74 percent to 22 percent. Alex Padilla secured a full term in the U.S. Senate through a 61 percent to 39 percent vote. Mannion, the outlier here, represents a competitive district. One cannot help notice that politicians engaging in brat-fits generally represent one-party districts. What serves as a sound electoral strategy in Cambridge, Newark, or San Francisco harms the chances of Democrats in places more reflective of the political diversity of the country. So, even though Al Green acts without electoral repercussions, his extremist behavior makes it more likely that his party loses mainstream districts. Some Democrats understand how this works. Maine’s Jared Golden, who represents one of those classic purple districts, told Axios of the Padilla incident: “I don’t think politics as theater is what our job is here.” Democrats do not fear a Republican majority. They fear the looters, vandals, and rioters on the far left of their party. Democratic Party politicians do not excoriate but strangely imitate them — maybe a winning formula for Marin County but not for America. READ MORE from Daniel J. Flynn: Sly Stone, RIP Assassination Attempt on Colombian Politician Looks Familiar Conservatives Understand ‘Big’ Does Not Describe Any ‘Beautiful’ Legislation The post Politicians Imitating Protestors Bad Omen for Democratic Party appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

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