Push to change Father’s Day to Special Person’s Day

[EEEEEEP]

http://honey.nine.com.au/2017/08/30/10/55/university-academic-pushes-to-rename-fathers-day-special-persons-day-backlash-on-social-media

"Dr Red Ruby Scarlet, convener of Social Justice In Early Childhood Activist Group, explained on news programme, Today Tonight, that shifting language around important days can help the community become more inclusive.

There are a huge range of different family structures, Dr Scarlet continued, and she believes there are better ways to describe emotive events around families than the way we currently describe them.

"We have single parent families, satellite families, extended families, lesbian and gay families,” Dr Scarlet said, who's real name is Miriam Giugni. "
....

What are your thoughts about this?

I think that it is absolutely insane as if we are going down the path of equality, we should be just having one "Special persons day".

Why have a special mother's day? Some families or kids may not have mums? That's hurting the feelings of those who don't have mums.

[Calebark]

I have no issue with Father's Day/Mother's Day. I've given praise to an individual not related to me on these days for being like a parent towards me -- the fact that they're not my biological family didn't change my praise. You can make of it as you will without changing the name, especially given that the majority of people do have biological parents to turn towards.

I've got a bit of a unique familial situation, but I've never felt offended by days celebrating mothers or fathers.

[prickles]

Nah...its like changing Christmas to 'Gift Day' or 'Feast Day' just because not everyone believes in the same religon.
As Calebark kind of said - you can make the day what you want, celebrate it however you want to, give acknowledgment to those that need it, recognise the people that play a parental role in your life, regardless if you are/aren't biologically related.

[Shadestache]

I second EEEEEEP's comment. If we do decide to change it to "Special Person's Day", then there should just be one (gender equality and all).

Though, I personally don't really like the idea of Mother's and Father's Day. Why should we dedicate one day to celebrating parents, when we should do it everyday? Why is it that one day out of the year, is the day we decide to be super-nice and gift them things? We should appreciate what we have and the people around us everyday.

[Aaron]

I personally don't really like the idea of Mother's and Father's Day

Neither do I.

Given I have now had let's say 2 months in schools myself.. I have seen first hand that families aren't all perfect and there are genuinely scenarios in which a child in particular has one but not the other (or even none). It definitely isn't how it used to be where everyone played happy families (had a mother/father, married, live together etc).

I reckon changing it to 'special persons day' is a good idea to address changing times and changing family dynamics (whether this be due to same-sex couples or other). However, if we are changing father's day to 'special persons day', then the same must be done for mother's day too (or eliminate both of them and replace with one special day).

[geminii]

I love the idea of Father's Day and Mother's Day. Changing the name of Father's Day is ridiculous, and is really telling of how PC our culture is becoming nowadays.

If we change Father's Day to Special Person's Day, which I sure hope we don't, then we should get rid of the name Mother's Day, too, because of 'gender equality'.

There's really no need to change the name anyway, though. In a study conducted from 2012 to 2013, in Australia, 1.9% of males and 1.2% of females identified as homosexual. So if your reason to change the name of Father's Day is because it excludes homosexual people - just remember, they make up only 3% of people. We shouldn't make changes to the way we do things based on a tiny minority. That's like saying we should bring back the death penalty in Australia - after all, 23% of Australians believe in the death penalty, and that's a lot more than the 3% of homosexual people in our country. So if we change the name of Father's Day, we might as well do everything that every minority wants us to do, right?

Also, changing the name of Father's Day devalues the importance of fathers. Fathers are an extremely important part of most people's lives. Just because a small number of people may not have a father figure in their life, does not mean we should pander to the minority. My friend doesn't have a stable father figure in her life but I don't see her complaining on Father's Day.

Yes, some people don't have a father figure in their life. But this is the minority, and we should not base big decisions that affect almost everyone on the opinions of a few.

[prickles]

Also, changing the name of Father's Day devalues the importance of fathers.

Shouldn't we value the fatherly figures in our lives every single day, not just one single day of the year?

[geminii]

Shouldn't we value the fatherly figures in our lives every single day, not just one single day of the year?

Of course, but what's wrong with having a special day to commemorate them? It makes them feel special.
Your logic is like saying, why have Thanksgiving when we should be thankful every day? Why have ANZAC Day, when we should appreciate those who fought for our country every day? Why have a national day based on any important historical figure when we should just appreciate them every day?

[geminii]

Then you don't we have a sons day? And a daughters day? Do parents not appreciate us because we don't have a special 'day'?

I never said we don't appreciate father's on every other day except father's day - you're the one who came to that conclusion. You also didn't address my point. Why have ANZAC day when we should be thankful to the troops every day?

In relation to your question, a lot of cultures do have children's day. In India, where I come from, there is a Children's Day, on November 14th. It would be nice if we have a children's day in Australia too - but just because we don't, doesn't mean we hate children. One day to commemorate them would be nice. This is the same with Father's Day. There's nothing wrong with it, we still appreciate father's every other day, but having a Father's Day is a nice way to commemorate them.

You also didn't answer - what's wrong with giving father's a special day? And while we're on that topic, do you want to get rid of mother's day too, and Christmas, and Thanksgiving, and ANZAC day, because we should be thankful and appreciate the things those holidays have to do with every day?

[heids]

Calm the farm (carm the falm? ENGLISH ), no need for an argument

Don't want to turn this into a discussion of gay marriage and stuff, so: geminii, the idea of the change is not just for same-sex couples, but for anyone whose father has died or left them or been an abusive shit, or anyone who in some other way hasn't got a typical nuclear family.  I can see how these days could be challenging, in underlining their difference from the "normal" family.  This doesn't necessarily mean we should change the day's name, but should be extra conscious that other people might be struggling on these days.

[geminii]

Excuse me? When did I say that the only day we appreciate fathers is on fathers day? My first post to your opinion was; Shouldn't we value the fatherly figures in our lives every single day, not just one single day of the year? I never stated that we don't appreciate fathers except on fathers day.

And I recall that E6P started this topic to debate the wide range of families we have in this ever-changing world, and whether it should be restricted to 'Fathers Day', and their point was that some children don't have a Mum/Dad that lives with them, and it should therefore be a 'Special Persons Day'. They never argued that we should get rid of ANZAC day, Christmas, Thanksgiving etc because we appreciate them every day. 

You said:

Shouldn't we value the fatherly figures in our lives every single day, not just one single day of the year?

This implies that, with Father's Day, we value fatherly figures 'just one single day of the year' and therefore without Father's Day, we would 'value the fatherly figures in our lives every single day'.

And my correlation was quite valid - if we should get rid of father's day because we should be appreciating fathers every day, then this should be the same with ANZAC and Thanksgiving, right?

Calm the farm (carm the falm? ENGLISH ), no need for an argument

Don't want to turn this into a discussion of gay marriage and stuff, so: geminii, the idea of the change is not just for same-sex couples, but for anyone whose father has died or left them or been an abusive shit, or anyone who in some other way hasn't got a typical nuclear family.  I can see how these days could be challenging, in underlining their difference from the "normal" family.  This doesn't necessarily mean we should change the day's name, but should be extra conscious that other people might be struggling on these days.

Not arguing! Just debating.
Again, like I said before, we shouldn't pander to the minority and change the name of father's day just for the sake of a few.

[heids]

Not arguing! Just debating.
Again, like I said before, we shouldn't pander to the minority and change the name of father's day just for the sake of a few.

Heh, I guess I'm not used to official debating so I'm used to stating things gently and with room for disagreement because I know I'm often wrong.

But why not pander to a minority?  People with disabilities are minorities, and yet we still cater for them in so many ways (including the fact that they're far more expensive and often less productive, but we happily spend taxes on them because they're human and as worthy as anyone else).  I agree that if someone directly harms the majority to benefit a small minority, that's illogical, but if it doesn't harm the majority, it's a great idea to look out for the minority?

[peterpiper]

Again, like I said before, we shouldn't pander to the minority and change the name of father's day just for the sake of a few.

I hate to want to argue with you gemini, especially on pedantry/meagre notes; but the way you said that makes it sound like fear-mongering was involved or something. Like it's an "us or them" situation. Which it isn't. I don't think we should change the day, but an awareness of other's whose situation isn't like most traditional families, is also ideal. The point of being PC is sometimes lost, but beneath it is to challenge what we consider to be 'universally true' with people whose lives may not at all line up with cultural norms. Effectively, it's a way to spread empathy. Not oppress or ridicule those whose lives are comfortable or considered normal by western cultural standards.

Now, some people may think that implementing these 'pedantic' notions in things like changing the name of father's day as something which might benefit society. But ultimately, as we've discussed, Father's day strongly leans on how we make of it. Which makes the implementation a little unnecessary and redundant. But the idea behind it I think is noble, and the fact that we're discussing it conveys its message probably better than the actual changing of the name of the day. So yeah, empathy empathy empathy. We won't ever get enough of it, no matter how many years pass by.

[Bri MT]

I have 0 respect for my father & don't have a personal problem with Father's Day. I'm not opposed to the idea of having a joint day for respecting parents and caregivers instead, but I also don't see it as being hugely important.