There are no adequate substitutes for father, mother, and children bound together in a loving commitment to nurture and protect. No government, no matter how well-intentioned, can take the place of the family in the scheme of things.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- No substitute exists for the family unit bound by love to nurture and protect children. Government cannot replace the family regardless of its intentions.
- In plain terms
- Families are unique and irreplaceable by government, even with good intentions.
- What can you take from it?
- Prioritize and protect the family unit as the primary source of nurture.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How should government support families?
- What makes a family effective?
Another view
Some family structures may require government support to function effectively.
More from Gerald Ford
For millions of men and women, the church has been the hospital for the soul, the school for the mind and the safe depository for moral ideas.
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