While thankfully my parents were not influenced by Dobson, I was at least a nearby observer as he migrated from parenting advice to grasping political power. That migration mystified me at the time.
The pieces for understanding it first fell into place when I read Jesus and John Wayne, and your fine essay also gives insight about how there was more continuity there than I had realized.
I grew up in an evangelical-adjacent black non-denominational church where Dobson’s ideals bled into our community and definitely into our home. My older sister is probably most affected by this twisted theology than I was, but we’re both scarred nonetheless. Seems like we spend an inordinate amount of time trying to figure out how to be “ok” and move on sometimes. Thanks for sharing the article and for your work.
FWIW, Dr. Spock & his wife retired to Fayetteville, Arkansas, in the 70s, when I was living there, and I got to know them as a part a community of activists working to decommission Arkansas Nuclear One, a nuclear power plant near Russellville. He was as kind & active in the community as you might imagine.
While thankfully my parents were not influenced by Dobson, I was at least a nearby observer as he migrated from parenting advice to grasping political power. That migration mystified me at the time.
The pieces for understanding it first fell into place when I read Jesus and John Wayne, and your fine essay also gives insight about how there was more continuity there than I had realized.
I grew up in an evangelical-adjacent black non-denominational church where Dobson’s ideals bled into our community and definitely into our home. My older sister is probably most affected by this twisted theology than I was, but we’re both scarred nonetheless. Seems like we spend an inordinate amount of time trying to figure out how to be “ok” and move on sometimes. Thanks for sharing the article and for your work.
Just posted Time article on FB. Boomer parent familiar with his earlier parenting stuff but clueless as to his political involvement. Great article.
Great article. Keep up the good work.
FWIW, Dr. Spock & his wife retired to Fayetteville, Arkansas, in the 70s, when I was living there, and I got to know them as a part a community of activists working to decommission Arkansas Nuclear One, a nuclear power plant near Russellville. He was as kind & active in the community as you might imagine.