Comments about ‘Vai's View: Vai's View: The power of parenting’

Hmmm. Don't know about this one, Vai. I agree that correct parenting is, indeed, a great blessing, and I would hope my wife and I have been good parents to our 3 grown children and our younger 3 still in the home. But, this one didn't do much for me. Can't wait for football season to start! :-)

Great article Vai. Parenting is so incredibly important.

However, I would say one thing. You mentioned Jabari Parker (I watched him play in Chicago and he is as advertised. Amazing player and I hope he plays for BYU one day). Considering how Jabari Parker is turning out, isn't there a better way to define his father than by what he is not (a mormon)? Should that be how we identity him? He played in the NBA and he isn't a mormon. Also, why is that even relative to the story? You could have easily said this, "Jabari Parker, who was raised by two great parents who taught their son a great deal."

I am just saying with all the praiseworthy things that he has done in raising Jabari I would think we could find a better way to describe him than "non-mormon." And I say that as a very active Latter Day Saint.

Vai you are generally spot on for me and no different this week- thanks for the thoughts

BYU Colorado - the fact Mr. Parker is non-LDS is relevant to the audience reading this story. It was certainly relevant in the original Chicago Sun times story where it was also pointed out. If Vai's story was written for the Philadelphia Inquirer, it may not be. He may have written for that audience that he played for the Golden State Warriors, which he didn't bother mentioning to the DN audience. He also mentioned the mother is Tongan, which has relevance to Vai and perhaps to the huge Tongan community in SLC. Lastly, I doubt Mr. Parker was offended by the mention so you shouldn't be.

@ BYUCOLORADO:

I think it does have relevance considering the audience. Maybe some would assume both of Jabari Parker's parents are LDS, or of the same religious persuasion. But this illustrates that two parents who may not have the same page religious perspective can still be very much "on the same page" when it comes to excellent parenting.

I agree with Over The Top on this one. It's meant to point out that great parenting can be found anywhere, even amongst those of different faiths (ie. the reference to John Stockton, and to Mayor Nutter) as well as amongst those families of mixed faiths. I particularly enjoyed the part about Mayor Nutter. His message is not only relevant to the youth of his community, but to people everywhere. You can whine all you want about how you're a victim of your own circumstances, or you can choose to rise above them and make something of yourself.

Read a lot in the last year or two about Mayor Nutter during the LDS Church's process for gaining city approval and then the ground breaking for building a Temple in Philly.
It was nice to hear him so candidly 'speak his mind' and not mince any words in this video.
Felt like chiming in with the congregation: AMEN!

The purpose of specifiying what people are and are not is identifying the social and cultural constructs that are present or not present in the illustration.

As others have mentioned, Vai's point of view is that good and goodness transcend no matter who or what you are or are not.

Mayor Nutter's candid wisdom is a great lesson for everyone, starting with me.

Enjoyed the article, however a couple of corrections. First John Stockton is already a Hall of Famer and Stockton 12 Honda is in Sandy and it has been sometime since there was a Stockton to Malone dealership.

Bomar - the "soon-to-be Hall of Fame" comment was in the context of 1998, when Vai had the encounter with Stockton and he was still an active player.

I loved the Mayors speech, he tells it like it is!

awesome reading brother Vai

I have loved and continue to love Vai's viewpoints! To go along with this great article I would encourage everyone to go rent "Courageous". It is not a well know movie but even watching it at home it will make you stand up and applaud. I showed a small snippet of it in my Sunday school class yesterday and actually had a couple guys jump up and pump the air clapping--not something you normally see!

Always good to hear from one of the Great Ones. Great points to help us all be better Fathers.