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However, when a child is born to a "single" mother, no matter how loving and caring the woman may be throughout the years raising the child alone, the father, at least, has failed his responsibility.

That man -- no, that male's - failure has costs. And we all bear those costs -- over the generations and years -- as individuals, as a society and as a culture.

We bear the costs of irresponsibility every day. And, those costs are aggregate and cumulative.

The costs of irresponsibility include the very real human costs and the cultural affects of welfare, the cycle of dependency, higher rates of delinquency, sexual activity, drug use-abuse-treatment programs, etc. These costs, among others, affect everyone in our society,

Another equally real cost of irresponsibility is the tax burden placed on the shoulders of only the productive members of society by those politicians who refuse to faithfully fulfill their responsibilities equitably to every citizen.

How does this happen? What are the likely seeds of these problems? And why has it increased over the years?

We would need much more space to discuss all of the possible reasons. So, let's discuss just one. Perhaps, you will conclude it to be the most important. I describe it as a "cancerous-like" attitude that eats away, and ultimately supplants, the very marrow of human character. The cancerous attitude is: "It's not cheating if you don't get caught." This attitude has variations, including "I can spin it. Is there evidence? I can stonewall."

Here are some recent examples:

A teenager takes answers from another student. 'It's not cheating if you don't get caught.'

A senator lies when first asked why he changed his amendment to the stimulus legislation permitting top AIG executives to get bonuses. 'Why 'fess up. I can spin and stonewall the people... as I did with my two special reduced-rate mortgages being a 'friend of Angelo'.

A treasury secretary, who failed to report or pay payroll taxes, is confirmed anyway. 'His political sponsors insist he is needed to fix the economic mess.'

A driver hits a parked car and leaves the scene. 'Why take responsibility for something no one saw you do?'

Under continued probing, the "senator from countrywide" admits he "changed his own amendment, because the new treasury secretary - the one needed to fix the economic mess - asked him to change it". The change provides bonuses to AIG -- and others - from taxpayer funded bailout money. 'After railing against the bonuses, the president announces he has "total confidence" in his treasury secretary; and that "he is doing a great job".

A married person commits adultery. Again, "It's not cheating if you don't get caught."

Oh, Really?

What is it? This may help.

Here's a quick three-step exercise:

First, review the above scenarios; jot down whatever descriptor - a word or phrase - you think applies to each.

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