Father’s Day gives us the opportunity to reflect on the important role fathers play in the lives of their children. And reflection is needed now more than ever.

One such reflection came last month when Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker delivered the commencement address at Benedictine College. As he put it, “To the gentlemen here today: Part of what plagues our society is this lie that has been told to you that men are not necessary in the home or in our communities. As men, we set the tone of the culture, and when that is absent, disorder, dysfunction, and chaos set in. This absence of men in the home is what plays a large role in the violence we see all around the nation.”

Butker is correct. There is a fatherhood crisis in America today. In the United States, 1 in 4 children live in a single-parent home, the highest rate in the world. Marriage is declining, while cohabitation is rising. Forty-three percent of first marriages are dissolved. Such trends have serious consequences. Children in fatherless homes are more likely to develop behavioral disorders, attempt suicide, abuse substances, drop out of high school, and engage in criminal activity. One study shows that fatherless children are 20 times more likely to be incarcerated than children from intact homes.

I can speak from personal experience how difficult it is to live without a father. I grew up in a single-parent home. My father left my family when I was 8 years old, leaving my mother to care for me and my brother while working two to three jobs at a time. My mother was an extraordinary person. She taught me the values of hard work and resilience in the face of hardship, and she pushed me to pursue my education. There were strong men in my community, like my Uncle William and my teachers, who were mentors and guides. I was fortunate to have such positive role models in my life. Even still, I wondered what it would be like to have a father. Someone who could help my mother, someone who could teach me how to be a man.

With how important fathers are, it’s sad to see how poorly our modern culture treats them. Think about the “bumbling dad” stereotype that is everywhere in sitcoms, movies, and even commercials. The bumbling dad is incompetent, needing the help of his wife or daughter to accomplish the most basic tasks. He is petty, lazy, and childish. Most of this, of course, is just to ramp up the entertainment value. But it veers into contempt for fathers and husbands, who are shown as embarrassing deadbeats. This depiction of fatherhood takes fathers for granted and belittles the roles they play in their children’s lives.

And there are more insidious influences at work than sitcoms. The radical Left has worked for decades to undermine the traditional family, which it sees as an institution of oppression. As a result, an increasing number of adults are making the choice not to have children. There are couples who take pride in being child-free. Social media influencers who live “dual income, no kids” sell an indulgent lifestyle made possible by putting finances over family. Others claim that not having children helps to save resources, causing less harm to the environment, and that bringing children into such a world is an act of cruelty. At the worst end of the spectrum, “antinatalists” on social media display contempt for children that borders on sadistic. Efforts by pro-family conservatives to organize against these sentiments find themselves mocked and labeled as “far-right.”

One might be tempted to despair about the future. These problems in our society seem pervasive and unstoppable. But I am optimistic that we can change things for the better. My newest book, The Perilous Fight, details some of the ways we can make a better culture, and a better future, for America. The most important change we can make starts in our homes and our communities.

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We need to heal the rift between young men and women who see commitment as a threat to their independence. We need to change the way they see family formation, not as “settling down,” but as the wonderful next step in life. We need to see children as sources of joy, wonder, and discovery, not burdens. We can do this by being living examples of faith, fortitude, joy, and love. We must be role models for the young men who will become fathers themselves someday.

I know firsthand how important fathers and father figures are. The role models in my life inspired me to become the best man I could be. This Father’s Day, let us celebrate the fathers, husbands, and men of character who inspire us. And let us resolve to be the best men we can be, so that we might continue to inspire the generations to come.

Dr. Ben Carson is the founder and chairman of the American Cornerstone Institute.