Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class is a book by Rob Henderson that provides an inside look at lower-class white America. I give it four stars out of five. It was a page-turner, interesting and well-written. Initially, this was a review of the book, but as I was writing it expanded into a review of Henderson’s wider writings and worldview. While I found a lot to like in Henderson, he sometimes reminded me of a Marxist who rails against the evils of capitalism while providing little detail on how his alternative is supposed to work in practice. At times, Henderson sounded like all he was doing was re-inventing the wheel of dead-on-arrival Moral Majority tradconnery.
I've watched several interviews of Rob Henderson. He quite articulately identifies the problems with broken families and fatherless homes. Then at the end of most interviews the interviewer asks him the solution. It always seems like there is a slight pause from Mr. Henderson, as if he knows he doesn't have good answers. He then says something vague about influencing the culture to favor two parent households as the ideal. I would really like someone to press him on whether he is really proposing a solution or simply coming up with an answer to appease the interviewer. My impression is that he doesn't have a strong political vision for how to address the problems he clearly sees in lower income communities.
I've watched several interviews of Rob Henderson. He quite articulately identifies the problems with broken families and fatherless homes. Then at the end of most interviews the interviewer asks him the solution. It always seems like there is a slight pause from Mr. Henderson, as if he knows he doesn't have good answers. He then says something vague about influencing the culture to favor two parent households as the ideal. I would really like someone to press him on whether he is really proposing a solution or simply coming up with an answer to appease the interviewer. My impression is that he doesn't have a strong political vision for how to address the problems he clearly sees in lower income communities.