Locke: Is he a deadbeat dad?

                    by True Red

Many people believe that Locke is a prime candidate for the biggest
deadbeat dad in history.  Before anyone can really say that though, we must
discover if Locke is a deadbeat dad in the first place.

A deadbeat dad is a man who had a child or children with a woman and
then leaves them all without supporting the woman or their child(ren).  The
man also doesn't care about the fact that he's done this.

Here are the facts:
1) Lara-Le divorced Locke, Locke did not leave her.  (re: Knuckles #20 pp. 1 & 2)
    
2) Locke raised Knux on the Floating Island until Knux was nine. 
Locke then preceded to watch Knux all the time, and he lent a hand only when
Knux really needed it.  Locke gave Knux the chance to learn from his
experiences and become independent.  (re: Knuckles: Rites of Passage Series and
Sonic #56 page 18)
    
3) Locke always defends Knux no matter what anyone says, including his 
own father Sabre.  (re: Knuckles #15 page 15 and Knuckles #16 page 20)
    
4) Locke followed the traditions set for raising Guardians that was
established more than 200 years ago and did to Knux what was done to
him.  (re: Knuckles #16 pages 9-11 and Knuckles #25 pages 14-18)
    
5) Locke cares about Knuckles!!!  (ex: Knuckles #13 pages 14-16, Knuckles 
#24 pages 1-2 and Knuckles #25 pages 24-25)

Based on these facts, Locke doesn't even rate a deadbeat dad, much less
the biggest deadbeat dad in history.  If Locke is a deadbeat dad, then just
about all of the Guardians in the Brotherhood are just as guilty.  Locke
hasn't been a more "normal" father to Knuckles, but Guardians aren't "normal."
Locke has been very good to Knuckles, a little slow at times, but he's
been a pretty good dad.