I’m a proud post-feminist, rooting for my husband, son, and any boy or man who works hard, has integrity, and defends the innocent. For me, the nail in the coffin of my feminist bitterness was flight 93 on 9/11, where there were a random assortment of American men rising to the occasion and doing the right thing. I realized we must have a deep bench of real men in this country, and we should be very proud of that. My son was born a week later, and I’m determined to raise him to be the kind of man that could be an American hero when the situation requires it.
If my son has to put up with some snitty, bitter women along the way, I trust he’ll be able to deal with it. I think the real danger is from the ones who will throw themselves at him. If men are becoming slackers and going through extended adolescence in their 20s, it is not helped by women who hook up with them and play along.
We should not overlook that the female flight attendants and probably other women on this flight were also heroes. But I suspect even they would be glad to agree that men took the lead.