Free Republic

What chance do our boys have if the behavior of snakes and sharks is the primary source of guidance? With so many boys left to the fend for themselves, the claws of social media, television, videogames, and the internet have grabbed hold and corrupted them at a time when they are most vulnerable to outside influences. Since observational learning plays a critical role in development, studies have shown how this exposure is linked to anger, violence, and anxiety. What chance do our boys have if the behavior of snakes and sharks is the primary source of guidance? While the absence...

Many academics would consider my lack of manliness a good thing. They regard boys as thugs-in-training, caught up in a patriarchal society that demeans women. But I can't shake the sense that boys are supposed to become manly. Rather than neutering their aggression, confidence and desire for danger, we should channel these instincts into honor, gentlemanliness and courage. Instead of inculcating timidity in our sons, it seems wiser to train them to face down bullies, which by necessity means teaching them how to throw a good uppercut. You can't build a civilization and defend it against barbarians, fascists and playground...