TOXIC MASCULINITY

Like most of you, I get up in the morning and turn on the news. I also pick up my newspaper and read about what has happened overnight. Most of the time the news, even though at times is quite serious, is mostly mundane and common place. Every now and then, however, a story catches my attention to such a degree that I have to research it to learn all I can. Such a story arose today.

It seems a radical feminist group has decided that men, because of their gender, suffer from toxic masculinity. What in the world could that mean? Apparently the American Psychiatrist Association issued a finding a while back which concluded that young boys grow up desiring the traits most associated with manly men. According to the APA, those traits include aggression, bullying tendencies, homophobia, and failure to show emotion. Otherwise they might be seen as sissies. These feminists declare that this is the reason men should be seen as enemies of women. Excuse me. Apparently men, and that would include their own sons, brother, and fathers, are the enemy of women. This is identity politics at its worst.

Let’s start with a little biology lesson. Like it or not, it takes two to tango. The only virgin birth on record happened over two thousand years ago. For the human population to exist there has to be a union between a man and a woman. Granted artificial insemination is an option, but the seminal fluid required comes only from a male. Not only for humans, but for all living species. It’s the way of the world.

Now I understand there are some women who just don’t like men. Guess what, the reverse is also true. But to accuse all men, using the charge of masculine toxicity, is to say that all men are poisonous. That could cause many problems for young men growing up. What are they supposed to do? How are they supposed to react?

As youngsters grow up, boys and girls, they are faced with many challenges. Dealing with their changing bodies is certainly one of them, not to mention their changing hormones. Adding the accusation of toxicity to that mix is just plain ridiculous.

All across the animal kingdom, and incidentally we are in that community, males and females join together to grow their species. It has been that way since the world began. I seriously doubt there will ever be any other way for humanity to continue. In other words, both men and women are necessary for our existence.

Young people growing up learn from their teachers. Those teachers are their parents, their siblings, their schools, and their churches. If they turn out to be thugs, it isn’t the fault of their gender. Probably somewhere along the way they were failed. Perhaps they should have been punished for a misdeed and weren’t. Perhaps they were not recognized for an accomplishment when they should have been. Regardless of the reason, it was never the fault of their gender.

The Gillette Razor company has come out with an ad that calls on men to shave off their masculine toxicity. That is a shameful ad. The language in that ad condemns anyone who grows whiskers as toxic. Sorry Santa. People should toss their Gillette products into the trash.

I’ll tell you what’s toxic in this country. When groups use identity politics as weaponry to marginalize other groups just because we all don’t share the same point of view.

Personally, if I ever had to go into battle, I would much rather have John Wayne beside me than Johnny Depp.  

Fortunately the country as a whole will see this as nonsense and it will disappear as quickly as it appeared. Radical feminist groups will have to find another way to show their disdain for anyone who disagrees with them.

Ron Scarbro