Feminists, please let boys be boys!

For centuries men have been the foundation of every enduring culture. They played an essential role in protecting and providing for their companion. In tribal cultures, it was the male who hunted and provided food. Survival of the tribe depended on the brute strength of men. It was his job to defend his home by killing any wild beasts that threatened the safety of his family.

Fast forward to today, in a world where food is just a credit card swipe away and family farms have become a relic of the past. So what does this mean for our culture today? We now live in a culture where women are no longer dependent upon men for anything other than their ability to donate sperm. The feminist movement that developed during the industrial era has been more and more influential throughout America. All throughout the 20th century women have fought for equality, and only in the last couple of decades they have finally have tasted victory.

The feminist movement in the 60s and 70s caused a huge shift in culture. It set the stage for the new feminism movement that we are experiencing today. This was a time when modern contraceptives were invented. Women gained the sexual freedom that men had enjoyed for centuries prior. This combined with the no-fault divorce law gave women the freedom to choose (and UN-choose) their partner with fewer consequences than ever before. Around this time Roe v. Wade offered women even more choices. When the occasional “accident” did occur, two things happened: Either she kept it, or if she wanted to, aborted it.

But let’s talk for a minute about the women who did keep their babies. Around that time the divorce rate was around 70 percent. And statistics show that in most cases the woman was the one who was parenting the kid. With little influence from the father, mothers of this time era did their best to encourage their sons to not hide their feelings, and without a father figure to look up to, most boys grew up not able to experience what it is to be male. Meanwhile, the daughter of the single parent had all her female needs met. She was encouraged to get an education and “do” something with their life other than just marry and be dependent on the male. Without a father figure, women were inadvertently taught that men are not necessary. After all, they saw their mom succeed without them.

So now we live in a society where women have taken over. Look around. Pbs.org tells us that “women now make up 56 percent of the college population — and that number continues to rise. Within ten years, three million more women than men could be attending college.” Car manufacturers are now making high-end cars just for women. They are finally realizing that women hold just as many white-collar jobs as men. And I’m not just talking about teachers. There is a crisis is the medical field today. There is a shortage in nurses because more and more women are now training to become doctors. Legal assistants are now needed because the women who typically fill these positions are now the ones who run the firm. This triumph of womankind, although a great step forward, has have left males feeling abandoned.

The feminist movement, in its never ending struggle to fight for women’s rights, has not even acknowledged the amazing progress women have made, nor have women realized the impact the movement has had on boys struggling to find their identity. America has developed a society in which females can thrive, while males struggle. The trend of our culture today, which tends to punish boys for their masculinity, makes for some pretty confused boys. Our culture today is turning boys into, well…girls.

All I’ve ever hear about anything regarding gender issues was the atrocities men have committed against women, statistic after statistic that shows the violence men have perpetrated against women. Yet when looked past what I had been taught, I realized how much this phenomenon has affected our way of life. Turn on the TV and what do you see? Most shows depict women in control. From sitcoms to reality shows, women have men on a leash. Shows like “Everybody loves Raymond” display this kind of situation. The title is somewhat misleading. Everybody “loves” Raymond because he is such a klutz. He represents the ideal husband for women today. He is sensitive, dumb, and more importantly, he lets his wife control every aspect of their marriage.

I think it is time for feminists to realize that men are just as valuable as women. Boys need love, discipline, respect, moral guidance and some kind of father figure. They desperately need understanding. They do not need to be rescued from masculinity. I only hope that someday feminists will finally celebrate their independence, so they can maybe start realizing how much boys are really in danger of losing their identity completely. It would be more beneficial to society for feminists to stop alienating men and push for equality for both genders.