Bill Bennett, the Conservative pundit and former Secretary of Education under President Reagan, has written a book on manhood and masculinity. Titled "The Book of Man," Bennett decries what he believes is happening to masculinity in our culture. "Maculinity is diminished, sometimes even punished, ridiculed, made fun of, yes it is," he says in a video promoting his book. "We can not expect little boys to act like little girls, and the fact that we are trying to blend the two, create this non-gender sexuality, is a violation both of human nature and God's law."
Oh, where to start? Who is perpetrating this large societal attack on boys and men? Certainly not mothers of sons, who adore their boys, and - in questioning some traditional definitions of masculinity - are simply trying to raise stronger, more resiliant guys. Yes, stronger - not in a domineering, gun-brandishing way (Bennett bemoans the fact that some little boys aren't allowed to play with toy guns) but in a way that equips them with emotional intelligence they need to navigate in today's world, where brute strength and dominance is less valued in the workplace than cooperation and teamwork.
According to Bennett, there are many "masculine qualities worth having - qualities like intellect, courage, decisiveness." Gee, I could have sworn those were human qualities, and that I value intellect, courage and decisveness in my daughter and in myself, as well as in my son and husband.
rMr. Bennet is going to LOVE ur bppk!~ Momight on, Katie!
Posted by: Jean Stone | October 13, 2011 at 01:54 PM