Blog
Op-Ed: In Defense of Masculinity
November 26, 2017
The last month has been a whirlwind of allegations and accusations of sexual assault from the heights of Hollywood to the halls of Congress, Big Media, and beyond. Men from all walks of life, political beliefs, and social classes are losing their marriages and livelihoods, not the mention their reputations, due of the assaults and unwanted attention they have perpetrated on women (and in some cases men) in their lives.
The irony is that in many of these situations the ones being exposed (pun intended) reside within the warm cocoon of the liberal cultural elite. Most of these people have spent a lifetime—and a great deal of effort and money—sneering at and debasing the culture of practiced faith, respect for women, the institutions of traditional marriage and family, all the while portraying men of that “debased lifestyle” they disparaged as unenlightened peasants and troglodytes.
Now it appears the men who mounted these assaults—both literally and figuratively—are nothing but patriarchal misogynistic perverts. But unfortunately we’re seeing commentators—including women such as Michelle Obama—who actively enabled the likes of Harvey Weinstein, Charlie Rose, Al Franken, Bill Clinton, and John Conyers, pinning the problem on “toxic masculinity” as if all men are responsible for (and capable of) abusing the people around them in this way.
Mr. Ryun, all men ARE capable of such abuse and behavior towards the people in their lives, because all humans are. It doesn’t matter what your background, education, ethnicity, or religion is, all of us have the capability. Through grace, most of us don’t act that way, but all of us are human beings.
All the wrongs that have come out are far from being equal, in my opinion. Part of the problem is people who knew that wrong-doing existed and did nothing, or worse yet, helped cover it up. Someone who enables a man like Moore or Weinstein to do the things he did is far worse than anything I’ve heard about Al Franken. But the biggest problem is patriarchy and its inherent idea that men are superior to women, and that men have some sort of inherent right to do whatever they want to women and their bodies, or to tell women what to do with their lives. This sickness is part and parcel of every bit of our American culture, whether you admit it or not. Some of the worst sexual harassers I’ve known in my life were reborn Christians, pastors and other church leaders, so don’t act like you’re above it, unless you’ve really searched your soul.