A few months ago, I caught part of a talk radio show. The woman
being interviewed had just written something (either an article or a
book, I'm still not sure) that celebrated men.
It may have gone
unnoticed by the general public but the vast repository of articles
written about men the last few decades have been decidedly derogatory in
nature. Simply put, men possess few qualities that modern society
admires.
The author - I never did catch her name - probably
decided that writing something positive about men would let her stand
out among current writers. The woman was discussing a few qualities that
she admired about men and how much men meant to our society, when the
male host asked two revealing questions.
The host lamented the
absence of so many fathers in our society before asking something like,
"Do men still have something to contribute to the family?"
Without pausing, the author enthusiastically replied, "Absolutely!"
The
host continued, "Do you believe that all things being equal, having
both a father and a mother is better for the children than having two
parents of the same-sex?"
Without pausing, the author eagerly asserted that, yes, having heterosexual parents would be preferable.
There
was a commercial break, and when the show continued the author
interrupted the host to announce that her last answer had been mistaken.
She explained that all things being equal, having a mother and a father
was in no way preferable for the children than having two mothers. The
interview continued for a few minutes before I either turned it off or
it ended.
The first point I wish to make is that I believe her
initial, instinctive answer to the second question is what she really
believed. Deep down she probably did believe that all things being equal
it would be more beneficial for children to have two parents of
different sexes than two parents of the same-sex. But considering the
social climate that we live in today, the author must have quickly
decided to change her answer so that she would not be accused of
homophobia. This is purely speculative on my part, of course, and only
she knows the truth.
The second interesting point is that the
author claimed to be championing men's importance in society and the
family. Yet, in what is arguably the most significant responsibility in
our society - child rearing - she felt that a father could offer nothing
to the family that could not be replicated by a second mother.
Consequently, even in a role that is uniquely male - fatherhood - she
believes that another woman could easily fill that role and do it just
as well.
But what then does she really believe is so great about
men? If a woman can fill the role of fatherhood as well as a man, what
good are men in relation to the family unit? Her argument was that men
have a very important role to play in the family - unless another woman
was available. Which means, of course, that there is nothing uniquely
male to contribute to the family and she just contradicted her previous
answer.
There is also a third aspect of this that I find
interesting. Without knowing much about the author's socio-political
views, I would wager that she is a strong advocate of cultural
diversity. Diversity is our greatest strength, we are told by society -
politicians foremost.
Our society has decided that diversity
improves everything. Corporations, religious institutions, personal
associations, political parties, youth organizations, community service
groups, news and entertainment, and even the armed forces, are all
enhanced when they diversify by sex, race, ethnicity, and even religious
affiliation.
I'm sure the author would agree on diversity's
importance in our society. Except, as she stated, when it comes to
parenting. Parenting need not embrace diversity by having a male and a
female parent. When it comes to parenthood, the current politically
correct acceptance of homosexuality supersedes diversity.
Men then
offer nothing to the family. At least nothing that is uniquely male -
not even as a proper male role model. He can offer no advice, no
personal experience, no wisdom, and no discipline to either a son or a
daughter that could not be easily replicated by a woman. That would be
the logical conclusion of one of the few female authors that celebrates
men.
I invite you to visit my website, The Soup of Life. Each week I
add another column where I give my thoughts on culture, politics,
religion, health, science, and life.
Pondering the questions and
possibilities of life continues to be my lifelong passion. And, I am
never done learning. I am looking forward to your thoughts and comments.
For more insightful articles, please visit my website at http://www.thesoupoflife.com
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