Startling Statistics of Machismo in America
By Chris Barone
EDI 17 Psychology & Development of Adolescent Students
School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
March 25, 2009
The film Tough Guise absolutely disgusted me. The statistics shown throughout the film were powerful, to say the least. They jolted the viewer awake and forced him or her to come face-to-face with the grim realities of what this country is doing to its young men. While I think we were all aware of the machismo society tries to force upon males, I’m not sure anyone knew just how bad the problem really was -- and still is.
Burned into my brain is the statistic that over 90% of homicides are committed by men. Of the remaining 10%, the ones committed by women, some of those are in self-defense against men. Take that in for a moment: nearly 100% of all murders involve an aggressive, tyrant male. Still, society and the media paint images of rough, tough, macho men all over magazines, television, and movies. Nothing’s sexier than a man who hits his wife, I guess.
As sick as the movie made me, I’m glad I saw it. Now, there are no more excuses -- for any of us. We are going to be teachers, leaders, guiders. When we see the slightest hint of this deranged way of thinking, it is up to us to stop it in its tracks before it’s too late.
Future educators need to empower themselves and believe they can make a difference. We can show students -- male and female -- that real strength, real ‘manliness,’ real courage is standing up to society’s unjust gender roles. We can show males an alternate route that doesn’t include violence, and, just as importantly, we can teach females that they don’t have to put up with it.
Long Island University, C. W. Post
March 25, 2009
The film Tough Guise absolutely disgusted me. The statistics shown throughout the film were powerful, to say the least. They jolted the viewer awake and forced him or her to come face-to-face with the grim realities of what this country is doing to its young men. While I think we were all aware of the machismo society tries to force upon males, I’m not sure anyone knew just how bad the problem really was -- and still is.
Burned into my brain is the statistic that over 90% of homicides are committed by men. Of the remaining 10%, the ones committed by women, some of those are in self-defense against men. Take that in for a moment: nearly 100% of all murders involve an aggressive, tyrant male. Still, society and the media paint images of rough, tough, macho men all over magazines, television, and movies. Nothing’s sexier than a man who hits his wife, I guess.
As sick as the movie made me, I’m glad I saw it. Now, there are no more excuses -- for any of us. We are going to be teachers, leaders, guiders. When we see the slightest hint of this deranged way of thinking, it is up to us to stop it in its tracks before it’s too late.
Future educators need to empower themselves and believe they can make a difference. We can show students -- male and female -- that real strength, real ‘manliness,’ real courage is standing up to society’s unjust gender roles. We can show males an alternate route that doesn’t include violence, and, just as importantly, we can teach females that they don’t have to put up with it.
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