I love and admire a Manly man. A mans man. A rough and tough man. A man with callused and greased hands. A man that will still look in the eye of the person shaking their hand. A man that keeps his word and does what he says. A man that comes home with a sore back from working hard for his family. I am rooting for the old school man to survive the decreasing role in which they are told they play in today’s society. I am rooting for young boys to still look up and see the man wearing work boots, hard hats, coveralls, or dirt stained hands as a viable role model. I am hoping men will still take his woman by the waist and pull her in tight to express his love. I pray that a young man will know that he deserves the same respect, compromise, loyalty, and love he gives to a woman. That latter should be at the forefront of any relationship no matter who you are,  what gender preference, or life choice. ‘To love and honor through sickness and health, etc.’ is not exclusive to a man and woman that marry. It should be for all committed relationships.

In the last decade, I have noticed an escalating trend of portraying the natural born male gender in a very negative light. They are ridiculed, deemed unintelligent, unworthy of respect or the loyal love of a woman. If they embrace their instincts as a man and admire a woman by expressing to her or others that he finds her attractive, they are deemed disrespectful and a sexist. If a man treats a woman as an equal and speaks to her as he would another man, he is deemed disrespectful and sexist. If a man follows his instincts and stares at a woman’s cleavage or rump because it is displayed openly for all to see, he runs the chance of legal actions. If a man refuses a woman or does something to offend her ego, he runs the chance of legal actions. If a woman is reprimanded or feels slighted in any way by a male authority she can ruin his life with one slanderous word. It is a dangerous and confusing world out there for men today.

Equality for women has been fought for years and made great strides to even the playing field in the workforce, sports, politics, religion, etc., but now I feel that society has tipped the scale too far the other way. The false accusations of sexual assault, discrimination, or physical abuse have brought doubt to any woman suffering from these actual crimes. It is a crime in itself to have a doubt run across anyone’s mind when a woman needing help makes a claim of abuse, but it happens frequently due largely to false allegations by vindictive or selfish women. This discredits real victims needing professional and immediate help. Using these vicious crimes of hate and control as a weapon, or tool to gain an advantage, or as an act of revenge against a man (or other) is reprehensible and should have consequences of legal action.

I come from a family that is dominated by females; sisters, daughters, aunts, nieces, etc. Two males were born in the family in the last 33 years, the rest have been married into the estrogen filled fold. I know all too well what the phrase ‘girl power’ and ‘feminine rights’ etc., mean to women and our society as a whole. I also know the devastation that occurs to a woman when assaulted by a predatory man. The effects stay with a female for life, as they do with a male since this is not an exclusive crime to any gender or culture. Such violent acts should have severe consequences to the perpetrator. It is sad that most go unreported or receive minimal legal repercussions which ultimately allows the person (monster) to repeat freely at will.

I am not getting off track from the original intention of this post but instead bringing it full circle back to what is right and fair. Everyone is screaming and demanding equality, fairness, me too, justice, discrimination, I’m offended, and the parade banners go on for miles with words of “what about me”. I chose to use the words screaming and demanding because that is all I can hear when I try to watch TV or turn the computer on or pick up the newspaper. The common denominator of all the hate seems to be directed towards men and women that stand firm in their beliefs and want to live in peace with their families and fellow man. These people are not asking anyone to change for them but yet are being told how they live is wrong and immoral.  I am not making a ‘left or right’ judgment as I have come to loathe politics, I am speaking of common sense.

I feel that no one is judging people on their individual acts any longer but rather herding groups into a box and hating them all. Through the 20th-century each race, gender, culture, and religious group has had leaders fight for equality, acceptance, and against being stereotyped.  Yet here we are in the 21st-century undoing everything our own people (meaning humans as a whole) fought and even died to give us a better life. They fought so we could live in peace despite our differences. We were supposed to take their legacy of sacrifice, love, acceptance, compassion and hard work to the future so our children would never know the hate that belonged to the past. Instead, we brought shame to ourselves by making people feel guilty for who they are or want to be. We have made it worse than the injustice they stood up for because we no longer fight for us but only ‘me’.

The ‘us’ that fought for human rights with integrity and honesty were the manly men and women who no longer are respected by the ‘me’. Let’s bring back dignity, civility, and morality to society that once led every march or debate. Let’s bring back us to live as who we are and use each other’s strengths to continue making this world a better place.

Lets put the children first by teaching them how to be manly men and women with examples of Loyalty, Dignity, Kindness, Compassion, Integrity, Honesty, Hard Work and most of Love.