What happen to all the real men?
I grew up reading Sgt. Rock, Captain America, and Batman. Being heroic and a patriot were the norm. You flew the flag, you voted, and you behaved as a responsible citizen. Any other way of behaving was unacceptable, and you didn’t get to act out just because.
The veterans in the family never pushed their career choice on anyone, and when it came to heroics in war time, well everyone around them were heroes not them. Whether you fought in WWII or Vietnam you were treated with respect.
I remember my dad who despite having a hectic career that took him out of the country made time for the sports for all three kids, and never missed a birthday. To quote the Godfather, “you can’t be a real man unless you spend time with your family.”
Hard work was the norm and drinking a lot never impressed anyone. Athletics and academics were to do that. You took responsibility for your life and while asking for help was fine it wasn’t a license to behave recklessly because someone would bail you out. Tools, vehicles, and weapons were all handled with responsibility, and were treated as a privilege.
We never got taught tolerance for the gay life style or African American culture, because were told to be respectful to everybody regardless of their background. People were different, so what? A person’s character always out weighed their personal wealth when it came to measuring up a person.
I look at shows like Friends and Seinfeld and see a collection of losers. Every challenge is met with disdain before they run away. Hard work is foreign concept, and none of them can manage to act like adults. What do you want from Hollywood though it is the land of phony tough guys and out of touch celebrities. I still wonder why so much time is spent focused on a group of people who can’t stay sober, refrain from breaking the law, and keep getting married over and over again. They’re entertainers not examples.
This country is in rotten shape right now and while people argue about economic conditions, politics, and other factors few point to the family. Now there are all kinds of families out there, but if people aren’t learning values things aren’t working.
People are so worried about others feeling they’re afraid to stop people from breaking the law or destroying their lives. Parents would go into their kid’s rooms to look for things they shouldn’t have, and everyone had a set of rules and anything less was considered irresponsible.
