Puzzling it Out :We're More Alike Than Not

Equality of the two genders has always been obvious to me--I mean, duh. This was big news during my youth--I was born in the last fortnight of the Eisenhower years. I remember life before women's liberation--it sucked. These days, as men struggle to redefine our role(s)--(read Stiffed by Susan Faludi for an intelligent compassionate take on the topic)--I see women trying on some of the uglier personae once exclusively masculine. Like, for instance, machismo.
Ugh. Machismo doesn't look good on anyone, period. I've noticed an increase ( at least here in Texas) of crass, rude insensitive bullies with ovaries. Attitudes have done some 180's, too. During the 70's/80's, it was just a fact that porn was demeaning to women, and SM was an evil male fantasy. Now we have lesbian SM practitioners, as well as porn for women, gay or straight.
Krav Maga is popular with women who seem to have a chip on their shoulders, though I may risk an ass kicking for saying so. What's my point? Don't rush to lower yourselves to new levels of stupidity--encourage men to rise to new levels of compassion and nurturance. It can happen.
A woman is a woman from the moment she first menstruates, and no one can call that into doubt. With men, masulinity is always conditional-- let's banish the phrase "A real man"-we're all real men, some real good, some real bad, and some real mediocre. Everything that is is real.