BOYS!!!

BOYS!!! By Dale Jodoin Columnist People keep asking why so many boys today seem lost. The answer is not hard to see. Boys want to grow up to be men. They want someone in their life who can show them how to carry themselves. They want someone who tells them that strength and kindness can live in the same body. Real men know how to be polite. They know when to stand firm and when to show care. Yet the mainstream treats this like a danger. Some politicians and groups speak as if masculinity is a problem. Some activists act like boys who want to be men are a threat. Many boys feel pushed aside. They feel like the world wants them to stop being who they are. For years boys have been told to sit down and be quiet. They have been told that their nature needs to be fixed. There is something else going on. Most schools do not have many male teachers anymore. Boys spend their days with adults who may not understand how boys move or think. Many teachers care and try their best. This is not about blaming every woman who teaches. But boys also need male teachers. They need someone who understands the way boys joke, test limits, and learn through doing. Without that balance boys feel unseen. For a long time, boys who struggled in class were placed on medicine. Many were restless because they needed movement, not pills. Instead of giving them space to run they were told to stay still. Instead of giving them more recess they were told to calm down. Instead of letting them play rough they were told to be gentle at all times. Over time boys learned that the world did not want them as boys. Since boys cannot find male guidance at school, they look for it online. They search for voices that speak in a clear and direct way. Some find public figures like Charlie Kirk or others who talk about strength and discipline. This makes the establishment nervous. They want to control who boys listen to. They wonder how to stop boys from reaching out for guidance elsewhere. They will not be able to stop it. Boys will always seek someone who teaches them how to stand tall. There is also a push to convince boys that being a girl will solve their confusion. This message does not work for most boys. Boys know they are boys. Girls know they are girls. Every child deserves kindness. But boys also deserve the right to grow into men. They should not feel pressured to change their identity to please adults. A male teacher can show a boy how to control his strength. He can show him how to respect his elders. He can show him how to treat women with care. He can show him how to calm anger before it becomes trouble. Women can teach boys too, but the impact is not always the same. Boys need at least one strong man in their life who sets an example. Society also has a strange way of treating men. Some activists want men to act only in the style they approve of. They want men to be calm when they need help and loud when they want support. There are stories of men who step in to help during danger and then face complaints for acting without permission. This sends mixed messages to boys. They grow unsure of what men are allowed to do. You would think male politicians would stand up for boys. Many stay silent. They fear pushback from loud groups. Boys see this. They watch grown men who do not speak for them. It leaves boys feeling like they have no defender. The long attempt to weaken boys has failed. People tried to make boys softer by telling them their nature was wrong. They tried to shape boys into something quiet and easy to manage. It did not work. Boys still want to climb, run, wrestle, laugh, and test their limits. These are normal parts of growing up. This is why we must bring more male teachers into schools. Not teachers who judge boys. Not teachers who see every loud moment as a problem. But men who can guide boys with a steady hand and a firm voice. Boys need men who show them how to control their strength, not hide it. There is something simple we can do right away. Create boy groups. Give boys a space to learn from responsible men. Teach them respect, honesty, strength, and self control. Teach them how to shake a hand. Teach them how to speak for themselves. Teach them how to handle anger. Teach them how to help others without fear. These are lessons boys search for. Many teenage boys today are fed up with how they are treated. They feel like everything they do is wrong. They are told masculinity is something to fear. They are told they are too rough, too loud, too wild, too bold. When boys feel trapped like this, they push back. They lash out. This is not because they are bad boys. It is because no one gave them a clear path toward becoming good men. We also need to protect boys' sports. Boys should play with boys and girls with girls. This keeps competition fair and safe. Both boys and girls deserve this. Some people claim there is a conspiracy behind all of this. There does not need to be one. The truth is simple. Society has forgotten what boys need. Boys need men who guide them. They need room to grow. They need real expectations. They need chances to succeed. They need recess and sports. They need praise when they try hard. They need correction when they go too far. If we want strong and respectful men in the future we must stop tearing down the boys we have today. We must give them teachers who understand them. We must give them lessons they can follow. If we do not, we will see more angry young men left on their own. This is not about taking anything from girls. This is about giving boys what has been taken from them. It is time to stop feminizing boys. Boys will grow into men. They deserve guidance, not shame.