The recent tragedy in Aurora, Colo., has given us examples of selfless bravery along with the senseless horror of mass murder. It’s also revived an old question that is always with us: Should heroism be valued as a special quality of manhood?
Among all of that day’s acts of courage, three in particular have stood out: the deaths of three young men — Jon Blunk, Alex Teves, and Matt McQuinn — who reportedly sacrificed themselves shielding their girlfriends during the shooting spree. These are moving and inspiring stories, especially when masculinity has been so often portrayed, at least in some quarters, as a source of violence and oppression rather than virtue. They also resonate with the public by tapping into familiar archetypes of the knight in shining armor, or even more ancient images of protective males from our evolutionary past — images whose very familiarity can be a comfort in troubled times.
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It is a true enough observation that human's courage quotient differs from one individual to another. Humans also like stories embellishing some of our innate strengths and always becomes fodder for newspapers. It also distracts from the real issues of our safety. Do we want to regularly depend on some heroic moment to assure our security? This paranoid perpetrator has more weaponry than a squad of soldiers. He had been sold this firepower without any checking of his fitness to have such an arsenal. It brings up two issues: treatment for the mentally ill and some greater impetus to make sure guns and ammo are bought by people with no propensity to commit violence against others. Heroes will be heroes but dragging them out for display may invite some disturbed person to figure out how to make a better kill. Try reading Mark Twain's "War Prayer" an easily googled insightful piece.
I really do not see the point of this column. Heroism is a gender neutral word. The fact that it is more often used to describe what a man has done is in no way ignoring any heroism on the part of women. This is a rare feminist moment for Cathy, and I hope she recovers soon.
We should celebrate (or condemn) individuals for their actions, regardless of gender or any other demographic characteristic. God save us from the zealots on the Right and the Left.
Wow. First time ever I read some cogent thoughts from this writer (whose articles I have come to often avoid reading because of their utter predictability and conservative bias). Indeed, very, very good points about the double-edged sword of gender stereotypes: the infantilization and/or objectification of women (which helps "protect" men from acting responsibly and ethically) and the absurd pressure on men to be more than any human being can be expected to be. Right on. Inexplicable though impressive display of sound reasoning from this writer... But I won't expect thoughtfulness or cogency from this writer henceforth nonetheless. Based on past experience, this sounds like a fluke...
@Richmond12: The point of the column is that hero/heroism is disproportinately attributed to men, thereby reinforcing stereotypes of men as the great protector of the weak and vulnerable female. Heroism should be a gender-neutral quality that is applied as each situation arises. Celebrate both male and female heroes without resorting to biased ideals. And, what exactly is wrong with being a feminist? Why is it considered an insult? Being of a certain age, I remember life before the feminist movement. Because of the heroism of those feminists, life is better for all women after them.
This feminist agrees with you, 100%.
Wow. While I'm not sure I agree with 100% of this column, I must say how refreshing it is to hear someone present multiple perspectives, and shine a critical eye on all of them. We need more columnists like this. I am sorry, Cathy Young, that you are no longer a regular in the Globe. I didn't always agree with you, but I always respected you, and always learned from you. Thank you.