As the term “toxic masculinity” gets more widespread, I see more people complain about it. The interpretation is that the term implies that all men are toxic. In reality, it does exactly the opposite. To see why, I need to give a brief grammar lesson. First, I’ll talk about restrictive vs non-restrictive clauses. Then I’ll…
Category: Good Men Project
Attacking the Roots of White Male Entitlement
In 1992, two white Detroit police officers assaulted Malice Green, a black man. He died after the assault, and while he did have drugs in his system, the courts decided that the brutal assault by the officers was what led to his death. They were sentenced to multiple years in prison. Twenty years later, in…
It’s Time to Retire the “Good Guy” Narrative
“The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun,” we are told repeatedly, “is a good guy with a gun.” On Thursday, March 1, 2018, a high school teacher in Georgia named Randal Davidson showed up for work. He was by all accounts a good guy: The principal characterized him as a “very…
Twelve Reasons Not to Give Guns to Teachers
In the wake of another mass shooting on a school campus, politicians from Trump down are floating the idea of formally encouraging teachers to be armed. Trump has even suggested that teachers willing to do so be given a bonus. I’m a high school teacher, and most teachers I’ve spoken to think this is a…
White Gaze, Black Panther, Animal House
Black Panther premiered this week to tremendous box office numbers. As of this writing, it is just shy of $200M domestically, and over $350M globally. That indicates tremendous support across all races and nationalities. At the same time, there is a small but vocal component of the white audience that has mocked the film. Some…
97%
97%. 97% of mass shooters are men. If there were a 97% chance of rain, I’d carry an umbrella. If I had a 97% chance of winning the lottery, I’d buy a ticket. If 97% of venomous spiders had fuzzy legs, I’d know which ones to avoid. Ninety-seven percent of mass shooters are men. Now,…
The Girl in the Pink Fuzzy Sweater
When I was 12 years old, a girl in a pink fuzzy sweater decided I was cute. I don’t remember her name, but it was something white and suburban and smelled of watermelon lip gloss. Her hair was teased in a Farrah Fawcett frame. Meanwhile, I was a nerdy little kid a year younger than…
Assault, Complicity, and the Husband Stitch
Men, let’s talk. But first, I have some reading for you. Start with Carmen Maria Machado’s “The Husband Stitch.” You might find it a difficult read, as I did; it is not a standard narrative, but instead jumps around in tone and style. But it’s well worth the effort. In the middle is a passage…
Why There’s No ‘White History Month’
This week marks the beginning of Black History Month. Every February, black educators around the country deep-dive into the contributions of African-Americans while the mainstream white-centered media pulls out the same five Famous Black People to profile over and over. If you’re white, that means you’ll hear about Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X,…
Hoodies, Hats, and Cultural Nuance
I am a high school teacher. A decade ago, I was in a corporate job, working as a market research analyst. If you’d asked me then what a teacher had to worry about, I would have mentioned content knowledge, administrators, parents, and homework. What would I not have mentioned? Hats. Hoods. The things students wear…