Letter-to-the Editor: Testosterone in OverDrive

Ada M. Fisher

♦ Though Ray Rice is dominating the headlines for domestic battery, he hasn’t been alone and the rush to trial by press shouldn’t neglect some equally heinous actions of others allowed to keep their positions and go on to fame and glory.  Michael Strahan was accused by ex-wife Jean Muggli of hitting her with a balled fist yet he was just inducted into the Hall of Fame and has gone on to riches through football as well as seen daily on the Kelly and Michael morning television show adored by too many female fans.  Steve Harvey who likes to fix women up was accused by his ex-wife Mary Harvey of physical and mental abuse; yet he too has made it big time while keeping a lot of cookies for himself.  And don’t forget Rice’s Baltimore Ravens teammate Ray Lewis, accused of murder, whose bloody white suit was never found while he copped a plea in exchange for testimony against his coconspirators who were both later acquitted.  In the face of questionable justice, Lewis was allowed to continue his career in football, be inducted into the Hall of Fame and have his statue placed in front of the M&T Bank Stadium.

In Ferguson, Missouri or Miami Gardens, Florida the case of unarmed black young men dying at the hands of those unlike them with a gun receives publicity while the rampant black on black crime goes neglected by those leaders seeking the headlines without yelling—Enough, Stop the Madness!!  Many male on male homicides can be interpreted as suicidal actions.  In despair and hopelessness too many males are showing misplaced anger through rioting.  But they are not alone on either side of the gun or weapons of mass destruction.

Terrorist known as ISIS, which as an acronym, is an insult to the greatest of the Egyptian Goddesses or Queens—Isis.  These young men, as are the ranks of other revolutionaries against the status quo, too often field unemployed young males with too much time on their hands, skills unmatched for a changing labor force, pent-up frustrations with women who no longer believe in submission or their dominance and a zeal to do something, anything.  They just act often without deeper rational thought involved.

Looking at the employment statistics regardless of the category, watching the numbers rise among the underclass swell with young males and understanding that the number of young males in prison waiting to be recruited for ill-gotten gains whether religion, drugs or lifestyles counter to those of the traditional societies in which they find themselves, the Testosterone Surge behind so much unrest isn’t being discussed.  This can be seen at a lower level in the number of males in the special education classes where folks don’t know what to do with boys or those with often different learning styles as well as their bottled up energy.  

Justice for men demands such a discussion and changes of laws and public policy geared mainly to women and child welfare. 

Justice also asks whether it is constitutional to take away jobs for personal actions before a trial not related to the work people do. 

If boys are to be saved and the nature of men truly appreciated, it is up to women to help positively define civilized standards of behavior at all levels and quit making heroes of those who have wronged us.  It is also incumbent on women to quit jerking men’s chains and sending out mixed messages of wanting equality and demanding that men share the load while we hold back on our own potential and contributions to society other than through fashion, media talk or other inane venues.

If black men in particular are to be saved and rescued it requires of black women even more than we have given as their mothers, their lovers, their teachers and hopefully their friends.

There is a war on women of sorts and Republicans aren’t the culprits.  After it is all said and done, most women want virile, passionate men who will adore us, protect us and work in our best interest and that of society.  So ladies what are we doing about it? We must lead the charge in the War for Women as well as a saner society!