Legislator Laments the Life of American Men
It would be easy to lampoon this idea, and I'm sure many will. While not well-articulated, this IS an interesting idea. It's just too bad that it will become little more than comic fodder for talk show hosts.
DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - An Iowa senator suggested to fellow state legislators on Tuesday it was time to create a commission to study what has gone wrong for the American male.
After raising the notion of creating a "Commission on the Status of Men" on the floor of the legislature, Republican Sen David Miller, a 56-year-old attorney from Batavia, Iowa, told reporters: "Some people might think that it's not a serious issue, but I think it is. It's time we kind of start studying this and find out, 'Are we neglecting our young male population out there?'"Miller said he raised the alarm because of statistics showing higher school drop-out rates among boys compared to girls, and men's lower college graduation rates. He said the problem may be an emphasis on sports among boys instead of academic pursuits.
In response, Republican Sen. Mary Lundby rose to say simply: "Finally. Finally, after 200 some years."
Lundby said men had it pretty good for centuries and she jokingly welcomed men "to the club."
"I think Senator Miller didn't get enough caffeine this morning," Lundby added. "Women for many, many, many generations have been encouraged to stay away from mathematics, to stay away from chemistry and any of the sciences, to find a husband (and) raise a family."
No, it's not easy being an American male, but I don't imagine being an American female is a walk in the park, either.