Kristia Cavere Markarian
Another example of the war on boyhood
By Kristia Cavere Markarian
During my annual Advent pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., I encountered a glaring example of how marginalized boys have become in our schools.
I always enjoy a particular display, sponsored by the Holy Childhood Association (HCA), which hosts a national competition of drawings related to Christmas. Every year since 1928, the HCA has chosen twenty-four winners from children in first through eighth grade, and these images are made into Christmas cards that all may purchase.
It is natural to admire the creativity and undisputed talent of all the winners. First grader Clara Belle drew angel wings in the shape of hearts. Fifth grader Catherine had Mary and Joseph literally jumping in the air with joy on either side of baby Jesus.
But amidst my delight in these adorable drawings, I observed a startling situation when I noticed the names of the winners: Jasmine, Stephanie, Samantha, Anna, Theresa, Carolina, Mirisa, Clara Belle, Angelica, Teresa, Annah, Fanny, Zharmaine, Sydney, Krista, Lucy, Catherine, Ulyen, Cindy, Haley Rose, Kristen, Katie, Berothy, Christina.
I contacted the HCA, and they confirmed what I suspected: out of over ten thousand applicants, every one of the twenty-four winners is a girl.
If the situation was reversed, and not one girl was among the two dozen winners, the feminists would shriek about bias toward women. It has been documented that, on average, boys use bolder colors as opposed to the softer pastels used by girls. In addition, the majority of boys have motion in their drawings, opposite to the quieter subject matter in the art of most little girls. But to claim prejudice is a superficial answer.
It is almost without doubt that the HCA judges are simply looking for the best drawings and do not have an inherent bias against the art created by boys. Rather, there are circumstances which are causing young boys to not apply themselves creatively in art just as they are not applying themselves academically.
A recent Wall Street Journal op-ed entitled "The Lost Boys" provided some statistics that demonstrate just how astray young men have become. Women now earn 58 percent of four-year college degrees and 62 percent of two-year ones. The gender gap of college freshman has females scoring ten points above the males. Girls have much higher grade point averages than boys, and both the girls' college essays and extracurricular actives far surpass the males.
For the past two decades, boys have had a decreasing interest in academics, and now this lack of initiative is applied to art. Now increasingly more individuals, from parents to teachers to psychologists, are catching on to just how prevalent the disease of apathy has struck young men when it comes to their education.
Men are motivated by competition, and the present education system of coddling and unbridled compassion has dimmed the innate male proclivity to compete. When males feel that fair competition doesn't exist, they will not make an effort.
The feminists have insisted upon the alteration of merit-based systems in favor of quota-based systems. By setting quotas, quality is automatically removed in favor of quantity. Socially-engineered equilibriums dishearten those who aspire to compete based on talent. Sadly, the HCA competition, which is a reflection of what is occurring across the country, reveals how much boys have become disheartened.
We are seeing a society which endemically lacks male contribution, which historically has been a driving force for America's growth and superiority. Boys have become the second sex, and they have no advocates. If modern feminism were truly about equality for both genders, they would be fighting for fairness for men as much as they once did for women.
© Kristia Cavere Markarian
January 8, 2010
During my annual Advent pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., I encountered a glaring example of how marginalized boys have become in our schools.
I always enjoy a particular display, sponsored by the Holy Childhood Association (HCA), which hosts a national competition of drawings related to Christmas. Every year since 1928, the HCA has chosen twenty-four winners from children in first through eighth grade, and these images are made into Christmas cards that all may purchase.
It is natural to admire the creativity and undisputed talent of all the winners. First grader Clara Belle drew angel wings in the shape of hearts. Fifth grader Catherine had Mary and Joseph literally jumping in the air with joy on either side of baby Jesus.
But amidst my delight in these adorable drawings, I observed a startling situation when I noticed the names of the winners: Jasmine, Stephanie, Samantha, Anna, Theresa, Carolina, Mirisa, Clara Belle, Angelica, Teresa, Annah, Fanny, Zharmaine, Sydney, Krista, Lucy, Catherine, Ulyen, Cindy, Haley Rose, Kristen, Katie, Berothy, Christina.
I contacted the HCA, and they confirmed what I suspected: out of over ten thousand applicants, every one of the twenty-four winners is a girl.
If the situation was reversed, and not one girl was among the two dozen winners, the feminists would shriek about bias toward women. It has been documented that, on average, boys use bolder colors as opposed to the softer pastels used by girls. In addition, the majority of boys have motion in their drawings, opposite to the quieter subject matter in the art of most little girls. But to claim prejudice is a superficial answer.
It is almost without doubt that the HCA judges are simply looking for the best drawings and do not have an inherent bias against the art created by boys. Rather, there are circumstances which are causing young boys to not apply themselves creatively in art just as they are not applying themselves academically.
A recent Wall Street Journal op-ed entitled "The Lost Boys" provided some statistics that demonstrate just how astray young men have become. Women now earn 58 percent of four-year college degrees and 62 percent of two-year ones. The gender gap of college freshman has females scoring ten points above the males. Girls have much higher grade point averages than boys, and both the girls' college essays and extracurricular actives far surpass the males.
For the past two decades, boys have had a decreasing interest in academics, and now this lack of initiative is applied to art. Now increasingly more individuals, from parents to teachers to psychologists, are catching on to just how prevalent the disease of apathy has struck young men when it comes to their education.
Men are motivated by competition, and the present education system of coddling and unbridled compassion has dimmed the innate male proclivity to compete. When males feel that fair competition doesn't exist, they will not make an effort.
The feminists have insisted upon the alteration of merit-based systems in favor of quota-based systems. By setting quotas, quality is automatically removed in favor of quantity. Socially-engineered equilibriums dishearten those who aspire to compete based on talent. Sadly, the HCA competition, which is a reflection of what is occurring across the country, reveals how much boys have become disheartened.
We are seeing a society which endemically lacks male contribution, which historically has been a driving force for America's growth and superiority. Boys have become the second sex, and they have no advocates. If modern feminism were truly about equality for both genders, they would be fighting for fairness for men as much as they once did for women.
© Kristia Cavere Markarian
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