Crime and danger are increasing; safety and serenity are decreasing. Decency and manners are waning; depravity and vulgarity are waxing. Morality is ebbing; wickedness is flooding our culture. Eighteenth Century Irish statesman, Sir Edmund Burke, famously said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” The problem in modern America is we are running perilously low on good men.

It is not that men in America eschew goodness or seek to be bad. The younger generations of American men have largely been cowed by über feminism and misled by nonsensical liberal nostrums that morality is relative, so there is no absolute right or wrong. Men in general have also been attacked for their ambition and maligned for their achievements, so why bother with a society that intrinsically distrusts you and will probably never appreciate any good you accomplish.

Combine overwhelming societal pressures to be more feminine, a culture that demonizes masculinity, education that no longer teaches the real hardships in history, and churches that preach more about your feelings than your actual deeds; and we have created a super incubator for producing beta males. What is a beta male? Other than the polar opposite of an alpha male, beta males are cowardly, indecisive, indifferent, lazy, and weak.

Obviously not all young men are beta males; there are still impressive young men serving in our military and striving in many fields, but they are under assault for their masculinity, and there numbers are dwindling precipitously. However, the numbers of beta males particularly on college campuses is surging. Determining the aforementioned attributes of a beta male are not always readily discernible, but their situations are noticeable.

Beta males are often educated, but have no career focus. They are typically unemployed or under employed. They indulge virtual activities that require minimal or no human interaction; and shun physical activities. They are afraid to lead, but also loathe to follow. They are insecure in their abilities yet certain in their convictions of victimhood, so they tend to be quite irreverent, snarky, and testy when questioned. They consume bandwidth and fast food, but they contribute nothing to society. Worse, they have no desire or inclination to participate in society much less work to better our communities. Utterly self-absorbed, they find nothing of value outside themselves.

Media and pundits obsess incessantly whether women have equal opportunities or are treated fairly, but have not noticed nor care younger generations of men are blatantly targeted by acrimonious disdain and acute discrimination and are therefore simply checking out of society. The absence of real men is deleterious and palpable. We have decades of deadbeat dads; some have been cheated, but too many giddily spread their seed with absolutely no concern for the mothers and children they abandon. The elderly are viciously attacked on our streets and beta males do no more than post a video. What a pathetic indictment of modern men!

Society suffers without strong men; there is no security or stability. Great countries are a collection of robust communities; and the basic building block of thriving communities are established sturdy families. While mothers are essential in their vital capacities, so too are fathers. Fatherhood has been discounted for years, and we see the tragic effects on families in despair, instability, and poverty. And now manhood is being discarded by liberal dogma because they unfairly blame it for every societal ill and even incredibly for its success.

The fact is America was built by alpha males and needs them to endure. Forget the garbage about “toxic masculinity.” Genuine masculinity is compassion for the weak with a sense of duty to defend those who cannot stand up for themselves. It’s moral character that recognizes evil and the courage to combat it. It’s an overwhelming obligation to provide for and protect our families. It’s strength of body and character that allows men to face the most daunting challenges and bear the most heinous deprivations. It’s masculine might spurred on by unconditional love for family and country all springing from an abiding love of God.

Fret not because real men are not dissuaded by stupid liberal criticisms; they know their obligations, what is right, and will not shirk their duties. Like always, real men quietly do what is needed without acclaim or fanfare and without being asked. Pity the generations of beta males because they may never know self-edification or the appreciation of a loving family. Stop this catastrophic cycle by raising strong sons to love family, country, and God. And on this Father’s Day, give extra thanks to those men who have consistently and unceremoniously provided for and protected their families. They are the bedrock of a great America!

“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13).

Pete Riehm is the host of Common Sense Radio heard 8 pm every Thursday on FMTalk106.5 or streaming at fmtalk1065.com. Email him at peteriehm@bellsouth.net or on Parler @PeteRiehm or read all his columns at http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/riehm