Women aren’t to blame

Abandoning college

Regarding “No surprise young men are abandoning college,” (Oct 6): Kathleen Parker is grasping at straws to somehow connect the empowerment of girls and women to the decline of men who attend college.

By attacking the advances women have made in society over the last several decades, she promotes the ridiculous idea that strong women equals weak men. Her fever dream in setting up this conflict is not only intellectually lazy and dishonest, but is also designed to line her pocketbook with book sales.

It’s an old but effective tactic: blame the women and the people who don’t fit the traditional mold for the issues boys and men face today. Get a grip!

Life is better for girls, women and lots of other folks, thank goodness, but that isn't the reason boys and men might experience a few problems — after all, they still make more money, control more boardrooms, hold more positions of power in government and do less housework.

Kathleen Goerner, Humble

I'm 70 years old, a native Houstonian and a graduate of HISD K-12. In my day, there was little or none of this overboard “boy behavior,” Parker mentions.

Are boys less tolerated or have boys become less disciplined by parents who want to be a “friend” to their kids instead of a parent? Disruptive behavior simply cannot be tolerated for the sake of all our children and progress. We have to find another way.

Unlike physical strength, brainpower is basically equal between the sexes. Efficiency demands the best person for the job. Time moves on, we have to adapt.

Augusta Era Golian, Spring