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Somewhere Between Farce And a Hate Crime
The shallow traditions of our apparently young culture offer us few images of masculine diversity. To whom in our history do we look back: the soldier, the cowboy, the frontiersman, our statesmanlike founding fathers? Past these, our roots come from a conglomeration of cultures. In spite of that, American culture, including the masculine, cries out for a connection with earthly wisdom. The special place of the farmer in our hearts illustrates this need. For years we have protected him with legislation. Even though farming is now big business, scientific and mechanized, the farmer still maintains his grip on our collective heart, as shown in the movies Places in the Heart, The River, and Country. Here the farmer is still the independent person struggling for survival with nature on the one hand and the vast impersonal forces of government and business on the other. The farmer is an image of independence and connectedness to nature we are loath to give up.
— from Resurrecting the Unicorn: Masculinity in the 21st Century by Bud Harris, PhD
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Of course it’s true that American culture is adolescent, that it’s shallow and puerile, but it has the advantage of youthful, reckless energy. As far as nature goes, that unheeding energy has created a suicidal disregard of sacred relationships. It has an unrelenting focus on power, both…
