By Mark Hancock for TOWNHALL
Our culture is struggling to raise thriving men—the kind of men we count on in crises, the kind whose strength of character we celebrate each year on September 11.
Where do such men come from? What sparks that kind of resolve? Are we, as a nation, raising up a new generation prepared to meet the challenges of their day with the same kind of bravery?
One thing is certain: character doesn’t appear overnight. It is forged over years. Theodore Roosevelt once said, “No one can be a good American unless he is a good citizen, and every boy ought to train himself so that as a man he will be able to do his full duty to the community … [to] act in a way that will give them a country to be proud of.”
Inspiring words. But they also raise a question: will boys simply train themselves? Will they, on their own, develop the kind of habits and virtues that make for citizens of strength and conviction?
The truth is, boys learn courage much the same way they learn how to change the oil or fix a leaky faucet. They need men to:
- Show them what courage looks like in everyday life.
- Guide them as they practice it themselves.
- Affirm them when they rise to the challenge and take their place as men of character.
