Someone would even blame feminism for causing girls to becomeviolent in vain imitation of boys. Yet the obvious fact that all these school killers were all middle class white boys seems to have escaped everyone's notice. Imagine the national reaction if black boys had targeted whites in school shootings. That all these murders were committed young boys with guns raises not a ripple. One expert, already consulted about this recent tragedy, equally missed the point.
Gender is the single most obvious and intractable difference when it comes to violence in America.
Every day twelve boys and young men commit suicide - seven times the number of girls. Every day eighteen boys and young men die from homicide - ten times the number of girls. From an early age, boys learn that violence is not only an acceptable form of conflict resolution, but one that is admired. Four times more teenage boys than teenage girls think fighting is appropriate when someone cuts into the front of a line. Half of all teenage boys get into a physical fight each year.