I hit 60 this year, and it’s been an interesting couple of decades. I don’t know, obviously, but I don’t think men are worse now. Instead, bad behavior that would have been laughed off or papered over is (at least occasionally) being called out.

People my age (and those younger who buy into the “past was better” myth) often say that women and racial/gender/religious minorities are “too easily offended” and “it wasn’t like this.”

And it’s true, it wasn’t. I was there.

You’re younger than I, so I must defer to your more current knowledge of the world, but I hope people coming forward to complain about mistreatment is progress. What I can do is speak to my generation and say that the past-worshippers didn’t (and apparently still don’t) realize oppressed and marginalized populations have always been pissed off. They took silence for consent.

If I can convince my people of anything, it’s that they have to think: c’mon, guys, admit that being oppressed has to suck, and you know it. So it’s a bad sign when a marginalized population doesn’t speak out! You know they can’t be happy, so it means they don’t feel comfortable saying it publicly.

Ignorance is no excuse, boys. But the truth is out there for all to see. If you haven’t come to grips with it by now, that’s on you.

Of course, I had a weird upbringing. Mom was a university professor, held a doctorate, and did not suffer fools gladly. Our old VW Bus was painted with pro-ERA slogans during that campaign. (I still remember the note someone stuck on it reading, “ERA is for fags and stupid wimmen.” Even my high school brain knew that was both sick and hilarious.) My wife is making more money right now, so I do most of the housework — and neither of those things is a threat to my “manhood,” whatever the fuck that is. Maybe I can’t really speak for “normal” guys.

I do hope men can get their shit together because genetics keeps making more, and we’re dragging the team down.