I was reading Michael Chabon's awesome Manhood for Amateurs and he mentioned Free to Be you and Me and in particular this song. It's a song in which a boy wants a doll because he's excited to be a father some day, and looks forward to caring for his kid.

I grew up with FTBY&M too (as is my daughter, so I'm listening to it a lot) and am reminded that feminism used to view men as ALSO chained down by strict gender roles as women are. and it was important that a person could grow into any person they wanted to.

Anyhow, it feels like a lot of anger and hate in the air lately, and I thought I'd share. When any of us are treated unequally, we all lose. Especially when articles like this come up.

Maybe it's time for a modern free to be you and me. but until then

Every boy in this land grows to be his own man In this land, every girl grows to be her own woman Take my hand, come with me where the children are free Come with me, take my hand, and we'll run To a land where the river runs free To a land through the green country To a land to a shining sea To a land where the horses run free To a land where the children are free And you and me are free to be And you and me are free to be And you and me are free to be you and me

In America 2012 we have a strange situation.

On the one hand, people are freer than we've ever been, and more people enjoy more rights than we've ever had before.

On the other hand, there's still a lot of systematic bullying in our society.

Feels like we're on the right path but we still have a long way to go.