Masculinity crisis is rooted in low literacy, academic disengagement (Your Letters)

To the Editor:

The Rev. Michael Heath’s article on the so-called “masculinity crisis” raises important concerns ( “Finally, a reasonable response to the the masculinity crisis,“ Nov. 19, 2025). However, it misses a critical dimension of the issue and ultimately relies on an oversimplified narrative.

While the article blames political polarization for men’s alienation and holds up figures like Scott Galloway and Gov. Gavin Newsom as offering a “reasonable” middle path, it never addresses one of the most consequential and measurable factors behind young men’s struggles today: the steep decline in boys’ literacy and academic engagement.

If we are serious about understanding why so many young men feel lost, disconnected or angry, we must look beyond cultural talking points and examine wha