Let’s Stop Confusing Tough Talk And Masculinity With Courage

To the editor:

Somewhere along the way, we’ve begun confusing courage and character with appearance. A real man is judged by how deep his voice is, how big he is, how aggressively he talks, or whether he projects a tough-guy image. That’s not only a shallow standard—it’s one that history has repeatedly proven wrong.

Recently, Ken Paxton, Republican candidate for the US Senate, running against the Democratic nominee James Talarico, has questioned Talarico’s masculinity because he doesn’t fit a certain stereotype. Paxton has used the absurd label of Low T (low testosterone) to suggest his rival James Talarico is not manly enough to be a Texas Senator. This stupid name-calling says more about Ken Paxton than it does about James Talarico.

James Talarico is a Democratic Texas state representative known for advocating progressive policies focused on education, healthcare, social justice, and responsible immigration reform. A former public school teacher, he supports increased funding for public education, higher teacher pay, and expanded access to affordable healthcare. On border policy, Talarico has called for stronger border security while also supporting humane treatment of migrants, comprehensive immigration reform, and addressing the root causes of migration.

Whether you agree with Talarico’s politics or disagree with every position he takes is beside the point. Americans should debate his ideas, not whether he looks or sounds “manly enough.” That’s a distraction from the issues that actually matter.

If we’re going to talk about masculinity, let’s talk about one of America’s greatest heroes.

Audie Murphy was the most decorated American soldier of World War II. He wasn’t built like a movie action star. He stood just 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighed around 110 pounds when he tried to enlist. The Marines turned him away because they thought he was too small. He looked so young that he reportedly had to prove his age because recruiters thought he looked like a 15-year-old boy.

That undersized, soft-spoken young Texan became a lethal one-man army. He held off an entire German attack while wounded, climbed onto a burning tank destroyer to fire its machine gun, and refused to retreat until his fellow soldiers were safe. For those actions, he received the Medal of Honor along with dozens of other American and Allied decorations.

No one who knows Audie Murphy’s story would dare say courage depends on size, appearance, or swagger.

Yet today we seem determined to return to those stereotypes. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has argued for restoring rigorous military standards and has discussed the possibility of using testosterone testing in some military contexts. Physical fitness certainly matters in the armed forces, but reducing military effective-ness— or masculinity—to hormone levels misses the point entirely. Courage has never been something measured by a blood test.

History proves it. Women have repeatedly demonstrated extraordinary bravery in combat and military service. They have flown aircraft into danger, treated wounded soldiers under fire, commanded troops, and earned medals for valor. No reasonable person can deny their courage simply because they are women. The battlefield has never cared about stereotypes. It rewards competence, discipline, and determination.

The same principle applies outside the military.

Running for public office requires courage regardless of political party. Anyone who seeks elected office today knows that every silly mistake, every youthful comment, every financial record, and every family member may become front-page news or spread across social media within hours. Candidates willingly place themselves, and often their families, under a microscope. That takes conviction. You may disagree with their positions, but stepping into today’s political arena requires a willingness to endure criticism that most of us would never voluntarily accept.

Instead of asking whether a candidate is masculine enough, perhaps we should ask more meaningful questions. Is this person honest? Do they have integrity? Will they tell the truth even when it’s unpopular? Will they stand by their principles when it’s politically costly? Those qualities matter far more than whether someone projects an image of toughness.

Texans has always respected grit. But grit isn’t loud. It isn’t measured by muscles or testosterone. Sometimes grit is quiet. Sometimes it comes wrapped in humility rather than bravado. Audie Murphy demonstrated that. So did countless veterans whose names will never appear in history books. Their courage wasn’t performative. It was real.

We do ourselves, and our country, a disservice when we confuse appearance with character. Tough talk is easy. Real courage is hard. Real courage is serving your country despite fear. It is standing up for your convictions when people mock you. It is accepting public scrutiny because you believe you can make your community better.

Whether James Talarico deserves your vote should depend on his ideas, his record, and his character, not on whether he fits someone’s outdated definition of masculinity.

America has never needed more machismo and namecalling. It has always needed more character and courage. History teaches us what really matters.