Quote:
Originally Posted by ditchthebitch  It's disconcerting how your knife-twisting attitude of 'how does it feel' for added browbeating, even though misguided and completely inaccurate, is ironically straight out of the AW play book. |
Comparing me to AW? American women? Now those are some serious, devastating accusations! Seriously, I apologize for being snide. That being said, however, the points I made are valid. And the central point I was making was that your posters -- while intended as a commentary on western culture -- are
counterproductive if you place any importance on political change. It doesn't matter whether your disagreement with me makes you think that I am not intelligent, or makes you think that I am misguided. What matters is whether (some of) these posters provide cannon fodder to feminists who could easily portray our legitimate political points as a mask for misogyny. If MRAs call for shelters to protect men and their kids, feminists can say, "Much ado about nothing; see these posters to learn their true agenda." Same outcome if we call for equal parenting time, equality in criminal sentencing between the sexes, the presumption of innocence against the accused, etc. All these call for a political solution, which means that elected representatives must be contacted and persuaded.
What motivates an elected leader to listen? You might say money, and you might say re-election. You might also say blind allegiance to an ideology. All those are true to some degree. But I can tell you from first-hand experience, what really makes an impression on them is a constant relationship with someone who they perceive as an expert on a particular issue. You may not see it, but under the radar there have been a series of quiet legislative victories across the U.S. in only the last
six months. These have occurred mostly at the state level. Bills for shared parenting are being introduced in Alaska, Texas, Michigan, and various other states. Florida's governor is about to
sign legislation into law in early June. Court victories mandating equal funding for male DV victims are expected soon out of California. And within the last week or so, in a Democrat-controlled Congress no less, a bill just passed the House that would prevent deployed military servicemembers from losing custody of their kids because of the long absence caused by their deployment. There is a lot of political momentum building. And everyone on our side who is in the thick of it -- lobbyists, congressional members, academics, and others -- all say that rhetoric that demonizes either gender is a hindrance. Are you to say that all of them are unintelligent, and that only you (and your supporters) are the intelligent ones?
Let's reject the self-focus here! Tongue-in-cheek criticism is all well-and-good, but it can get to the point where it becomes politically corrosive. There are many times where misguided MRAs have marched in to the state legislature in my state, dressed like idiots (military fatigues), freaking out the guards in the buildings, giving elected members a piece of their minds but doing harm to their fathers-rights/men's rights cause in the process, all because they took the misguided approach of "damn the consequences; let's go down with the ship!"
I suppose you are proud of the work you have done. It certainly reveals you have some talent. I fear that all that will come of this is a permanent record (which is automatically the case when you post to the Web) of a phenomenon that will only rouse anger between the sexes, and make women who might have listened to something we have to say turn against us. Perhaps men will compensate and come to our side as well, but
since when has such polarization been politically effective at changing the law? 
25th-May-2007
