How can Men's Rights become a real political issue instead of being laughed at as a bunch of woman haters in fedoras?

dejour · 2014-11-21T00:44:13+00:00

Based on what I've seen on internet comment boards, I think the public is becoming more and more receptive.

Maybe it will take a court challenge of something like selective service, having the MRM point of view championed by a Democrat or a woman, and having it framed as a men's rights issue.

"Are people brazen enough to put decals or bumper magnets on their cars?"

I don't think enough MRAs are. I know that I moderate my stance when discussing gender issues with people IRL. One way to combat this is to have regular MRM meet-ups in most major cities. That way people won't feel as alone and will gain strength from their numbers.

"Who is the foremost authority on men's rights as a political issue?" I'm not sure. Paul Elam? Warren Farrell? Both accomplish some things, but neither is the leader the MRM needs. Farrell seems more like an academic - though he does have political aims- his proposed White House Council on Boys and Men. Elam gets a fair amount of stuff done, but he's too unreliable and says too much dumb stuff that is or can be interpreted to be sexist against women. We need a person that clearly stands up for men, can make their points eloquently in the media but is also not easily smeared by their past statements.

SarcastiCock · 2014-11-21T00:09:50+00:00

Here's my take on it. "instead" is a fallacy. Men's Rights can become a real political issue while still being laughed at and accused of being woman haters. Nothing is going to stop that with out diluting the message completely and falling in line with feminist doctrine.

There are few organizations out there, there will be more. It depends entirely on the specific issues that you are interested in addressing and what comfort level of discourse you are comfortable with. This subreddit is a news aggregator and discussion board.

There are different levels of popularity, but there is no foremost authority that is generally agreed upon.

chocoboat · 2014-11-21T02:11:30+00:00

Time. It'll just take time.

Marijuana legalization used to be laughed at as a bunch of pathetic stoners. Gay marriage used to be laughed at, because "who cares about THOSE people (and how do they know who is the bride and who is the groom, anyway)?" Time passed, and look where we are today.

Nomenimion · 2014-11-21T00:42:41+00:00

We can't. However, we can become a powerful political force while being laughed at.

2014-11-21T06:11:55+00:00

Men's rights has been branded by opponents.

Men's rights has been wrangled, put into a stall, and had a fedora-wearing neck-beard face branded into its right ass cheek.

This is what has been allowed, for three main reasons:

1) The outright RISK of associating yourself with the MRM. You risk your career, your very livelihood by associating yourself with the MRM. You will lose friends, business contacts, and possibly your job by openly aligning your personal beliefs with the MRM.

2) The social ridicule the MRM faces. After 30 some-odd years of feminist indoctrination, we're fighting an uphill battle against the "accepted wisdom" that anything that comes out of a feminist's mouth is canon. Disagree at your peril.

3) The amount of pseudo academic "evidence" feminism currently holds, propped up by the credibility of an entire "gender studies" degree. MRM has no purpose-built studies that prove men are socially disadvantaged. We have to pick at the scraps of female-centric studies to find the flaws in logic, the damning evidence that proves their bigotry.

3a) For example, page 14 of "The Innocence Project."

http://www.innocenceproject.org/200/ip_200.pdf

88% of men convited of sexual assault were exonerated thanks to pro bono work.

http://nij.gov/publications/dv-dual-arrest-222679/ch1/Pages/findings.aspx#one

When the woman is the aggressor in intimate partner DV, dual arrest (both man and woman arrested) were far more common than when the man is the aggressor.

http://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=7284&context=jclc

"A 1999 study conducted in Boulder found that male victims were three times more likely than female victims to be arrested along with the offender.24 Similarly, a study of three Massachusetts towns revealed that male victims were five times more likely than female victims to be the subjects of a dual arrest."

Again, there are no "purpose-built" studies that have concretely addressed the ways in which men get fucked over. We get left to pick up the scraps from female-centric studies, and say "aha!"

Moving forward

In order to cast off the "fedora" stereotype, don't even address it. Don't even give it the time of day. Don't acknowledge it.

Re-brand yourself as an extension of the movement. Re-brand the movement! We are men. We come in all shapes and sizes. We are all equally vulnurable to the injustices men face every day, and no amount of ad-hominem attacks will stop me from soldiering on.

2014-11-21T02:54:11+00:00

By teaching critical thinking skills to children.

Sesa_Refum · 2014-11-21T00:07:31+00:00

As long as feminism controls media and the mainstream, the MRM will continue to be associated will ridiculous meme like fedora, "nice guy" and neck beards, then immediately swept back under the rug.

Feminism is biological result of a society in peacetime and with too many resources. If we ever end up in another huge war or back in jungles and caves, men take over again.

ProphetChuck · 2014-11-21T02:52:50+00:00

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.

-Arthur Schopenhauer-

SRSLovesGawker · 2014-11-21T02:25:12+00:00

So long as the problems men faced are addressed and resolved, I don't see it as being important.

Recognition of MHRM is only useful as a means to accomplishing the ends of equality, imo.

CraftyDrac · 2014-11-21T07:39:02+00:00

We can't. and that's why we are doing good

In the end,we will fix equality,who will take credit? feminists ofcourse - but is it that bad knowing you helped? that you are the unsung hero's of it all?

WMO · 2014-11-21T22:19:44+00:00

MRA stands for Mens Rights Activists. So we need to start to be activists. Look at what the Feminists have done that has made them such a main stream ideology. They get out in public and are visible while the vast majority of our movement sits and circle jerks online about how bad feminism is. Organize a group of MRAs in your area and be seen.

Get into local colleges and hand out literature with facts not attacking feminism but explaining real issues that face men and boys because if you stoop to attacks they are so firmly entrenched in colleges you will be shut down hard. Chances are you will be shut down anyway but be ready to go the distance. Yes that includes being arrested.

Picket court houses where family law is decided name judges who practice blatant bias. Hound local news agencies. Speak at city and county council meetings when relevant topics are on the agenda.

But most of all be respectful and avoid the type of harassment and attacks that feminists use. See how well it is working for them they are losing public support so now is the time to capitalize on the progress that the MRA movement has made in the last few years.

Be your own force for change don't rely on others. and yes be brazen enough to put a sticker on your car or proclaim it on a shirt.

mensrights0909 · 2014-11-22T03:32:16+00:00

Dont really think we are viewed as women haters, but instead idiots that have no basis for our arguments becauase we are the "privelaged" gender

Bluebird_North · 2014-11-21T02:08:55+00:00

I can't imagine that it would harm to do a bit less of this "but she started it!" preschool mentality feminism-bashing at every turn. A real movement needs to be for something, it gives up credibility when it seems to be all about being against something else.

Most women think the concept of men's rights is outright hysterical, how do we combat that culture?

Give prominence to the issues that are incontrovertibly non-hysterical. For example, talk to people about prison rape and frame that as a men's rights issue, rather than getting bent out of shape about ladies' nights at bars. The latter is an issue too, but the former doesn't involve first convincing your audience that this is something worth caring about if they don't already care.

rg57 · 2014-11-21T03:08:56+00:00

If you have to tell us (twice) that your question is serious, maybe you need to rephrase it without the fedoras.

notnotnotfred · 2014-11-20T23:26:37+00:00

It's not "an" issue. Men have rights. Some arguments over those rights are more compelling than others, and some of the participants here are more effective communicators than others, and finally, both of those variables fluctuate as time moves.

/r/mensrghts should not be your only news source. it's a tool, and shouldn't be the only one. Use others as they become more effective, whether temporarily or permanently.

redpill80 · 2014-11-21T01:43:25+00:00

Stop pandering to feminist groups, stop whining, stop asking for "rights" that the general public would consider laughable (aka wearing dresses, equal representation in Vegas clubs, etc).

Basically, stop apologizing for being men.

Lurker_IV · 2014-11-21T08:02:06+00:00

I suggest watching all the speeches from the First International Conference on Men’s Issues back in June and follow their suggestions on activism. You could also ask the major leaders of the MRAs for ideas. Warren Farrell, Erin Pizzey who recently took charge of the White Ribbon website, or Christina Hoff Sommers - the factual feminist.

Title	How can Men's Rights become a real political issue instead of being laughed at as a bunch of woman haters in fedoras?
Author	[deleted]
Upvotes	36
Comments	46
Date	November 20, 2014 11:09 PM UTC (11 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/MensRights
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/MensRights/comments/2mxbic/how_can_mens_rights_become_a_real_political_issue/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/MensRights/how-can-mens-rights-become-a-real-political-issue.993137 https://theredarchive.com/post/993137

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