This is just hilarious. I don't think I need to go into the way society has been men's society in the past, and continues to be so. Masculophobia? Please. Our society, culture, government, schools, etc etc are based on masculine norms. Feminine is seen as weak, and the "other". Those statistics are very troubling, because they are not true. Now that we as a society are finally (just beginning) to tell the whole story, and not just "his-story", certain (not all, mind you) men just can't take it. Ruining their masculinity; good grief. Society has been at war with women since the beginning of time, and now that women are fighting back, of course the other side is pissed off. The true goal is to balance our society and culture until it is an egalitarian one, where the norms of masculinity and the norms of femininity are seen as equally valuable. We have a very long way to go to achieve this goal; a hell of a lot more than any 12 step program. Hayley >From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sun Feb 28 03:39:27 1999 >Received: from host (server@localhost [127.0.0.1]) > by csf.Colorado.EDU (8.8.8/8.8.8/ITS-4.2/csf) with SMTP id EAA03613; > Sun, 28 Feb 1999 04:39:23 -0700 (MST) >Received: from websmtp1.bellsouth.bigfoot.com (websmtp1.bellsouth.bigfoot.com [208.156.60.91]) > by csf.Colorado.EDU (8.8.8/8.8.8/ITS-4.2/csf) with ESMTP id DAA02737 > for <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Sun, 28 Feb 1999 03:56:00 -0700 (MST) >Received: from bigfoot (www6.bellsouth.bigfoot.com [208.156.60.166]) > by websmtp1.bellsouth.bigfoot.com (8.9.1/8.9.1) with SMTP id FAA11236 > for [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Sun, 28 Feb 1999 05:33:51 -0500 (EST) >Message-Id: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Date: Sun, 28 Feb 1999 05:58:10 -0500 >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Precedence: bulk >From: "joe dees" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: STUDIES IN WOMEN AND ENVIRONMENT <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: More propaganda and a kinda 12-step from the Men's Liberation Movement >X-Originating-IP: 209.214.47.38 >X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.0 -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN > > >>Dealing with Masculophobia >>By Pradeep Ramanathan � 1999 >> >> >> >>I believe that our challenge (and the challenge for all men of our time) is >>to find a way to step out into the world, to confront the masculophobia, >>and to vanquish it - while at the same time doing so from a place of >>groundedness, love, and strength. >> >>That is a tremendous challenge. I would claim that the majority of men >>fail to even understand that without confronting society in general (and >>both men and women in particular) about masculophobia in society, men will >>never complete the process of "reclaiming the sacred masculine for our >>time" (as the ManKind Project states). >> >>I would even go so far as to say that unless and until we do confront >>masculophobia, society will continue to degenerate, families will suffer, >>crime will increase, prison populations will grow, and society will rot and >>decay. The economic illness and decay that befell communist countries that >>followed economic Marxism will find a social counterpart in the social >>illness and decay of those countries which are currently following the >>edicts of cultural Marxism. [For an excellent article on Political >>Correctness, Feminism, and Cultural Marxism, see "Political Correctness >>Poisons Free Speech", by William S. Lind, director of the Center for >>Cultural Conservatism. I am not a conservative, but I still found this to >>be an excellent article. It was published in the Op-Ed section of the >>Minnesota Daily, Feb 2, 1999. It may be posted on the internet] >> >>Doing the inner work we need to do is one part of our work as men (and an >>indispensable part). The other part is holding women, men, and society >>accountable for the toxic masculophobia of the present day. I include men >>in this indictment, because men are every bit as responsible as women for >>creating and propagating masculophobia in today's world. The female >>institution of subordinating the needs and nature of men to those of women, >>while promoting special entitlements, privileges and protections for women >>is Feminism (though feminists would deny that that is what feminism is >>about). But men have their own institution: Chivalry is the male >>institution that subordinates the needs and nature of men in favor of those >>of women, while promoting special entitlements, privileges and protections >>for women. >> >>So women are no more (or less) to "blame" (if blame we must) for >>masculophobia. Yet, confronting men about this is a lot easier for us than >>confronting women. This is where most men quail in terror. I believe that >>the Shame of Maleness (as Roy Schenk calls it) is what causes this primal >>fear in men - the fear of confronting a woman, or women in general, and >>holding them accountable for their destructive behaviours. >> >>If the reader has not already done so, I cannot convey how valuable I think >>it would be for him to purchase a copy of Men Healing Shame, co-edited by >>Roy Schenk and John Everingham. This is the best source of support any man >>can get for dealing with Male Shame. It is a phenomenal book that will >>help men to begin healing the shame of maleness. >> >>And this brings me to why, in my judgment, men who protest masculophobia >>receive so much resistance, and sometimes hostility, especially from other >>men. We must not be discouraged by this response from men. Rather, we >>must understand it. Drawing attention to masculophobia pokes a finger into >>the sore wound of male shame, and provokes men's fear of confronting women. >>It is a shame-based response, in my judgment, and it is natural for men >>who have done some personal growth work, but who have not yet begun to >>acknowledge or deal with their shame of maleness. >> >>Men who have done no inner work at all are apt to ignore the whole thing. >>They'll just blow it off. They are the guys who aren't even aware of >>masculophobia, and couldn't care less if it hit them in the face. I would >>say that the vast majority of American men are at this place. Many of >>these men are off practising their chivalry and trying to get along with >>women on women's terms. >> >>But the men who do react, and react with irritation and anger, at the idea >>of confronting women and men about masculophobia, are the ones who have >>begun to be aware of their feelings. Yet, they have not become aware of >>their male shame. The reason they react negatively at all is that on some >>level they have touched the wounds of maleness. Yet, they are still in >>the denial stage. That is the first stage, the beginning, of inner work on >>male shame. I judge that this is where some men in America, as well as >>most of the men who are members of the Nation of Men, the Mankind Project, >>and other mythopoetic organizations, the PromiseKeepers, and feminist men's >>organizations are hiding. This group accounts for large numbers of men, >>but still a minority of men in America. So these men are aware of >>feelings, but are in denial and have not begun the inner work dealing with >>male shame. >> >>Interestingly, parallel to this first stage is a behaviour found among a >>very small fraction of men, and perhaps typical of many men in the men's >>and fathers' rights movement. That is, a few men don't resist the fact >>that through masculophobia women and men are destroying family and society, >>but rather are very angry about the masculophobia. Unfortunately they do >>not own the anger. Instead these men project it outward and see themselves >>as victims of masculophobia, feminism, the family court, etc. They are >>filled with righteous anger. These men want to change the world around >>them, but do not see that their anger is as much about their own wounds as >>it is about the world they are trying to change. These men, like those >>above, are in denial. Although these two groups of men seem very >>different, in many ways they are the same. They are both in denial about >>their wounds of maleness. The former group deals with their shame by >>identifying with the "oppressor", as it were, the latter by villifying her. >>Now, although the latter group accounts for few men in America at large, I >>would say they account for the majority of the men involved in men's and >>fathers' rights organizations. I judge that the majority of men in the >>National Coalition of Free Men, the National Congress for Fathers and >>Children, the Men's Defense Association, and so on, are in this place. >> >>As we, as men, do begin the process of recovery from male shame, the next >>stage is one of direct awareness of the shame. It is accompanied by >>intense emotion; pain, anger, rage, etc. Most of those men that I have met >>in the men's movement who have managed to get past the denial stage are in >>the pain stage. We are in touch with the wounds caused by masculophobia, >>and we are struggling to heal them. But we are far from having found peace >>with it. We are daily living with our awareness and pain of the shame of >>maleness, and simultaneously struggling not to project our anger and pain >>out onto the rest of world. I have noticed that there are more of these >>kind of men in the ManKind Project and in the National Coalition of Free >>Men than in any other of the mythopoetic or men's rights organizations. In >>fact, almost all of the men that I know who are in this stage are members >>of both NCFM and MKP. >> >>I believe that part of our healing process will be the inner work to heal >>the shame. The other part will require stepping out into the world and >>saying "No more." We must not tolerate the shaming of men and masculinity >>anymore. We will resist, and wage a non-violent spiritual and political >>war against masculophobia, as Mahatma Gandhi waged a non-violent spiritual >>and political war against racial oppression. Without acknowledging the >>important work that must be done on these two aspects in tandem, I >>personally doubt that we will make much progress in the men's movement, or >>in our own individual lives. >> >>That is not to say, however, that we must balance these two sides >>immediately, and attain harmonious perfection before we act. Regardless of >>the stage of healing we are at, in this our struggle, we will not be >>perfect. We will be wounded men struggling to heal. Many men will not be >>good at doing the inner work, they will be better at doing the outer work - >>they will see men's inner work as irrelevant or some kind of wussy, >>tree-hugging, activity. Conversely, many other men will not be good at >>doing the outer work - they will misconstrue men's outer work as toxic, >>angry, woman-bashing; this will be because of their terror in experiencing >>women's scorn and shaming. >> >>But if we work, and work together, if we engage in this struggle and fight >>the good fight, we will move through our personal feelings of sadness and >>grief, we will begin seeing changes in society. In the end, there will be >>peace and loving acceptance by us of society and by society of us. Both >>will have changed, both will be healed. >> >>So it will be a challenge for us, and this brings me back full circle to my >>original statement: >> >>I believe that our challenge (and the challenge for all men of our time) is >>to find a way to step out into the world, confront the masculophobia, and >>vanquish it, while at the same time doing the inner work we need to do to >>heal our shame of maleness, so that in our war against masculophobia, we >>will be coming from a place of groundedness, love, and strength. >> >>It is my hope that men will begin to see that the men's rights movement and >>the mythopoetic movement need one another, and can learn much from one >>another. It is my hope that the men in these two sides of the men's >>movement will come together as brothers and help each other to heal and to >>wage the peaceful war. >> >>As men, it is our responsibility, our duty, our privilege and our mandate >>to rise up to this challenge. Only then will be averted the perilous >>headlong flight of our culture into a nazi-like gendercide. Only then will >>we have reclaimed the sacred masculine for our time. And only then will >>our grandsons and granddaughters be able to inherit a legacy of true >>equality, rich family life, and personal freedom - a life free of shame. >> >>From: Terence Moore >>Subject: Truth, Justice, May Our Grandsons Thrive >> >>Brothers-- >> >>I am afraid of dying before I have an opportunity to >>give what I have. But I embrace that fear, as it >>motivates me to act. >> >>I am angry. All my life, I have felt discriminated >>against for being male; and now I see my sons being >>discriminated against too. But I embrace that anger, >>as it motivates me to seek constructive solutions. >> >>Lies are so damaging. I learned at a very young age >>how this is so. The alcoholism in my family came >>with unspoken rules: Don't speak it. Pretend it's >>not there. I saw solutions within reach, but they >>would have required truth, which was forbidden. I >>hate lies. >> >>Discrimination against males is exactly the same for >>our society as alcoholism was in my childhood home: >>An insidious disease that we are conditioned not to >>talk about or believe exists. >> >>We cannot reach solutions without speaking truth! >>Have you heard the truth? Do you want it? Men and >>boys are suffering needlessly. See addendum below >>for examples of some tragic facts you may not know. >>(Or you may have known, but not let yourself pay >>attention to them.) >> >>Men carry heavier loads without complaint because >>they are conditioned that way. Women carry lighter >>loads and wail loudly because they are taught to do >>so. The "grin and bear it" ethic no longer works. >>The fantasy that it is a man's world is used as >>JUSTIFICATION to discriminate against males >>further. Lies are so damaging. >> >>I want the world to be socially and politically more >>hospitable for my sons and grandsons than it has >>been for me. That doesn't have to mean losing all >>perspective and letting our personal lives fall >>apart so we can joust with windmills. But I don't >>want to keep the blinders on anymore, either. >> >>I don't want my male descendants for generations to >>come to suffer from injustice (trend illustrated >>below), when I could have helped to correct it. Do >>you share that dream with me? >> >>How can warriors of the heart, men of intention and >>honor, MEN LIKE YOU AND I, even with no political >>experience, help make it come true? I don't know an >>answer. But together, we can find one! Join me! >>I'm hosting discussion groups at my home in Fremont, >>Calif., on these dates: >> >>* Thursday, March 4, 7:30 pm >>* Wednesday, March 10, 7:30 pm >> >>You are welcome to attend either date, whichever is >>best for you. RSVP to me at >>"[address.withheld]". Please come. >> >>--Terence/Green Man of the Forest >>_______________ >> >>HOW IS THIS EVENT DIFFERENT? >> >>Up until now, there have been two polarized camps: >>The political warriors and the heartful warriors. >>But this event is different. It's not just for one >>camp or the other. >> >>This event is for those few men in either camp (or >>both) who are interested in emotional healing and >>growth as well as promoting justice in our society. >>Perhaps it takes an emotionally grounded warrior to >>fight the good fight and effect real change. >>_______________ >> >>WHO WILL BE THERE? >> >>Presenting will be Rich Zubaty, author of books on >>men's issues, activist for father's rights, and >>graduate of both New Warrior Training and the >>Sterling Men's weekend. Rich's books include >>"Surviving the Feminization of America" and >>"Water People". He is currently co-authoring a new >>book with Bill Kauth, co-founder of The Mankind >>Project. >>_______________ >> >>DIRECTIONS >> >>>From 880 & Mowry Ave. in Fremont: Go East on >>Mowry Ave. for 2 miles. Turn right on State Street, >>immediately after a pizzeria. Go South for 1/2 >>block on State St., then make a U-turn back toward >>Mowry. Our complex is now directly ahead of you. >>The sign says "Pennsylvania Apartments". 3600 >>Pennsylvania Ave. Meet in the clubhouse. Entrance >>on the South side of the clubhouse building. >>_______________ >> >>SOME TRUTHS ABOUT THIS "MAN'S WORLD" >> >>* Four out of five suicides are men. >>* 85% of the homeless are men. >>* Women live eight years longer than men. >>* Nineteen out of 20 people who die on the job are >> men. >>* Women own 65% of America's wealth. >>* Mothers have the legal right to choose abortion, >> but fathers have no rights toward their own >> unborn children. >>* When children are put up for adoption, unmarried >> fathers cannot adopt their own biological >> children, even where paternity is proved. >>* Women routinely receive 50% less jail time for >> committing the same crime as a man. >>* Men continue to die in military conflicts, and >> women do not even have to register with the >> Selective Service. >>* At divorce, children are deprived of the >> stability, love, and spirituality of their >> fathers when 85% of them end up in the custody of >> their mothers. >>* Welfare regulations prohibit payments to families >> with a father present in the household. >>* Little boys in kindergarten are being >> brainwashed. Punished for "sexual harrassment" >> (kissing consenting little girls in >> kindergarten). >>* Test scores show an academic gender bias. >> School-age boys struggle significantly with >> reading while girls struggle slightly with math. >> Public schools pay far more attention to girls in >> math than boys in reading. >>* Six times more retail space is allotted to >> women's personal items than to men's. >>* The same number of people die from breast cancer >> and prostate cancer, but breast cancer research >> receives five times more funding. >>* Domestic violence is portrayed with men as the >> perpetrators and women as the victims, when in >> reality, it is committed equally by men and >> women. This results in: >>* Lopsided criminal "justice": A woman can shoot >> her husband, plead in court that he abused her, >> and receive a lighter sentence. Men cannot. >>* Lopsided government aid: The government funds >> battered women's shelters but not battered men's >> shelters. >> >> >> >> >> >Joe E. Dees >Poet, Pagan, Philosopher > > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Access your e-mail anywhere, at any time. >Get your FREE BellSouth Web Mail account today! >http://webmail.bellsouth.net >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
