Some people in this world believe that men are treated “un-rightly” hence they formed loosely centralized organizations that aim to correct these injustices against men. The firsts of these organizations were formed in Austria during the 1850s. From a loosely connected organization started the centralization, and in 1926 League for Men's Rights came into existence, which main advocacy is to combat “all excesses of women’s emancipation” (Malleier 58). One year later, the said organization produced another two groups called the Aequitas World's League for the Rights of Men and Justitia League for Family Law Reform. Nevertheless, all three organizations ended in the late 1930s (Wrussnig 3).
In the 1970s, the same ideologies upheld by the aforementioned organizations were relieved resulting to the formation similar organizations, particularly in Australia, India, United Kingdom, and the United States. People who join these organizations call themselves Men’s Rights Activists (MRA) and they call their movement Men’s Rights Movement (MRM). Just like their forerunner organizations, their advocacies are founded upon misogyny. Basically, these activists want to limit if not to stop their perceive discrimination of men in the society and revert back the emancipation of women into their former standing – housewives and mothers who must nurture their children a traditional patriarchal family setting. Being founded upon misogyny, the movement is set into head-on clash with feminism. They claim that feminism has exceeded its objective resulting to the harming of men.
It is because of their “strange” views about men that many critics such as James S. Fell describes them as “a kid who got a cone with three scoops of ice cream in it. Good flavors, too. Like peanut-butter chocolate, plus a scoop of cookie dough. In a waffle cone. And then this child whines about the lack of chocolate sprinkles on top” (Fell 1). This perspective is shared by many people, including those of the Southern Poverty Law Center which notes that, while the said movement some very interesting and valid points, the majority of their rhetoric in blogs – such as those in AVoiceForMen.com – and in public rallies are disturbing due to the fact that they are geared towards misogyny or hate against women (Gibson 1).
Fell notes that such ideologies are very dangerous. He even related the rant of Elliot Rodger – a 22 year old man who killed six people because a woman whom he really liked and other many women whom he liked refused to be her girl fiend and have sex with him; he actually found being a virgin at the age of 22 to be a valid reason to kill people – to be the result of “ordinary men” being exposed to the ideologies of the Men’s Rights Movement (Fell 1).
What Gibson and Fell is really saying in that the advocacies and ideologies of the Men’s Rights Movement are just a bunch of rabble rousing – to which I agree. I agree with such criticisms, because, whether we admit it or not the opportunity for men in our society – especially the western and “white” society – despite claiming being relatively liberal than other oriental or Arabic cultures provides more opportunities for men in many different aspects of the society. Although I personally acknowledge that there are some very few points that the movement is making – such as their stand against conscription or the mandatory sending of men to enlist in the army (Goldwag 145). I also think that the feminists are taking it too easy on them. I think that feminist should be focusing more on exposing the danger of misogynistic ideologies by using the events such that of Elliot’s shooting spree really to bring down and expose the craftiness and the danger of this movement (News.com.au 1). Unlike feminism, the Men’s Rights Movement seems to be hate-motivated, rather than change and improvement motivated. Such organizations that are founded upon hatred could cause no good in our society. The first amendment guarantees equal rights to all of humanity – while we believe in this first amendment and the ideologies of the forefathers who built a strong nation then we must believe that, indeed, women should have equal opportunities as men do; hence there is nothing wrong or to be hated about women striving to attain such equal rights.
In conclusion, there are a lot of injustices and discrimination happening to men, women, and the LGBTs in our society. But these injustices should not become reasons for sexism that results to further oppression of another group or an individual. Misogyny is a not a valid way to push forward men’s rights. If the MRAs are having a problem with conscription or with rape then they should deal with it legally – they can’t blame everything on women (Grether 1). In other words, I believe that we can make changes in our modern society without becoming haters of our fellow beings.
Works Cited
Fell, James S. The Toxic Appeal of the Men’s Rights Movement. 29 May 2014. Web. 4 July 2014. <http://time.com/134152/the-toxic-appeal-of-the-mens-rights-movement/>.
Gibson, Megan. Men’s Rights Activists Didn’t Like Lena Dunham’s SNL Skit That Made Fun of Men’s Rights Activists. 10 March 2014. Web. 4 July 2014. <http://time.com/18102/mens-rights-activists-didnt-like-lena-dunhams-snl-skit-jewelry-party-reddit/>.
Goldwag, A. "Leader’s Suicide Brings Attention to Men’s Rights Movement". Intelligence Report (Southern Poverty Law Center). 2012. p. 145. Print.
Grether, Nicole. Men's rights activist: Feminists have used rape 'as a scam'. 6 June 2014. Web. 4 July 2014. <http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/america-tonight/articles/2014/6/6/mena-s-rights-activistfeministshaveusedrapeaasascama.html>.
Malleier, Elisabeth."Der 'Bund fürMännerrechte'. Die Bewegungder Männerrechtler'im Wien der Zwischenkriegszeit". Wiener Geschichtsblätter 58.3(2003): 208–233.
News.com.au. The killer’s ties to ‘men’s rights’ groups. 26 May 2014. Web. 4 July 2014. <http://nypost.com/2014/05/26/killers-links-to-the-mens-rights-activist-movement/>.
Wrussnig, Kerstin Christin. "'WollenSieein Mann seinodereinWeiberknecht?' ZurMännerrechtsbewegung in Wien der Zwischenkriegszeit". Master's thesis: University of Vienna. 2009.
Who are they? Where are they? Whatd do they want? Where are they? Do they have ang good points or is it a bunch of rabble rousing? Are they being too easily dismissed by feminists or are teh feminist taking it too easy on them?
