It’s hard to exist in this space of advocacy, and retain any faith in politics. To know boys are behind at every stage of education… That men are more likely to die at every age, and have poorer health on all measures… That the greatest risk to my life, like all young men, is suicide… To know that men and boys are the number one victim of violent crime, and make up nearly 90% of homeless deaths, 70% of drug deaths, 94% of workplaces deaths, 71% of homicide victims, and are 96% of those incarcerated… Yet nothing is said or done, and it breaks my heart on a daily basis. Worse, this is made doubly bewildering by the insistence that such men and boys are ‘privileged’, and not needing of help. That ‘men did it to themselves’, and if they would simply cry a little, talk more, or be less toxic, then all of their issues would disappear. This is not true. But nonetheless, our politicians are all too happy to use such a flawed perspective as a mandate to do nothing. So we find ourselves alone, waiting for change that never seems to arrive. Well… I think we’re all tired of waiting. Waiting, and watching as men die, as our boys fall behind, and drop out; and now we are going to start making demands. No more online whining, no more cool looking infographics on your Instagram feed to be chewed on and forgotten about. No more pointing out the problems with an empty hand of answers. It’s time to go offline, to take action, and to shove the conversation under the noses and into the hands of those who’ve failed us. To bombard and bamboozle those who betrayed boys and men; and to keep doing so, until change arrives, whether they’re ready for it, or not. So here’s the plan. And I call it TheTinManifesto… Get yours at ministerformen.com #mensmentalhealth #malesuicideawareness

2024-06-21