I know so many well intentioned people who really do care about men’s issues, but are simply too afraid to speak about them.
So their love remains unfelt, voices unheard and content unshared; not because they are wrong, badly intended, or lacking in compassion, but because of the stigma of simply acknowledging men’s issues.
You see – to say that American men are just as likely to face domestic abuse as American women, is an entirely accurate and probable fact, but somehow seemingly wrong to say.
And the fact that 37% of those reporting rape to the CDC are men, is a fact of life that you can see for yourself right here (https://tinyurl.com/3buf8tks), but nobody dares say it.
So the stark reality that politics, advocacy and basic human compassion, is simply about popularity, and not about meaningful change, becomes an ugly truth that cannot be ignored.
Because the truth is rarely popular, and conversation often uncomfortable.
And those who are willing to step out of line and speak for vulnerable men are cowed into submission, shamed, slandered and vilified, and with no sense of irony, called hateful bigots – by the real hateful bigots themselves.
They are accused of having power, by those who have it, and told they’ve ‘had their say’, by the voice that has dominated the conversation for a lifetime.
So take a step back and ask – who are you afraid of?
Who has taken your voice and your power?
Is it an evil hidden empire of men atop the tall tower? Is it an oppressive male monolith? An eerily abstract fantasy?
Or is it something else?
Maybe share this post, and they’ll reveal who they are, for themselves.
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Sources: Straus https://tinyurl.com/2p5w85ap
NISVS 2015 https://tinyurl.com/3buf8tks
Illustration by Icon for you and David Thai.