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by Anonymous User on 09:38 AM June 20th, 2004 EST (#1)
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"If not, well, you missed a great conference! :)"
I've never been much of a vacation taker or traveler. In a nutshell, due to my circumstances, it has always been really difficult to get away. Therefore, in addition to all the other points coming out of this congress how about two more, both under the heading of inclusivity:
#1 How can men be encouraged, subsidized, etc. to attend future conferences.
#2 How can future conferences reach more people (videotaping, audiotaping, pictures with brief summaries, etc.). I know it's just too time consuming to transcribe the whole thing in writing, and providing any "copy" of the event may discourage attendees, still there are guys and gals who just can't make it. I would say just don't make any offer of a recording until after the event.
Considering the advancing years of a number of men's activists (baby boomers) it would be good to try to keep those people in the loop through the technological means of communication. I'm still trying to figure out how to reach and keep poor men in the loop, who have been most greatly victimized by the radical/gender feminist agenda, but have not the time, money, or hope to be involved.
I think it is the goal of the radical/gender feminist agenda to move all men into that disempowered, disenfranchised group as quickly, as efficiently, and as ruthlessly as possible.
Ray
P.S. I'm looking forward to the pictures and as many details as possible. I'm truly sorry not to have been there and to have been a part of the the congress. It sounds like it was a great and historic day, that may well be remembered years from now, when men write about in textbooks for men's studies classes.
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Ray - #1 How can men be encouraged, subsidized, etc. to attend future conferences. ?
I am glad to say that a number of men stepped forward and made donations and scholarships which allowed 6 people to attend who might not be able to otherwise. The generosity of these men was very much appreciated. I see no reason why we can't do the some thing next year and maybe on a larger scale. Many of the men who donated scholarships were unable to come themselves but wanted to make it possible for others to attend. This is a prime example of the mature masculine and is rarely seen in the media.
#2 How can future conferences reach more people (videotaping, audiotaping, pictures with brief summaries, etc.).
The main presenters were all videotaped. All have agreed, with the exception of Carnell Smith, to allow us to make the tapes public at no cost. The professional videographer who taped the event is planning to create a 1/2-1 hour tape of the event and then send out the tapes to cable public assess stations around the country. There are plans to also make the tapes available to individuals at cost. I can't tell you how glad I am to see that we will now be able to continue this message beyond the congress. My sincere thanks to the videographer, Mike Seeber from Minnesota. Mike is also a strong proponent of men's rights if you haven't guessed and a good man too.
I think it is the goal of the radical/gender feminist agenda to move all men into that disempowered, disenfranchised group as quickly, as efficiently, and as ruthlessly as possible.
The most popular breakout session at the Congress was run by Jack Kammer and was titled, "What will it Take to Have Black Men and White Men Work Together on Men's Issues?" It was excellent. Brainstorming about working together. We will likely be looking to draw a more diverse crowd for next year and seeking out new confererates.
I have some of the audio already and may be putting some of it on the web. I will let you know when.
Do we have True Equality?
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an interesting idea occured to me today. The movement needs to reach out to younger men. preferibly college guys like myself, if one takes a look at all the major american social movements in the last 100 years have been the young. if we can mobiles these young men of all races and religoins and fight the apathy thats infecting my generation, we will have one hell of a social force to be reckoned with.then and only then can we really affect change
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by Anonymous User on 09:40 PM June 23rd, 2004 EST (#14)
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"The movement needs to reach out to younger men. preferibly college guys..."
Jimmyd:
I've been wanting to write a flyer listing issues that young men face on campus and other places in their lives.
It would be in the format like the one on the NCFMLA web site. In fact I was a part of writing that one. Time has been one excuse, for not getting around to it, although I have some ideas of things I'd like to put into it: selective service, student loan eligibility, Title IX, women's studies creating sexist and hostile environments against males, etc.
A better flyer might come from a younger person, or at least collaboration with a younger person. As I've said to guys in our group before, "We have a target rich envioronment for opportunities for activism." I really do wish someone would organize on college campuses. An NCFM club on some college campus wouldn't be a bad way to start that process, preferably one that has a women's studies program, and a newspaper so the club would have active issues and a format for communication. I'm not sure what would be required at the college level to do that and each campus has its own unique rules I'm sure. College students are also heavy loaded with classes and work too.
No denying, it is a good idea, and needs to be done.
I just finished making this T-shirt for mensbiz, and the picture was taken of a sidewalk in front of a local So. Cal College.
(click) Teach Truth
Ray
(Please do not scroll up the page of the linked item(s). All the info I am trying to convey is only as the page comes up initially.)
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i have accually started a club called the men's project here on campus, and would love for it to bcome a ncfm branch
i'am afraid i could only war your more mellow stuff due to the fact that the attitude between us and trhe local feminists at the moment is one o peacefull coexistence
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Here is a link to some pics of the congress. It was a great day!
Conference day pictures
Here are some pics for lobbying day.
Lobby day pictures
A couple of us were wishing you were there with your truck Ray! I will give you a good response to your questions later today but right now I am headed down to the mall and the fathers march.
Do we have True Equality?
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by Anonymous User on 02:59 PM June 20th, 2004 EST (#3)
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"A couple of us were wishing you were there with your truck Ray!"
That makes at least three. The pictures are great. Picketing the Capitol and the Supreme Court is a still a goal of mine so to see you guys doing it is a real encouragement.
Ray
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Very kool pictures! But how about some captions!
Congratualtions on holding a successful conference.
Makes me feel good that I contributed $ to this noble effort. My money was well spent!
Thanks!
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I have to say that this conference was very, very well done and I hope it will be put on again next year. I took some photos but most didn't come out too good; Tom's are much nicer.
One thing I do regret deeply is the fact that I spent barely any time meeting with these fine men and women outside of the Saturday conference itself. Thomas, Glenn, Matt, Tom, Ed, CrescentLuna, TLE, and others - I feel incredibly disappointed that we didn't have more time to chat. I had intended to join you afterwards on Saturday but apparently I returned to the conference center several minutes too late, and the group was nowhere to be found.
I owe you all a beer and the next time you're in the Boston/NH area, please drop me a line. I don't intend to make this same mistake again.
Scott
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Scott - We missed you afterwards! We didn't realize until too late that you weren't with us. It was confusing with about 30 of us making our way in small groups to a local pub. Hard to tell who was there and who was not. Thomas and I were trying to figure a way to get to you. Bummer.
Thanks for your kind words about the Congress. I think the best thing about it was the breaks and lunch when people had time to check in with each other. Lots of good people meeting lots of good people. That can only help us.
Do we have True Equality?
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I was in a bar last night with some of my friends, and one guy asked me what I did over the weekend. I told him I attended the first national men's rights conference in Washington DC. A girl sitting next to me cackled out a huge laugh, "ha HA!!!" I responded that this was a typical female reaction, and that it is exactly her attitude we are fighting against. She went off on how men have all the rights, and the same feminist BS lines from 20 or 30 years ago. I started off talking about how only young men are required to register for the draft and may face forced conscription into selective service. To my surprise my two male friends jumped in, one talking about the ridicule of men in the media and commercials, and the other describing the hostile school environment experienced by boys, and the lopsided numbers of females enrolling in colleges. We continued with a discussion on the disparity in government funding for men's health.
It was the first time I'd seen these guys engage on the subject. Suddenly it was three against one, and this girl with her cliche feminist outburst was backed into a corner. It was the first time I felt like I wasn't off on a tangent. The regular guys became as passionate about men's rights as they normally are about sports. To me it was a milestone. It's a sign men's rights issues are about to go mainstream.
It was a pleasure to meet all of you in DC!
Tom
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by Anonymous User on 04:22 PM June 23rd, 2004 EST (#12)
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I've had similar experiences. While I'm not a confrontational sort of guy, this actually gets to be fun. Try it for yourself!
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The men's rights weekend was amazing. For those unable to attend, here are some recurring themes I noticed from the speakers and informal conversations.
1. The strength of the movement can be great even in small numbers. Spiderman demonstrated this well, and such tactics are certainly possible in the US.
2. Fatherhood is the most salient and sellable men's issue. The largest political payoff may come from making equal treatment of fathers the central issue. Moreover, "equality for men" may be a better theme than "men's rights". No one in Washington wants to hear about another victim group, and equality is an idea almost everyone respects and values highly. I have to admit "men's rights" still sounds a little funny to me.
3. Many men think there's nothing they can do about their situation. Pondering mens' situation can easily lead to grave conclusions, hopelessness, and depression. But the mostly positive reactions of Capitol Hill legislative staff, the public, and the press demonstrate people are hearing the message. Every bus driver and cab driver who saw my sign "I AM NOT A WALLET" gave me a hearty thumbs-up. The legislative staff I spoke with listened intently and clearly had eye-opening experiences hearing personal stories and grievances about the current state of affairs. The Washington Times published an op-ed describing the impact of current policies on a personal level. If we remain vigilant in these contexts, I think change has to happen.
4. The possibility of high-profile action by small numbers of activists notwithstanding, the movement could benefit from expanding. Black men take a worse hit from anti-male prejudice and discrimination than white men do, and I think each group could learn a lot from the other. Greater visibility of 2nd wives and estranged grandparents could be strategically shrewd. Organizing on college campuses could pose a serious challenge to feminists' monopoly on the discussion of the sexes.
5. The large presence of people who've never been divorced, falsely accused, drafted, and so forth was impressive. It demonstrates that people are waking up!
6. The domestic violence industry is a tax-funded activist arm of feminists. Simply said, we must dismantle it.
Zeek the Newbie
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by Anonymous User on 08:37 PM June 21st, 2004 EST (#9)
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Zeek:
Good insights. I enjoyed reading your perspective.
Ray
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