I feel that the time is ripe to write something about how we as a movement should give some thought to public relations and how to help increase our numbers in the men's movement. I would like to ask every reader of Mensactivism.org to take a moment to read this article and reflect on it, and tell me what you think. I don't pretend to have all the answers, but I think it's time for a discussion on the following topic. Click "Read More" below for the text...

Regulars here at Mensactivism will probably love this article, so I'll ask you a quick question: Have you ever wondered what would happen if a hardcore feminist looked long and hard in the mirror about their beliefs and said what they saw? You don't have to wonder anymore as viewing this link shows you the results, and the honesty is quite surprising and refreshing at the same time. I was gonna give a quote, but where's the fun in that? Read it, it's a rare find.

frank h writes "I found this article courtesy of David Limbaugh (Rush's brother) in his most recent article here. I don't even have the time to get angry about this one, but it's more psycho-babble about how children are better off if dad's don't really KNOW if their children are really theirs." Something tells me that the field of evolutionary psychology has a long way to go...

Neil Steyskal writes "Sunday the Washington Post published a major article advocating political preferences for Afghan women. Comment to: letters@washpost.com. The Christian Science Monitor has also editorialized in favor of special programs for Afghan women. Comment to: oped@csps.com."

Les Farkas found this offensive ad in a recent issue of Chicago Magazine. Needless to say, this is another issue worth writing in to protest. Les writes, "[Montauk was] so smugly satisfied with the ad that they showcase it on their homepage...This kind of advertising creates a climate where men can be systematically ridiculed and put in their place. The ad reinforces this kind attitude in women." Click Read More for contact information where you can send your opinion of this. Given that the ad is so outrageous, I think we have a chance of effecting some change. Kudos to Les for initiating this project.

Here's a conflicting article
From Fox News, I say conflicting because in one-way men are glorified for putting their lives on the line to help others, and on the other hand praised for being open with their emotions. For example in the article Liz Quilty says "Not just because they are the picture of strength and masculinity, but also because they've done the hardest, most noble job of all, which is to put their own lives second to others." and then Nancy Kirsch says "There is also an inner strength shown. Men on television are welling up and crying, but it doesn't mean they aren't strong ... my gosh, it is the opposite." Can you see the culture clash now? Keep your eyes on this one, it's bound to evolve into something interesting.

Men's Health America released a second special report on the neglect of Afghan men's human rights. This time, the focus is on the United Nations, which has spoken out on many occasions against the treatment of Afghan women, but neglected men. The report outlines several examples of this, and will serve as good material for any letters you decide to send in to the media. Neil Steyskal is our main media watcher for this campaign, and will be forwarding stories to this site which are in need of response.

Neil Steyskal writes "The NY Times has published another editorial about Afghan women -- still without a word about the many men in Afghanistan who have been executed, tortured, and subjected to forced labor. Comment to: letters@nytimes.com."

Mike LaSalle writes "Men's News Daily has published an original article by Bill Kuhl on the subject of women's violence against men. Kuhl is currently writing his graduate thesis on the subject. Men, he says, endure as much violence to their possessions as they do their persons. And women, it turns out, often use weapons to gain advantage in their violent encounters."

This Men's Health America posting outlines the consistent human rights violations perpetrated against Afghan men, both before and as the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan. The request in this activism project is to let others know about these facts, by distributing the post to friends and mailing lists you belong to.

Ched writes "In [the song] 'Brotha,' Angie Stone celebrates black men instead of dissing them in the usual hip-hop way. ''When I give a concert now and say, `Where are my guys at?' they all go, `Yeah!' Because maybe for the first time, they can really enjoy a show. They don't have to squirm down into their seats because they think a woman is going to cut them up." The Boston Globe story can be read here.

This story in the Chicago Tribune reports on new legislation to equalize men and women (particularly in divorce) in Turkey. The legislation was lauded by a women's group calling themselves "The Flying Broom," but what's more interesting is the fact that the legislation genuinely seems to promote equality rather than privelege of women over men. Previously, in a divorce women were entitled only to property legally registered in their names. Now, property and assets are to be divided equally. At the same time, men will be able to seek alimony from wives. Of course, we'll need to wait and see how Turkey interprets the application of the law toward men down the road.

Today, the Men's Health America mailing list announced an activism campaign to break the silence about the brutalization of Afghan men. While we've all heard about the oppression of women under the Taliban, the treatment of men under this regime can in no way be likened to "freedom" and "empowerment." It's time to remind the media about this, and to do so in numbers. Starting Friday, November 23, and for at least the next 10 days, messages on the MHA mailing list will outline activities you can participate in to make a difference. Please join the list if you're not a member, as it's a great resource. We will also be linking to each message related to this project.

The latest column by Glenn Sacks isn't directly focused on men's rights, but it does deal with the very real phenomenon of young boys being impressed into armies and forced to do horrendous things. Glenn's article, A Hero Without a Country, tells the story of a young boy who is drafted into a Guatemalan faction's army, and his eventual escape and later life as an illegal immigrant in the U.S. It's the kind of article that gets you to stop and reflect for a minute.

Emanslave sent in this story from ABCNews.com. It's about the socialization of boys and girls with respect to what kinds of toys they play with. It points out that when girls play with "boy" toys, that it isn't a big deal with other children, but when a boys plays with a "girl" toy, they tend to receive sharp socialization messages which discourage this behavior. William Pollack is quoted in the article, and while I think this is a legitimate issue, I feel the article is tainted with the idea that we need to resocialize children away from any gender differences.