'Community Rewards Healthy Masculinity'

Submitted by Mastodon on Wed, 2013-12-18 21:26

Story here. Excerpt:

'Thursday evening, December 12, 2013, Chad Borgen hoisted the first Healthy Man Beard Competition Trophy, donated by U.P. Laser Engraving, as the Copper Country Grand Champion.

The event was hosted to help bring awareness to the staggering extent and impact of violence against women, and to focus community attention on the transformative roles that men play in stopping this violence. According to the World Health Organization, one in three women (35.6 percent) experience sexual or physical violence worldwide, much of which occurs from their intimate partner. It is important to remember that most men are not violent; however, if this global epidemic is to ever be reduced or eliminated, it will require men to model and demonstrate healthy masculinity by stepping up, actively engaging issues of violence, and deeming it unacceptable in our society. It is not enough just to be a healthy man; earning this distinction requires courage and strength of character to stand up for others.'

Like0 Dislike0

Comments

... male --> female violence, male --> female violence still won't stop.

This is because committing violent acts or using intimidation to control or scare another person is a categorical matter in a person's character, which is to say, the way they act and react in the world when presented with various situations. Once it is OK on principle to coerce or use violence against one type of person, it becomes OK to do it anyone. This is because of the way humans are wired.

Example: Before you got "potty-trained", using a toilet was not really thinkable to you because for whatever reason, you couldn't do it (you were too small, too young yet, etc.) But after that happened, were you now only ever going to use the toilet in your house? No. Almost immediately, you started using them wherever you were. Why? Because it was expedient, necessary, and it got you what you wanted, which was relief of bodily discomfort, albeit temporarily. There was nothing special about your toilet at home. You didn't hold out to use only your toilet at home because to do so would be restrictive; it would limit your ability to go places, etc., especially as you got a little older and wanted to be part of visits to other kids' houses, and other activities requiring your absence from home.

Once one realizes it's possible to be violent and coercive to others and it yields desired results, it becomes OK to do it to anyone-- for the same reason it's OK that after a child is potty-trained, he or she will go off and use whatever toilet is handy when the need arises.

Violence and coercion can't be addressed by picking and choosing who is worthy of the respect needed to refrain from using it. It must be categorically prohibited for all people against all people in order for any efforts to eradicate it to work -- yet even females' DV against males.

Like0 Dislike0
Submitted by Matt on Thu, 2013-12-19 03:26