So we're coming up on a week since Elliott Rodger decided to have his "retribution" against women, and it's pretty obvious it struck nerve with me, as it has any decent human being on the planet.
One of the prevailing responses I've had, mostly from men, when I've shared feminist articles this past week has been that it's easier to sympathise with feminist arguments when they're calmer and easier to approach. Setting aside the topic of whether or not we should only listen to an argument if it's presented in a tone we find acceptable, I realised that there's a far better approach.
It's simple. If you read an article where there's a valid point being made, one you agree with, and you think that it can reach more people if phrased differently, do it. Share it. Express it in terms you think will reach a new audience. There's more than one way to fight the good fight, and no one person should be expected to reach everyone.
An article may not be palatable, but that doesn't mean it's not making a good point. One of the hardest things I've ever done is look at myself and see the mistakes I was making kicking back against a point just because I got annoyed at the tone. But there is some really horrible behaviour going on, directed at women and minorities. And I think it's better to all speak out any way we can than to resist just because you'd rather the message was sent a different way.
So if you think there's a way to get more people to listen, start talking.
May 29, 2014
Responding to Feminism
Paul Anthony Shortt believes in magic and monsters. In ghosts and fairies. The creatures that lurk under the bed and inside the closet. The things that live in the dark, and the heroes who stand against them. Above all, he believes that stories have the power to change the world, and the most important stories are the ones which show that monsters can be beaten.
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Please also read this article:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2014/05/_yesallwomen_in_the_wake_of_elliot_rodger_why_it_s_so_hard_for_men_to_recognize.html
Part of the reason so many of us men have such a knee-jerk reaction to being told how prevalent misogyny is, and how it creates a world of fear for women, is that we're not aware of it. And people are amazing at convincing themselves something isn't a problem simply because they don't see it.
But it's there. People are living in fear because of it. They're literally dying because of it.