Re Sarah Bee
The way that this proposal is worded is sexist. Most commentators here are pointing out the fact that highlighting only one side if the problem is almost as bad as doing nothing at all. While a “Save the females” campaign will help in some small ways, it will also server to hide the damage being done to males.
We only have to look at the effect of the “think of the children” campaign have had on the male numbers in primary and junior schooling. All males have been demonised because of the actions of a very few. It is very noteworthy that in some cases there was also a female involved in the atrocities. The females role was never hyped by the media in the same way that the males was though. Is this because all of these “little women” were terrified of the man? I doubt that that was the case otherwise the tabloids would have spread that across the front pages with great glee.
Males have suffered a huge amount of unnecessary and undeserved blame and oppression in the last couple of decades. Attitudes towards men have changed in a lot of not so subtle ways. Now it is seen as reasonable that sections of society be “protected” from men. Not just one or two men but all men. I find that unacceptable.
A cartoon depicting a woman berating a man can be published and be considered acceptable by most ‘normal’ people. A similar cartoon, with the roles reversed would not. Why is this so? Isn’t the abuse of either gender unacceptable?
TV adverts are shown almost daily depicting people in situations which would be totally unacceptable if the gender roles were reversed. Why? Is it acceptable for men to be shown as stupid but not acceptable to show women as such?
Otherwise reasonable moderators say that the bigger problem is mens violence against women and we should tackle that first. We can leave the smaller problem until later. Why, is it unimportant? Remember that the smaller problem is still part of the whole problem. It is the whole problem that must be looked at.
These are attitudes which must be highlighted if we are to bring a rational focus onto DV and equality.
It is time for the media, even a red top like el Reg, to start hammering back at the politicians demanding some balance. Don’t target DV against women, target DV. Remember when you’re calling for a new womans shelter that a DV shelter would help more. I know that DV against women is a larger problem that that against men. However I also point out that DV is a larger problem still.
Jacqui Smith has shown herself to be a sexist bigot. Now it is up to you, the media, to tell her, and others like her, that sexist bigots and bigotry of any form, from either gender is unacceptable.
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