Mens Rights Movement, Editorial

Nov 30, 2010

It’s no secret that the MRM is gaining traction.  Not, perhaps, in the form that many would normally ascribe to a social movement.  We have the emergent discipline of Male Studies and a loose scattering of legal and legislative efforts, mostly on behalf of fathers. But in general, organization is in a state of infancy that may well be perpetual.

Men’s organizing on their own behalf (successfully anyway) is, despite a century of feminist propaganda and claptrap, an extreme rarity. Most likely it has never happened.  It is contrary to our biological programming. We are wired to protect, provide and sacrifice for others (read: women), and to regard men who defy that programming as weak, biological deadweight.

Perhaps that is why we shine brightest in the faceless, impersonal world of the internet, where, if we choose, our beliefs can be expressed from behind a shroud of anonymity; where whatever notions we have of manhood cannot be smeared in ways that follow us through each and every day into the most private, vital parts of our personal lives.

And in this light speed milieu of circuit boards and binary code, we are reflecting and often shaping a new consciousness of manhood.

That is where the trouble begins, and where we have not seen even the least of it.
In this burgeoning electronic community, we are divided into overlapping but philosophically distinct factions that coexist in a sometimes uneasy peace.  And sometimes, of course, there is a more palpable friction.
It has always been conventional wisdom that there was not enough real estate to mark too many boundaries; that we needed to share a platform, even with vastly divergent views, and cling to whatever unanimity we could muster.

It appears to me, though, that it is time to draw some lines. Tricky business, that.
But sooner or later it will prove necessary and unavoidable.

What we face here is a division between those who long for a return of traditional masculinity and those who are ready to turn the page into a new era. While I often respect those who take solace in the old world arrangement, I cannot escape the certainty that in the modern age it amounts to nothing more than a death trap for most of the men who enter it. And I offer that an objective look at history would reveal that it always was a death trap. Perhaps a necessary one in its time, but that time has passed.
Yes, the time for traditionalism has passed.

I am not going to enter into any snarky rant, the kind that I would normally reserve for fembots.  But I do want to make some items clear, because they will be factors that guide the content of this site for the foreseeable future.  I am going to work on these items in the coming days and they will be used to replace the current “Mission and Values” listed at the top of this page. They will also have the added utility of serving as the foundation for this sites editorial and commenting policy.

Please allow me to remind you that as always, this site is “A” Voice for Men, not “The” Voice for Men, for a good reason.  I declined any identification as a leader a long time ago.  I am speaking for myself here, and for the editorial policy of this site.  I am calling it my little corner of the MRM, but I am acutely aware that I am only dealing with my own opinion.

That being said, let’s get started with AVfM’s 10 editorial policies. I like to refer to this step as going Zeta.

A Voice for Men is:

1. Pro Male- That means men and boys as a monolithic group, without consideration to race, creed, color, religion, lack of religion or sexual orientation. Racists, religious elitists or the anti homosexual obsessed need not apply.
2. Anti-feminist- AVfM regards feminism as a corrupt, hateful and disingenuous ideology based in female elitism and misandry. And AVfM regards all self proclaimed feminists as agents, unwitting or otherwise, of that hate and corruption.
3. Anti Marriage- this site supports the marriage strike and post marriage culture. There will be no articles posted in favor of the institution, or inferring to young men that it is a safe endeavor.
4. Pro Male Reproductive Rights- AVfM supports the concept of Legal Choice for Men (LC4M), which would allow men to unilaterally reject parental obligations during the same time a woman is allowed to obtain a legal abortion.  AVfM takes no actual moral stand on abortion, save recognizing the fact that the repeal of Roe v Wade would result only in a massive spike in entitlements for women, dysfunctional children and a commensurate increase in court enforced slavery for men.
5. Anti Chivalry- AVfM supports the idea of total and complete equality of opportunity between the sexes.  Chivalry is a form of sexism that works both against the well being of men and the credibility of women.  No articles at AVfM supporting chivalry will be published.
6. Apolitical- AVfM rejects the current political paradigm, accepting that it is misandric on all fronts.  AVfM will not endorse ANY political candidate, of any party, though articles may address misandry or the lack of it in certain political figures or activities.  On this site, Republicans, Democrats, Labour, Conservative and Liberal parties are all viewed as equally worthless, and their partisan followers as equally brainwashed.
7. Anti Prosthelytizing- No articles will assert religion of any kind as a solution to men’s issues, though articles pointing to the coercion of religion on men may run as submitted.
8. Anti Traditional- AVfM articles, in general, will reject traditional values where they apply to expectations of men.  This includes, but is not limited to men’s roles as protectors and providers.  At AVfM each man is free to define his own masculinity outside, and in total indifference to the expectations of others. There is no such thing as a “real” man, except as defined by the individual.
9. Anti-violent- AVfM supports only peaceful change on all levels of human interaction; social, political and otherwise.
10. Pro Free Speech- In this, there is a distinction between editorial and commenting policies.  All manner of dissent and expression, with the sole exception of violence, or the ideation of violence, will be tolerated. Some conditions on this will be explained in the comments policy.

Author By Paul Elam