Tuesday, November 28, 2006

White Ribbon anti male campaign - calling on men to help!

This is a summary of the conversation I had with the White Ribbon Campaign people (a UN imitative would you believe). I spoke to a Astrid who clamed that they were equally concerned about violence against men, yet upon investigating their web site her comment appears intended to deceive.
She remained silent on the issue of false alligations of violence used against fathers to exclude them from their children. She appears happy about empowing women to abuse men.

I am greatly relieved to hear today that the UN will not be adopting the anti male charter submitted by the gender separatists, however it seems these extremist are still getting plenty of funding to run anti-male "violence against women" campaigns.
Apart from antagonising conflicted situations and empowing women to hurt men and their children, this does little to reduce violence against women or men, if anything it makes violent situations much more volatile.

Sadly it is the main contribution factor to the 3 - 5 fathers that commit suicide every day in Australia.
As a man I am particularly disgusted at violence against women by men, because men are biologically disposed to protect women. I am however applauded at the way extremist anti male interests are branding men as violent and empowing women to hut us with abuse alligations. Their failure to address the slightly increased cases of women's violence against men underscores that credibility problem.

Regrads
Simon Hunt

My email conversation with the White Ribbon Campaign.
To Astrid,

On second thoughts, could you forward on my query to Michael Flood (I couldn't find a way to post it on the 'Blog'). I'm sure he'll answer my queries if he wants to - either by denying the statistical evidence that partner violence by women against men is slightly higher that the other way around. He might also explain how blaming partner violence on one gender does anything more than empowing and inciting abuse of the other gender, thereby exacerbating the problem. He may also like to comment on the campaign's effect on the high level of false accusations against fathers in child custody litigation and the effect this has on children....as well as the absence of fathers from children's lives, and reducing level of male teachers in our schools.
Regards
Simon

To Astrid,
I am well aware of Michaels Floods views which I belive are extreme and sadly polarised. I was hoping you might offer a more balanced view of partner violence and the dmage of false alligations to children.
Simon
From Astrid,
Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 8:39 AM
Subject: Re: FAMILY VIOLENCE not a gender issue.

Dear Simon,
I believe the best person associated with the White Ribbon Campaign to answer your queries and concerns is Dr Michael Flood - the moderator of the White Ribbon Blog. His biography and previous posts can be found on the website www.whiteribbonday.org.au and on the Blog.
Simply read the posts and click "Add Comment" to post your opinion.
I look forward to seeing Michael's response.
Regards,
Astrid Edwards
Campaign Assistant
White Ribbon Day
The Glover Cottages
124 Kent Street
Millers Point 2000
Phone 02 9247 8418/ 0412 795 636
Email admin@whiteribbonday.org.au
www.whiteribbonday.org.au
www.unifem.org.au
----- Original Message -----
To astrid From: Simon
Sent: Monday, November 27, 2006 1:38 PM
Subject: Fw: FAMILY VIOLENCE not a gender issue.
and this....(from the white Ribbon Web site)
While boys and men are the large majority of perpetrators of violence, boys and men often are also the victims. Males are bashed up, bullied and sexually assaulted. Ending violence to girls and women and ending violence to boys and men are part of the same struggle - to create a world based on equality, justice and non-violence." (The Resource Kits of previous years have said something similar.) We would be thrilled to see a major public campaign in Australia addressing the violence that men experience. Such a campaign would be an invaluable complement to campaigns such as the White Ribbon Campaign.
Are you sating that men are the only cuase of violence agaist men as well?
Please help me out here, is my male brain preventing me from understanding this issue?

Dear Astrid,
I went to the Michael Flood Bloog link - but there was no forum
How do you post comments on your blogg?
I also saw this and wonder how anybody could say this indicates a even handed approach to partner violence in society?

Violence Against Women Is A Men's Problem
Violence against women is a men's problem because:
  • we have to deal with the impact of other men's violence on the women and girls that we love. Domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse leave deep emotional wounds, indeed emotional scars, that impact on many men's relationships with our wives, daughters, sisters, mothers and friends;
  • sometimes we are the bystanders to other men's violence, and have to make a choice: do we stay silent and look the other way when our male friends and relatives insult or attack women, or do we speak up?
  • sometimes we have used violence ourselves.


Regards,
Simon Hunt
PO Box 172 Elwood, VIC 3184
From: Simon
Sent: Monday, November 27, 2006 1:26 PM
Subject: Re: FAMILY VIOLENCE not a gender issue.

Dear Astrid,
The way to reduce partner violence is by addressing the reality that its not a gender issue. Pitting one gender against the other with dis-information will cause devastating problems fro children and their fathers...and therefore society as a whole.
Capitalising on men's biological instinct to protect women to denigrate men is crazy and dangerous.
(its a bit like the Nazis getting Jews to kill Jews in WWII).
If nothing else it empower women to abuse men with abuse alligations - a modern day epidemic that ultimately harms women too.
A civilised society must protect its people - pitting one gender against the other is contrary to our interests as a species.
Focusing on violence against women whist ignoring the slightly increased instances of violence by women against men, sends a very clear message.
that is OK for women to be violent against men and to use violence alligations against them as well.
I noted in the media today concerns about the new "dob in a tax cheating accountant" initiative because it empowers accountants to attack their competitors.
Why have none of you thought about this problem is regard to your campaign against men?
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, November 27, 2006 9:02 AM
Subject: Re: FAMILY VIOLENCE not a gender issue.

Dear Simon,

We here at UNIFEM Australia and the White Ribbon Campaign believe passionately in human rights, and are working towards ending domestic violence in our community.

This is a public awareness campaign that aims to permanently change community attitudes regarding all forms of violence and intimidation against
women over the next decade. We believe that once community attitudes have progressed and developed, more appropriate and realistic legislation will follow, to the benefit of all women. We ultimately aim to eliminate the stigma that surrounds both the issue of domestic violence and the victims of it - both male and female. We realise that this is a public awareness campaign that will only be effective in the long term, rather like the decade-long campaigns that targeted drink driving, speeding and wearing seat belts.
The National Leadership Group of the White Ribbon Campaign asks that you lodge your opinion on the White Ribbon Blog, where we encourage debate about all the issues that we seek to address.

Sincerely,

Astrid Edwards
Campaign Assistant
White Ribbon Day
PO Box 20
Killara NSW 2071
Phone (02) 9247 8418
Email: admin@whiteribbonday.org.au
www.whiteribbonday.org.au
www.unifem.org.au
----- Original Message -----
From: Simon
Sent: Friday, November 24, 2006 11:27 AM
Subject: FAMILY VIOLENCE not a gender issue.

Dear Madam, Sir,
While I applaud the government's White Ribbon campaign in an effort to reduce/end violence experienced by women, essentially it doesn't go far enough! Violence in all its forms is unacceptable: the violence of men towards women, the violence of women towards men (which according to numerous studies is actually just slightly more than men towards women - see references below including recent NZ research) , AND the violence done to children by false accusations of violence and the subsequent loss of their relationship with their father.
There seems to be a myopic view by governments and agencies in their unwillingness to acknowledge and deal with these issues. Yes, some women do experience violence and we are all horrified by the highly publicised shocking instances, yet these should not become the basis for the general suspicion and maligning of a whole gender.
Such prevailing assumptions mean (1) that the problem of female violence is ignored and (2) that accusations of violence/abuse become ready weapons for women who may want to exclude the father from their children's lives. To attribute violence, or any characteristic, solely to one gender is absurd. As humans we all have the capacity for the full range of emotions and behaviour, and depending on various factors can commit violence, misrepresent the truth or act from a spirit of revenge.
I call on the White Ribbon Campaign National Leadership Group and UNIFEM Australia to lead a more intelligent discussion of, and response to, the issue of violence in general.
Regards,
Simon Hunt
Fax: +61 (0)3 5973 6311
www.dashlite.com.au
email@dashlite.com.au

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