This is an extraordinary moment. Whether it will be ceased with the alacrity it offers is up to you. Perhaps because of my background as a former member of the “main-stream” media I offer these suggestions. It is true it was not always main-stream in a sense, for a time it was “alternative” or “progressive” radio. In other words, I reported in a major U.S. city about NSA spying on long-distance telephone conversation monitoring for key-words back in 1974 via “Zodiac” news service. Nothing new there at all.
Nevertheless, I did move on to more main-stream broadcast radio and TV news as a director of news departments. After leaving the daily news business, I have been involved in various “men’s and boys” issues for a long time and was responsible for new legislation in this regard. As well of course, bringing the issue of male victims of domestic violence to the forefront of the public consciousness not only through my books, but in hundreds of “main-stream” media appearances or radio talks.
So, we come to this moment in history. As have most of you, we are vitally and rightly concerned about what is going on in the campus environment and the Dept. of Education and U.S. Justice department. (The Justice Dept. new definition of “rape” and what it means and who was behind it-“Feminist Majority” has yet to be written about or noticed by C.H. Sommers, Cathy Young, Kathleen Parker, James Taranto or anyone else save me in When Women Sexually Abuse Men but that will come in time I am sure).
The extraordinary moment is the recent RAINN statement opposing and offering concrete alternatives to the current campus witch hunt. RAINN is the Rape Abuse Incest National Network. A key quote here:
The FBI, for purposes of its Uniform Crime Reports, has a hierarchy of crimes — a ranking of violent crimes in order of seriousness. Murder, of course, ranks first. Second is rape. It would never occur to anyone to leave the adjudication of a murder in the hands of a school’s internal judicial process. Why, then, is it not only common, but expected, for them to do so when it comes to sexual assault? We need to get to a point where it seems just as inappropriate to treat rape so lightly. While we respect the seriousness with which many schools treat such internal processes, and the good intentions and good faith of many who devote their time to participating in such processes, the simple fact is that these internal boards were designed to adjudicate charges like plagiarism, not violent felonies. The crime of rape just does not fit the capabilities of such boards. They often offer the worst of both worlds: they lack protections for the accused while often tormenting victims.
I dispute their repeating the DOJ estimate 1-in-5 of campus rapes or sexual assaults, but that is to be expected from a group that is advocating for greater awareness. It is not true, but that does not matter for your purposes.
It is true that FIRE has been in the forefront fighting these measures and Barbara Kay in Canada has written about the similar situation there. As brave and as logical as these articles and posts are however, it will not change the tide. The forces arrayed are too powerful, too entrenched, and the voices that seek to be heard for reason are simply too small.
What could practically be done to stop the tide of acceding to the radical or gender-feminist as opposed to ‘equity feminist’ agenda is the issue, and how to effectively and practically effect change or stop their mantra of ‘every man is a rapist or a potential one’ and if you actually read and believe their writings the ultimate goal of criminalization of all heterosexual acts and procreation and begin to protect basic civil rights on campus or off is the question of the moment.
The RAINN statement represents a golden opportunity that does not come around very often. How to most effectively use this moment is the question I wish to address in this essay.
Helen Smith author of Men on Strike said it best in TV interview (paraphrased from memory here) “ The only reason you are interviewing me is because I am a woman. Men are not allowed to speak for themselves. They are dismissed as ‘whiner’s or complainers’ or men’s rights activists and are not given the time of day.” Simply put, men are not allowed to speak for men, and certainly they are not allowed to speak for women or even gender-issues of any stripe.
How exactly right she is.
We have now however, a main-stream quite respected group who has taken the extraordinary step to make common-sense change suggestions to current policy and ethos on campus. They have also set out in detail the disastrous consequences of current policy. Their credentials are unassailable and come not from a ‘men’s right’s’ group or even some group vaguely or closely associated with such. I don’t know much about who they are per se, but I surmise they are mostly led by women.
Carpe Diem. Seize this moment! How to do that in a practical easily-doable and realistic way is the subject of the following essay:
#1. Write a snail-mail typewritten letter to the managing news producer, news director and assignment editor of your local news. That is, three network affiliates and If you have one independent or Fox News affiliate. Be sure to include your local address, contact info., etc. When I was in the newsroom, such a very rare letter was not only passed around the newsroom, and the News Director (me) hell, sometimes it was sent on to the general manager and even the station owner. It really does not happen very often when someone takes the time to do it. Not email, not twitter, not contact form, not telephone call- snail-mail letter only.
#2. Do the same thing with your local newspaper (those that still exist). Email submission is ok for op-ed or letter to the editor. Not good for letter suggestion of a an important story that has yet to be covered. (For this, skip the form comment box, instead find the actual email address of managing editor and several reporters who might fit the bill. To do that, simply find one email address end of one reporter. For example, the paper uses a format of first initial and last name @seattletimes.com. That should work).
#3 Write a letter to your newspaper and submit an op-ed. (Adhering to the guidelines for word-length etc.)
#4. If you are a graduate of a particular college submit an article or letter to the alumni (usually monthly or quarterly magazine). Do the same thing for the college (student) newspaper.
What you should say:
#1. Never ever identify yourself as being part of group or associated with a men-friendly endeavor.
If you can, get your partner or a female friend to submit it under her name. Or, find someone who is friendly, agrees with you and is willing.
#2. Pick the parts you like most of the RAINN press release, repeat it verbatim and give credit to them.
#3. Say it makes sense and say why. You can use part of the AEI article written here as an opinion piece in TIME, for your rationale which references the RAINN statement. It’s a good guide and O.K. But, remember that 80% of the working (paid) news media are democrats/liberal. Therefore, a reference to, or allusions to an article by AEI will be dismissed by them as ‘conservative’ or republican. Don’t do it. Steal the thoughts or emphasis if you must, but do not reference it.
#4. Most important, relate it to your LOCAL college or university. Find out what their policies and procedures are currently. (The key to getting to reporters to act is to do the work for them-always assume they are lazy as hell). If you can find the time to do the LOCAL work to give them contact information to find a person (or better yet Mother) of a man falsely accused or kicked out of college or suspended under the kangaroo court of campus that’s the best yet-they exist and their numbers are growing. Get it to them and supply the information, I guarantee that story will get heard and reported on. Do the work and find them if you can!
#5. Each person must act locally. Your chances of getting national attention (unless you are a prolific work-hound like Barbara Kay, Cathy Young, C. H. Sommers, Kathleen Parker, James Taranto or others are minimal at best. Don’t bother. Leave that work to the people who have the time (because they actually get paid for the work) and the already established credentials. Newspapers and broadcasters only pay attention (90% of the time) to local issues and local examples. Find the local examples, your chances exponentially increase. Give the editors/reporters that (with permission) contact information. Do the work for them.
#6. The golden opportunity exists only because a female-led ‘victims’ group has come out against and offered concrete alternatives to the current insanity. Use their statements and no other group. Sure you can state your opinion in support, but link it to a concrete LOCAL example. If you don‘t have the time to do that research fine, then make it general, but if you can possibly spare the time, find a local example or simply state the Dept. of Education rules and show how it relates to your local campus, and go to their website or find other information which shows how they must(under threat of withdrawal of federal funds institute kangaroo court rather than police investigations). FIRE is the best source for this. You can find national examples of the actual results to illustrate in number of places and here is one good example (note it was written by a ‘feminist mother’ and in the Wall Street Journal ). Another good reference is this from the American Association of University Professors.
#7. Recognize that the news media is a ‘herd’ animal. The book Boys on the Bus remains the best book ever written on how the news media really operates. Now of course, it would be the majority of the reporters, Women on the Bus. The ethos however, has not changed. It’s a myth that reporters via to ask questions at a news conference. I know, I’ve been there. Get one ‘main-stream’ outlet to report it, and it becomes golden and others follow. Don’t get that one and the rest ignore it. When you do get that one, let others know that it is now a ‘legitimate’ story and suggest a possible new angle or others to talk to. Find a local representative of RAINN if you can, find mothers of sons to talk to about it. Do the follow-up work for the media outlet, never rely on them to do the work. Keep talking to them, then once they have the bit in their teeth, suggest other new stories always legitimizing your story with what one another ‘main-stream’ media has done. Here’s an example . True, it is the first daily newspaper of any kind that has ever covered the reality of ‘debtors prison’ which exists in every state throughout the nation, but it is start. Use the ‘legitimacy’ of one good reporter or editor to establish your credentials as a source and do the work that is needed to lead them to, or better yet give them a local example. If you can, and know the issue well, suggest or (best) give them ‘experts’ to talk to (local) who have concrete practical alternatives. Attorneys, social workers, police officers, etc., etc. “Professionals” of some stripe.
#8. Never think that even if you succeed in getting local “major” coverage of the issue(s) via the news media means that success in state law or federal law influence follows. I know via experience. Sure, I got a major U.S. city T.V. station to do a prime-time hour long documentary on my new legislation proposal (regarding reducing parental alienation in divorce proceedings). That is something that station had never done before or since (they actually pre-empted network programming-meaning they had to get permission from the network and lost money). But it took two sessions of the legislature (the rule of thumb is three sessions) for new concept legislation to pass. Nevertheless, it did pass and now three-quarters of that states counties have implemented the legislation I wrote. That aspect and how to do it in a practical and effective way is the subject of Part two (when I get around to it) of “How to change the World.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “men’s right’s” activists of various stripes say, “Why if only______would cover this story, things would change.” Balderdash! It takes hard and sometimes difficult but practical work. There must be a concentrated practical and fully written out proposal. It also only takes a surprisingly few dedicated people. How to find them and how to do it is the subject of that essay. Recently for example, ONE person with the help of ONE set of parents, made a huge difference in likely changing the wording of this crazy legislation in California.
In any case, now comes the time. RAINN has presented to you a unique and extremely rare opportunity. Whether or not you choose to do something with this stroke of good fortune is up to you. I humbly suggest that it is an opportunity you cannot let pass you by. If you choose to let it go by, then frankly, it is your choice, but recognize it is your choice and no one else’s. Carpe Diem!
