NCFM in the news.
www.detroitnews.com/article/20140610/OPINION01/306100008/0/OPINION01/-Men-s-rights-misrepresented
‘Men’s rights’ misrepresented
On June 26-28, Detroit will host the first Conference on Men’s Issues, sponsored by the men’s rights group “A Voice For Men.” As vice president of the oldest men’s rights organization in the United States, the National Coalition For Men, I would like to respond to the tsunami of vitriolic attacks all over the media lately about the men’s rights movement, falsely tying us to the Elliot Rodgers killings and accusing us of being a misogynistic white male movement.
It is astonishing how the media ignores our issues until they have a chance to use a public atrocity to distort and bash the men’s rights movement. Rodgers was not affiliated with any men’s rights group that we know of. And his views do not represent our movement, which proudly consists of both men and women. My organization has many female members and several women on its national board. Our Dallas chapter is led by a woman. And every rally we ever held had both men and women, side by side.
The men’s rights movement is about equal rights. Period. Because you can’t have equal rights for men or women without the opposite sex enjoying the same rights. We address badly neglected issues concerning men and boys in areas of child custody, false accusations, male victims of domestic and
sexual abuse, education, public health, military conscription and more.
Men make up the vast majority of homeless adults, job deaths, prisoners, suicide deaths, combat deaths, and dropouts. They have higher mortality rates than women for almost all 15 leading causes of death. A recent study show boys are getting worse grades than girls in every subject, including math.
But from what I’ve seen, the only ones truly addressing the gender aspect of these issues are men’s rights activists.
Here in California, for decades a state law excluded male victims of domestic violence from state-funded services. It took MRAs to sue the state on behalf of battered men and win a landmark appellate victory in Woods v. Horton, declaring the discrimination unconstitutional. MRAs then helped create the first-ever official Los Angeles County Task Force on Male Victims. It took MRAs to get JFK Airport in New York to put diaper changing tables in its men’s restrooms. MRAs in Germany got the European Union to confront Germany’s law that denied custody rights to unmarried dads absent moms’ consent. And MRAs in Israel recently got the United Nations to chastise Israel for its discriminatory “tender years” doctrine giving moms preference over young kids.
Those who accuse us of being a white male movement are, at best, ignorant. We work with men’s and fathers’ rights groups in minority communities throughout the U.S. as well as Africa, Latin America and Asia. One of the most prominent MRA movements in the world is in India where they face the special problem of abuse of dowry laws. MRAs in the Philippines recently got the government to stop ignoring battered men.
It is only because our movement is growing that there is so much backlash coming from those who do not want a balanced dialogue on gender. But we will never have equal rights until we are honest about the inequalities of both sexes. And that will not happen until both sides — feminists and MRAs — are included in the dialogue.
Marc E. Angelucci, Vice President,
National Coalition For Men
Responsible MRA’s are nonviolent.
NCFM MRA’s are concerned with the best interests of all of us, and we have been since 1977.
At the Detroit MRA conference those protesting the MRA conference will be the same people who amongst themselves preach tolerance. Won’t be us. We actually practice what we preach.
DeutschundMusik show me why I should disavow AVFM. I have visited their site many tmes and I see lots of men and women who support equal rights. I did not see the “misogyny” that people like you keep talking about but cannot back up. AVFM’s tone differs from NCFM’s, but we both believe in equal rights, and that men need equal rights just as women do.
Mark, youre leadership in the NCFM is legendary!!! thanks for youre works bro!!
OK, your opinion. But please make clear that you are nothing but a shill for A Voice for men, http://www.avoiceformen.com/mens-rights/activism/avfm-and-ncfm-join-forces-on-mens-college-groups/
You say, “The men’s rights movement is about equal rights. Period.”
Excellent. Then I am sure you will want to disavow Paul Elam and A Voice for Men, which is about cyberstalking, intimidation, conspiracy, and hatred.
http://avoiceforcreepymen.blogspot.com/
No, we will not “disavow” Paul Elam and A Voice For Men. Nor will we disavow you or your http://www.avoiceforcreepymen.blogspot.com/. Mr. Elam and A Voice For Men are being heard. The voice is loud and often grates on the nerves of people who have been indoctrinated (brainwashed if you prefer) and led to believe that men should have no voice, that men are all bad, women are all good, and all the problems of the world are caused only by men. AVfM calls bull-shit on such things, as do we. Mr. Elam and many of AVfM’s followers are NCFM members. You too are welcome to become and NCFM member. We encourage the free exchange of ideas, as long as such an exchange is civil and not laced with vitriolic assertions or attacks. Thank you for expressing your views.
You say, “But please make clear that you are nothing but a shill for A Voice for Men.” Ok,sure… We’ve heard that ignorance is bliss for non thinkers. Maybe there’s some truth to it. Here’s what I mean… NCFM has been fighting for human rights since 1977; or, for over 35 years. A Voice for Men, on the other hand, is about five years old. AVfM is the new kid on our block and we welcome it’s leaders and followers. Statements like the one you made here are truly ignorant. This is not name calling but an observation. Stupid is as stupid does is for those who for some physiological reason cannot learn. Ignorance on the other hand, applies to those who can learn but for whatever reasons have not. If, for example, you would take the time to actually read what is on our website you should without to much effort discover that we are concerned with the best interests of all of us. Of course, reading and learning are very time consuming, which may detract from the blissfulness of ignorance. Learning actually takes work, ignorance takes no effort at all…