For Those Above Reproach, We Salute You

omega minimo

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Tue Mar-28-06 12:19 AM
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For Those Above Reproach, We Salute You

It is in the best interest of Democrats, the Democratic Party, the nation and DU for this board to be able to discuss gender issues that affect all of us. Particularly as the dominant Republican regime uses gender issues to divide and conquer. These issues all hinge on one single pivot: maintaining the status quo of male dominance in the home, in the bedroom, in education, in business, in medicine, in culture, in government, in the world.

The pendulum of social progress has swung so far, that many men do not realize how they have absorbed the dittohead demonization of “feminazis” that permeates the culture. On DU, the level of insecurity is so high that discussions of gender issues invariably get bogged down in petty slapfights and personal attacks. Some men in the Democratic party lack the information and vocabulary to discuss these issues without being overwhelmingly threatened on a very personal level.

SOME men get quite upset when women on DU discuss issues and refer to “men.” SOME men believe that this is a personal attack on all men and on them in particular. We really don’t have time for this.

One concession to this need that SOME men have is to make sure to type “SOME” before any mention of men. We really don’t have time for this.

One tries to imagine what it would feel like to be SOME of them. How to relate? What if we are white people, and we are in a discussion with black people discussing “whites” this and “whites” that........................ :think: ..............

We would probably accept that the discussion was about whites as a GROUP affecting the behavior of blacks as a GROUP. We would probably not attack the messenger while pretending to contest the message.

We would probably accept that the discussion was not ALL ABOUT US. We would probably not be personally insulted unless the relevant comment WAS about us.

So-- in the interest of fostering better communication on DU and amongst Democrats, on gender-related issues that are crucial to our politics and must be honestly discussed, here is a proposed alternative to putting “SOME” before every comment about men in general:

PROPOSAL:

When discussing gender issues on DU, “men” or “SOME men” may be replaced with "Those Above Reproach." This will show some respect for those who know that comments about male power/behavior in general have nothing to do with them, but they’re not sure we know that, so they have to fight, to make sure we know they aren’t part of that so-called patriarchal system no-way, no-how.

Those Above Reproach know who they are-- and they simply need to know that WE know who they are-- and know that we should never say anything about “men” that sounds like we mean them; they are Above Reproach.

Those Above Reproach-- or T.A.R. for short-- could refer to all those who benefit in some way-- by virtue of their gender-- in male-dominant society, who don’t feel responsible in any way for the existence of male-dominant society. It really ticks them off just to be reminded of it.

Those Above Reproach-- or T.A.R. for short-- will also remind SOME women not to tar SOME men all with the same “broad brush.” We have heard this repeated complaint and can avoid the pitfalls of SOME men not understanding that a generalization is not necessarily about them. Now we can acknowledge that they are Above Reproach.

(To our credit, we do not attack SOME men for use of the word “broad”).

When women discuss issues that affect us by virtue of our gender, we inadvertently touch a sensitive area in SOME men. Those Above Reproach are insecure about things that may upset the status quo-- a status quo they may not even think about. The proud pivot that the Republican machine hangs its divisive harness on is unquestioned, unchallenged, ubiquitous male dominance-- Above Reproach.