The Rights of Men

Author: Elea Almazora

Being a woman, nobody suspects me of being sympathetic towards the plight of men. And before you ask, yes, there is such a thing as the plight of men. And I don't mean “men” in the “all of mankind” way either. I mean men, actual men, boys, males, whatever you wish to call them. Many of of us may be ignoring it, but the fact of the matter is that Feminism has turned society into something that has become disadvantageous to its more masculine half. I mean sure, men are still regarded as more successful when put in positions of authority. But in reaction to feminism, I must say that issues that are pertinent to women are being given precedence over issues that are pertinent to men.

Before we continue with that discussion, I would like to explain exactly why I am sympathetic towards the rights of men. I am a sister to a very responsible, very sweet young man who has a very bright future. He occasionally has temper, but he is otherwise far too nice for his own good. I live in fear that this innate kindness and sense of responsibility would attract the wrong sort of people – the sort of people who will try to take advantage of him by, I don't know, maybe trying to foist a child he did not father into his responsible arms. I'm sure that isn't happening any time soon of course, as my brother is quite focused on his job (which is thankless and low-paying I must say; he deserves a better one) and working at a DNA laboratory, I'm sure he could prove that the baby isn't his.

But I believe my point stands: there are men who can be taken advantage of too, and there aren't enough laws that would protect them from it. And even if there WERE laws, we have been brainwashed into thinking that all men are scum and are more likely to accuse the men of doing something wrong even if it has been proven otherwise. I am not quite sure if I want to live in a world where one gender is favored over the other. Especially when there are so many good young men that I know who are not protected by the law simply by virtue of being men.

Another thing that I worry about is this: a stigma about men being verbally, economically, emotionally and physically abused by a woman is written off and laughed at by law enforcement officers. Laughed at! It's as if men cannot be exploited at all when we all know that men are just as human as women, as just as susceptible to cruelty. Most men and boys who are abused emotionally are afraid to come forward, as opposed to women who (while frightened themselves) are publicly encouraged to step forward and tell their stories. It is incredibly sad how broken men are not given the same public encouragement. It's becoming increasingly obvious that men and boys are being taught that they have no right whatsoever to be hurt, or express being in pain.

I have also noticed that when a couple gets divorced, it is more often than not the mother who is given full custody of the children – possibly under the assumption that the male half of the couple does not have the skills or tools to bring up his own children. Again, as a young woman who knows a lot of decent young men, this observation is quite alarming. I may not be contesting the idea that women are more prone to being victims of assault and other crimes against my gender, but I also get the sinking feeling that the laws have become lopsided in favor of protecting the women and not just protecting everyone.

I will become a mother someday, and the thought that this will not change by the time any son of mine grows up makes me feel anxious about the future. Something, I believe, must be done.

About the Author:

Elea Almazora, contributor to Vocal.Com.Mx

Elea Almazora currently works as a contributor to many information-based websites, writing about many subjects ranging from culture to sciences.

For more information related to this article, please visit Vocal.Com.Mx

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