General Discussion

Laelth

(32,017 posts)

31. Agreed. The term "mens' rights" is stupid.

Thu May 29, 2014, 03:05 PM

May 2014

It's not that men lack "rights." Men have all the legal rights that women do (with the exception of a long string of legal precedents that favor women, but that's another topic). Generally speaking, I am comfortable saying that men and women enjoy the same legal "rights" in this society. "Rights" are not the problem. Power is the problem. Women have gained it, and men have lost it over the last hundred years. Men have reacted very badly to this loss of power, and that was the entire thrust of this thread.

I argue that it is in our best interests to address this problem. I said so here. I think it's completely unproductive to call the "angst" expressed by the badly-named "Mens' Rights Movement" toxic. We should honestly and thoughtfully address it rather than merely condemning it and dismissing it. It is having real effects that demand our attention.

-Laelth

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"Men's Rights" cracks me up. [View all] WilliamPitt May 2014 OP

Kinda' like "Gun Rights". (nt) stone space May 2014 #1

we have so many gun rights, that we end up with too many gun wrongs. CreekDog May 2014 #100

Profoundly said... Wounded Bear May 2014 #137

Now there's a sound bite which should be on many lips nationally. nt Ligyron Jun 2014 #192

Really! elleng May 2014 #2

I have to agree with you whole heartedly. dballance May 2014 #3

Yeah, it's lame whatchamacallit May 2014 #4

Years ago I worked for a big, big company and sat on our 'diversity board.' onehandle May 2014 #5

Why would it be a problem? Did they call it the "straight white mens group"? 7962 May 2014 #19

They do newblewtoo May 2014 #22

I'm often told that I as a male am losing rights. LanternWaste May 2014 #6

Terrific response. You nail it as usual. nomorenomore08 May 2014 #16

You've lost the right to automatically get hired Damansarajaya May 2014 #53

I got misandried just the other day. Warren Stupidity May 2014 #7

Ok.. I had to laugh at that.... hlthe2b May 2014 #8

And of course, you know some dude somewhere is thinking the same thing in all seriousness... nomorenomore08 May 2014 #17

<chuckle> Damansarajaya May 2014 #54

It's your white male, wasting money on coffee, right that female barristas should flirt with you. hunter May 2014 #69

I paid good money for that flirt! Warren Stupidity May 2014 #73

That is because she was busy flirting with me... randys1 May 2014 #129

Damn alpha males Warren Stupidity May 2014 #144

I must live too far out in the boonies. panader0 May 2014 #9

they're losing their right to be sexist assholes, WilliamPitt Skittles May 2014 #10

Right up there with "white rights" etherealtruth May 2014 #11

Planet Earth isn't so bad. Good tacos, if you know where to look. nt el_bryanto May 2014 #12

You finally posted something I can rec. JTFrog May 2014 #13

Good planets are hard to find... KG May 2014 #14

Ah Steve Forbert HangOnKids May 2014 #18

yep..... dhill926 May 2014 #15

From the 1970's through the 1990's TM99 May 2014 #20

I remember those; I thought their spiritual orientation was great Hekate May 2014 #28

Indeed. TM99 May 2014 #42

Yes--a number were linked with the Radical Therapy movement eridani May 2014 #107

Radical Therapy TM99 May 2014 #111

"Human Rights" doesn't crack me up whatsoever. polly7 May 2014 #21

+ a metric shit ton. opiate69 May 2014 #24

I doubt it. polly7 May 2014 #26

You need new material that quip has passed its freshness date HangOnKids May 2014 #29

Oh.. bad me... must remember to be appropriately deferential. opiate69 May 2014 #38

No dear, maybe just a tad more current HangOnKids May 2014 #39

Oh, I suppose I could have made hay about his calling our Democratic President a... opiate69 May 2014 #70

Keep telling yourself that HangOnKids May 2014 #75

Lmao! RiffRandell May 2014 #113

Such a burden to be a man in this world WilliamPitt May 2014 #27

Tell it to those jumping off building in Greece because they can't polly7 May 2014 #30

"Men in crisis" WilliamPitt May 2014 #34

The problem is ............. any male IN CRISIS and having the courage to polly7 May 2014 #35

Never seen ANYONE male or female on DU in a crisis denied support EVER HangOnKids May 2014 #40

LOL! polly7 May 2014 #41

Now that you mention it the front of my house needs a coat as well HangOnKids May 2014 #43

Cool. I love painting. Don't forget the sun-screen! nt. polly7 May 2014 #45

Big bowl for you HangOnKids May 2014 #47

I don't care for crow, which is why I leave that for you. polly7 May 2014 #58

you lost that argument, big time Skittles May 2014 #106

+1 R B Garr May 2014 #168

you will of course supply the link to a male DUer in crisis and being ridiculed for it, yes? LanternWaste May 2014 #44

You bet!! do your own homework. polly7 May 2014 #46

I imagine avoidance is much more self-validating than simply admitting there are none... LanternWaste May 2014 #48

Don't pester her she is coming to paint my house HangOnKids May 2014 #49

Damn you, Tom Sawyer and your trickeries!!! LanternWaste May 2014 #52

Holy Fuck My Trickeries HangOnKids May 2014 #56

LOL. polly7 May 2014 #55

You paint with your feet? HangOnKids May 2014 #57

Are you reading this in Swedish or some language you don't understand? polly7 May 2014 #59

Dear Polly I am thinking quite clearly HangOnKids May 2014 #60

Sorry, I post my opinion. If someone doesn't agree ....... that's polly7 May 2014 #64

Ta Ta My Dear HangOnKids May 2014 #65

Yeah, yeah, yeah .... see ya. polly7 May 2014 #66

bork bork bork WilliamPitt May 2014 #61

My little niece does that. She's 3. polly7 May 2014 #63

IN CRISIS, can you give me an example of a crisis they would be in that would be mocked? randys1 May 2014 #77

In crisis ...... suddenly out of a job, polly7 May 2014 #87

You are out in some field of dreams or something bloom May 2014 #134

LMAO! polly7 May 2014 #145

So give us a link. thucythucy May 2014 #158

You've got no links Tsiyu Jun 2014 #190

Never happened to a man in genuine crises here. bettyellen May 2014 #94

None of that has anything to do with the Men's Right Movement. BainsBane May 2014 #83

I know EXACTLY what Men's Rights Groups believe in and yap about. polly7 May 2014 #84

There is no such logic--or humanity-- in dismissing suffering by men BainsBane May 2014 #85

WTF are you yammering about, pats on the head? That was your friends, not me. polly7 May 2014 #88

My question to you was BainsBane May 2014 #92

WHAT are you talking about? polly7 May 2014 #102

I hadn't seen the other comments either BainsBane May 2014 #103

When did I 'insert sock reference?' polly7 May 2014 #104

When did you insert a sock reference? BainsBane May 2014 #127

Btw, did you ever apologize for that sock? Waiting For Everyman May 2014 #136

That was a TOS violation. pintobean May 2014 #140

Not only that.... ProudToBeBlueInRhody May 2014 #159

What makes you think I owe you anything? BainsBane May 2014 #141

Lol! So you didn't apologize for the sock. Waiting For Everyman May 2014 #142

Not admitting it? BainsBane Jun 2014 #202

This is rich coming from you.. one_voice May 2014 #152

Ahhh ........ I was talking about today. polly7 May 2014 #143

What? one_voice May 2014 #150

I didn't see the rape threats until after the fact.... one_voice May 2014 #91

Precisely BainsBane May 2014 #93

I'm sorry did you miss this part of my comment: one_voice May 2014 #97

So you admit you faslely accused me BainsBane May 2014 #101

You're a piece of work. You know that. one_voice May 2014 #123

Wow. pintobean May 2014 #125

You and many others in HoF are some of the worst people I've ever come across. seabeyond May 2014 #163

A question for you.. Violet_Crumble May 2014 #165

totally ignore.... the worst people ever. i would say amazing violet, but it is seabeyond May 2014 #166

I'll take yr refusal to answer that simple question as you not thinking it's sexist... Violet_Crumble May 2014 #167

don't make up something out of the blue. that is dishonest. the issue. 170 post. me? 1 post. you...? seabeyond May 2014 #171

But I didn't make anything up... Violet_Crumble May 2014 #172

VC, congratulations!!! pacalo Jun 2014 #184

Hiya pac! Violet_Crumble Jun 2014 #188

I wanted you to win a new car pacalo Jun 2014 #189

You know, I'm tired of your call-outs. polly7 May 2014 #174

I was wondering where I've gone to... Violet_Crumble May 2014 #175

ah. well, you see. like i explain to you often. when reading your posts to me, as soon seabeyond Jun 2014 #196

I see you are morphing that comment again. I see you dropped the B-word slur R B Garr May 2014 #169

There's as much morphing as there was an attempt from you to answer the question I asked seabeyond.. Violet_Crumble May 2014 #170

Your own post said you weren't going to bother reading my answer to you. R B Garr May 2014 #182

Where are you reading that in the posts I linked to? Violet_Crumble Jun 2014 #186

So when did you decide to drop the B-word slur from your "outrage"? R B Garr Jun 2014 #193

I'll ask again. Where are you reading that in the posts I linked to? Violet_Crumble Jun 2014 #195

This message was self-deleted by its author BainsBane Jun 2014 #200

i compared feminists, me, hof to pavlov dogs the other day. it was appropriate. seabeyond Jun 2014 #203

Oh, I thought it was that infernal comment about pats on the head. BainsBane Jun 2014 #205

we are told we are the worst people ever. worst people ever. seabeyond Jun 2014 #206

Oh dear. I feel like I need to explain my comment. one_voice Jun 2014 #218

Yes, I was talking about that comment... Violet_Crumble Jun 2014 #219

Question... pacalo Jun 2014 #183

Thank you! polly7 May 2014 #164

Well stated maddezmom May 2014 #181

Nailed it. pacalo Jun 2014 #185

LOL... one_voice May 2014 #138

+100000000000000000 nt. polly7 May 2014 #146

There you go again, making shit up. RiffRandell May 2014 #112

Once again you falsely accuse me BainsBane May 2014 #115

... redqueen May 2014 #116

... smackdown? more like opiate69 May 2014 #120

So now *not commenting* on something is an insult. Waiting For Everyman May 2014 #118

Maybe you could read a post BainsBane May 2014 #119

Maybe I could comment how I choose Waiting For Everyman May 2014 #121

She's been trying to pintobean May 2014 #122

It's pretty ludicrous Waiting For Everyman May 2014 #126

Some people, you just can't apologize enough to. opiate69 May 2014 #132

She'll continue to do so. RiffRandell May 2014 #148

It's such a lame tactic. pintobean May 2014 #149

Well, for some of us ...... and I'm finding out there are many, polly7 May 2014 #153

When will you ever learn? RiffRandell May 2014 #147

Well said, 'cohort'. polly7 May 2014 #154

I 'bring it up all the time'?! polly7 May 2014 #155

But yesterday when opiate called me a "fucking idiot" and someone applauded, redqueen May 2014 #130

I wasn't clear. I was calling the author of that op-ed a fucking idiot. Not you. Sorry. opiate69 May 2014 #133

Oh so then you only called me a "sub intellectual grandstander", then? redqueen May 2014 #135

As does yours. RiffRandell May 2014 #139

Just because you keep saying it doesn't make it so. NuclearDem May 2014 #96

I say it because I believe it. polly7 May 2014 #105

You are just being willfully obtuse. smirkymonkey May 2014 #176

+10,000 smirkymonkey May 2014 #178

Golly, Polly. chervilant Jun 2014 #224

because human rights violations are a real thing, and men's rights La Lioness Priyanka Jun 2014 #198

"Men's Lefts" are even funnier. Spitfire of ATJ May 2014 #23

Agreed, Rec'ed, and glad someone said it! benld74 May 2014 #25

Agreed. The term "mens' rights" is stupid. Laelth May 2014 #31

How do you think people should react to the angst these men have because they've lost power redqueen May 2014 #50

LOL! Thanks, William! How about "Billionaires' Rights"? DesertDiamond May 2014 #32

The only place I consider the term "Men's Rights" relevant is with respect to child custody scheming daemons May 2014 #33

That regularly gets blasted and lumped in with men's rights groups joeglow3 May 2014 #90

it's like "why isn't there a white history month"?nt m-lekktor May 2014 #36

I'll bet you'd find some RWers who are asking that...! LOL hlthe2b May 2014 #76

This. AverageJoe90 May 2014 #37

Yup, me too. Damansarajaya May 2014 #51

Men's Right to rule the world since the dawn of time! Rex May 2014 #62

Thats because all men are piece of shit used-car salesmen right? krawhitham May 2014 #67

bork bork bork WilliamPitt May 2014 #68

anytime krawhitham May 2014 #72

Thanks again. WilliamPitt May 2014 #74

I hear ya, brother. Iggo May 2014 #71

I'm always cracked up at the DU hyperventilation of the week. Gore1FL May 2014 #78

Kick! bravenak May 2014 #79

Hey Will... I Don't Know What It Is... Chivalry... Women And Children First... Generational... WillyT May 2014 #80

People who advocate "Men's rights" are truly hypocrites. antiGOPin294 May 2014 #81

Welcome to DU! smirkymonkey May 2014 #177

Yeah, it needs to be "Equal Rights" to have any meaning. Jester Messiah May 2014 #82

Disrupting serious conversations about rights with petty grievnces about not getting dates and bettyellen May 2014 #124

Dismissing others' concerns as "petty" simply because you don't share them... Jester Messiah May 2014 #160

If a person is using the "parking ticket" thing to dismiss that inequality bettyellen May 2014 #180

Men's Rights is about kicking women. It's not about supporting men. LeftyMom May 2014 #86

Personally, I find the concept of Rights to be a good thing. Shandris May 2014 #89

the OP is against MRA groups, not individual's rights. Hope that helps your confusion! bettyellen May 2014 #95

It seemed to be less MRA groups and more of a retort-thread. Shandris May 2014 #98

the "human rights" thread was the retort, hours later, to this one.... bettyellen May 2014 #99

Simple they need to hate someone to hate to feel whistler162 May 2014 #109

Thats your opinion! whistler162 May 2014 #108

Gay rights, women's rights and other minority rights are just that Lyric May 2014 #110

It is so sad that this has to be explained here. Over and over. nt redqueen May 2014 #114

It is. TDale313 May 2014 #128

Very invested in derailing and disruption too. nt redqueen May 2014 #131

This is such a good post. KitSileya May 2014 #173

+10,000 smirkymonkey May 2014 #179

Post removed Post removed May 2014 #117

Like Whites' Rights or Ruling Class Rights. nt valerief May 2014 #151

Whatever levity I got from the mens' rights movement, I lost over at Discussionist.com Paladin May 2014 #156

Some of us have been trying to raise awareness of these dangerous hate groups for years. redqueen May 2014 #157

Male circumcisiion is a hot topic Harmony Blue May 2014 #161

Genital mutilation is practiced on both sexes. JackRiddler May 2014 #162

Male circumcision is legal in the U.S. Harmony Blue Jun 2014 #191

It shouldn't be. JackRiddler Jun 2014 #217

Men are more the problem on DU than what we've been seeing 24-7 ad nauseum from some feminists? pacalo Jun 2014 #187

Oops. Iggo Jun 2014 #197

do you even know the meaning of the word feminist? Skittles Jun 2014 #201

I adore you, Skittles. pacalo Jun 2014 #207

I don't agree Skittles Jun 2014 #208

Those who are up to here with their monotony find them pathetic. pacalo Jun 2014 #209

here is someone who gets it Skittles Jun 2014 #210

Skittles... pacalo Jun 2014 #212

if you can't handle it use IGNORE Skittles Jun 2014 #213

That was taken care of months ago, thank you! pacalo Jun 2014 #214

Yeh, kind of like "1% rights". Zorra Jun 2014 #194

straight rights and white rights are also pretty funny. while we are at it. La Lioness Priyanka Jun 2014 #199

Lioness- what do you call it when people pretend they are unaware of any larger context? Like here, bettyellen Jun 2014 #204

lying? ignoring inconvenient details? La Lioness Priyanka Jun 2014 #211

HA. I thought you'd have a great academic term for it, since you know... people have great respect bettyellen Jun 2014 #215

Men never want to talk about their Wrongs, though. Where are the valerief Jun 2014 #216

This message was self-deleted by its author In_The_Wind Jun 2014 #220

Why? n/t seaglass Jun 2014 #221

May I ask why you would do that, ITW? Sissyk Jun 2014 #222

Cracked has an interesting post about 5 uncomfortable truths about MRA IronLionZion Jun 2014 #223