MENZ Issues: news and discussion about New Zealand men, fathers, family law, divorce, courts, protests, gender politics, and male health.

In issuing an abatement notice banning a brothel from operating near a school and the homes of retired people, John Banks stated “My first and foremost interest in all of these matters is making sure that the residents, particularly elderly families and families, can live in suburbs without fear of intimidation by the kind of people that tend to frequent these places.” Instead of highlighting the brothel and its exploitative business, Banks conveniently blames the customers. That’s like blaming drug addicts while failing to criticize the pushers. It’s a shame that Mr Banks and others critical of the prostitution industry tend to be so mealy-mouthed. They seem to be frightened of standing up to a feminist whitewashing campaign regarding prostitution. (more…)

I came across this and thought it might interest the board since it is a specifically male issue…

It’s a petition to correct the situation where gynecomastia correction surgery is considered a 100% cosmetic procedure and not covered by insurance. Gynecomastia is a condition where a man grows female breast tissue and needless to say, it can be pretty traumatic and emotionally scarring. I’ve heard of people contemplating suicide over it. And I think the only way to correct it is surgery but that is quite expensive.

So anyway, if you think this should be covered, go ahead and check out the petition. And if not, just be glad you don’t have female breasts!

Gynecomastia Petition

Janet Fraser is perhaps Australia’s most ferocious advocate of home births.

Her spiel mixes militant feminism and a green age’s worship of Earth Mother: “In a woman-hating society obsessed with the control and regulation of women’s bodies, choosing to birth at home makes a crucial statement of withdrawal from patriarchy.”

Medical intervention to help the baby or spare the mother is “birthrape”, and obstetricians are warned: “When you rupture those membranes . . . even when the woman screams no, that’s rape.”

Joyous Birth’s 1000 members are even urged by its website to scrawl on hospital walls “Episiotomy is genital mutilation” and “Did your rapist wear a mask and gown?”

Janet’s first child was delivered by emergency caesarean and she had not once in her pregnancy seen a doctor for her second child.

She was determined she would have her baby the natural way like an animal because medicine and medical treatment means “men” power.

Sadly, an ambulance was eventually called but they could not save her baby.

Why would someone do this? But I guess, “A woman’s body, a woman’s choice”

How far feminists will go to destroy men (patriarchy) is not just radical, it is insane.
www.news.com.au/heraldsun/

Family First NZ has made submissions to two high profile bills before parliament at the moment. We would encourage you to take a moment to read these submissions and provide feedback on these important issues.

Three Strikes Law

Family First supports the intent of the Sentencing and Parole Reform Bill (also dubbed the “Three Strikes Law”). This law prevents REPEAT VIOLENT OFFENDERS the ability to put families at risk. Here’s just one recent example “Police Killer had history of violence”
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Recent ‘Classic Quotes’ regarding the Anti-smacking law and the upcoming Referendum

The anti-smacking Referendum has been confirmed to be held between 31 July 2009 and 21 August 2009. It will be a postal ballot.
We thought that we would feature some recent ‘classic quotes’ from politicians and leaders who have ignored the weight of public opinion and lobbied and voted for a flawed law that has impacted on good families – so sit back and be astounded!

Phil Goff – Leader Labour Party
Interviewer: Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?

Phil Goff: Well my answer to that is no it shouldn’t be a criminal offence
Q+A’s Paul Holmes interviews Labour’s Phil Goff TVNZ Sunday 12 April 2009
Family First Comment: But with respect Mr Goff, you voted for a law that made it a criminal offence. But at least he did answer the question, unlike….

Bill English – Deputy PM
INTERVIEWER: Well, did you think – do you think a smack should be allowed as part of good parental correction?
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The following link is to a site that has many articles, postings and discussions about the issue of reproductive equality for men.

Reproductive Equality . Com

The site suggests that women should decide what to do with their bodies and whether they want a family, but that they should not be able to make that same decision for men.  The conclusion is that while women currently enjoy 100% of the decision and control in whether to have a child, men are currently shouldered with 50% of the responsibility for that decision (even if they disagreed with it) while enjoying as little as 0% of the control and decision in some cases.

Thoughts?

The following link is to an article at ColinTimberlake.com that deals with the issue of men’s choice when it comes to parenthood and whether to be a parent.

Forced Fatherhood: Are Men Being Treated Equally?

The author asks whether the current system – where women not only decide what to do with their own bodies, but then decide whether a man who may not consent to being a parent is then forced into a family or support relationship – is fair and whether there are alternatives that could respect women and children and also offer men equal rights.

Irresponsible parents unaware of their children’s driving habits are under fire by a top police officer after a stolen car with six teenagers crashed into a tree, critically injuring the unlicensed driver.

The crash happened after a brief police chase in Auckland yesterday. It followed another incident in which police found a 14-year-old boy driving his drunk mother home during a drink-drive campaign in South Auckland at the weekend.

Road policing manager Inspector Heather Wells said that the mother had thought it was the safest thing to do.

Ms Wells said she was not surprised when told the driver of the vehicle that crashed yesterday was only 15 and unlicensed, or that his five passengers were aged between 13 and 15.

“Unfortunately this is what we are dealing with and until parents take a stronger stance on their young ones and take notice of what they are doing, we are going to continue to have this problem.”

The crash happened after police stopped a stolen vehicle in Manurewa, South Auckland.

The driver sped off and police gave chase but quickly lost sight of the car. They found it four minutes later after it crashed into a tree.

The driver had to be cut from the car and was admitted to Middlemore Hospital with critical leg injuries. His passengers were also taken to hospital with moderate and serious injuries.

Three of the passengers were discharged yesterday.

Ms Wells said the teenagers were suspected of stealing another car on Sunday.

They would face a variety of charges, including theft of a vehicle.

Police were investigating whether alcohol was a factor in the crash.

Inspector Wells said blood was being taken from the group to determine if alcohol was involved.

She said it was unclear how fast the car was going, but an officer pursuing it was left 600 metres being in a matter of seconds.

“They are very lucky they weren’t hurt more seriously,” Ms Wells said.

- Dominion Post, with NZPA

I strongly recommend you read the full original article here.

I’ll give the highlights:

The Politics of Domestic Violence
By Reuben Chapple

The feminist-driven “domestic violence industry” is part of an ever-expanding, tax-funded “bureaucracy of compassion” with its attendant caregivers, social workers, regulators, intellectuals and social scientists.

Feminists with a strong emotional investment in the presumption of an oppressive patriarchy base their assessment of men as “the violent sex” on police, court, hospital and refuge data while waving away numerous academic studies implicating both sexes equally in relationship violence. These seriously troubled sisters will cite police blotter statistics and other official data to falsely conclude that relationship violence is a male problem (”That’s just part of how ‘they’ treat ‘us’ as women”).

There are a number of compelling reasons why a man might be reluctant to complain to authorities that his wife assaulted him. These include fear of ridicule or being disbelieved; threats that if police are called his wife will level a counter-accusation and he’ll be the one arrested by an establishment predisposed to take her part; a reluctance to walk out of the home that he probably paid for; the likelihood that access to his children will be denied by a gender-biased Family Court should he leave to escape the violence; and fears for the children’s physical safety if he’s no longer around to protect them from a violent mother.

US researcher, Dr Martin Fiebert has examined 155 scholarly investigations, 126 empirical studies and 29 reviews and/or analyses in concluding that women are as physically aggressive, or more aggressive, than men in their relationships with their spouses or male partners. The aggregate sample size in the reviewed studies exceeds 116,000 and can safely be regarded as statistically robust. Fiebert’s annotated bibliography, first published in Sexuality and Culture Volume 8, Number 3-4, Summer-Fall 2004, can be viewed online at http://www.csulb.edu/~mfiebert/assault.htm.

Contrary to the demonstrably false feminist picture of relationship violence, men and women are implicated in relationship violence in approximately equal numbers at all levels of severity as assessed by a standardised “Conflict Tactics Scale.” Both sexes are more or less equally represented in every category from throwing a teaspoon all the way up to murder. In some categories (e.g. punched, kicked, hit or slapped one’s partner), female involvement slightly outstripped that of males.

Bennett: New Children’s Commissioner Appointed

17 April 2009 – Child care and protection expert John Angus has been appointed Children’s Commissioner for six months while a permanent appointment is sought, Social Development and Employment Minister Paula Bennett said today.

“I have decided to make an interim appointment to allow time to find the right permanent appointee for this important position,” Ms Bennett said. “I am grateful that we have someone of Mr Angus’ ability and standing available while we work to fill the role long-term.”

John Angus is a former front-line social worker, and was later a senior public servant. More recently he worked on the review of the Children Young Persons and their Families Act 1989, and he led inter-departmental work on preventing child abuse and neglect for the Taskforce for Action on Violence Within Families.

“Mr Angus has high integrity and immense respect within the sector for the policy research and academic work he has done on child care and protection over many years,” Ms Bennett said. “He is regarded as thoughtful, considerate and a safe pair of hands.”

Ms Bennett thanked outgoing commissioner Dr Cindy Kiro for her commitment to children and young people over more than five years in the position.

“Dr Kiro has been a strong advocate for the rights of children, and she has left a lasting impression. I congratulate her on her achievements,” she said.

John Angus takes over as Children’s Commissioner on 2 May.

Paula Bennett is Glen Eden’s (my) MP. She is one among many MPs who are supportive of men’s rights.
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