White Ribbon Day: Misguided, Confused, Duplicitous
On this auspicious offensive occasion of 2015’s display of blatant sexism called White Ribbon Day, we might consider the following characteristics of this campaign.
Misguided: The supporters of White Ribbon generally seem to think they are socially responsible but their campaign and its implications are socially irresponsible. The beliefs encouraged both implicitly and explictly by the White Fibbers are factually incorrect and socially divisive. Many people believe that women suffer most violence in our society and the only violence worth being concerned about, and that men cause almost all significant violence. Fibs.
Confused: Many of those marching, riding, speaking in support of White Ribbon think it’s a family violence campaign. It’s not. It’s a campaign wanting people never to commit or to be silent about violence but only when it’s toward women. It was inspired by a lunatic who killed a number of women in a college mass shooting, which was in no way family violence.
One speaker today was reported to include his concerns about suicide in his White Ribbon commemoration! Unbelievable. 3.5 times more men than women commit suicide. More men commit suicide than NZ’s entire road toll. And the White Ribbon Campaign is now a leading source of male blaming and male denigration, thereby contributing significantly to male suicide. A good start likely to bring about a quick reduction in our suicide rate would be to make this misandrist campaign illegal.
Duplicitous: A media story on this White Ribbon Day reported that an advertisement in Australia had been taken down because it sought to employ several ‘beer wenches’ whose job would be to fetch beers for and have light-hearted fun with a group of men at an Aus-NZ cricket match. Various people expressed disapproval of what was seen as bad taste and objectification of women. Australia like NZ has a law against specifying gender and age in job advertisements, and although in this case it was actually discriminating against potential male employees, the nature of the job was seen as demeaning and discriminatory against women. So there is a law against discriminating on the basis of gender in a job advertisement, but it’s ok to discriminate on the grounds of gender in a major campaign that is actively supported by many government organisations. Heavy duplicity there.
MoMA encourages people to take the pledge never to commit or be silent about male denigration, a fashion that’s killing a huge number of men through suicide, several times more than the number of homicides.
I see White Ribbon have been doing some high level recruiting lately.
The Commissioner of Police, now an ambassador for White Ribbon, hosted a breakfast recently, and the Commander of the Defence Forces, likewise, has become an ambassador.
Comment by Downunder — Thu 26th November 2015 @ 7:56 am
Interesting Downunder (#1): These are leaders of organisations in which mainly men put their safety and lives at risk in their service to the country. Nobody in that position should be allowed to support a male-bashing campaign. These leaders should be sacked and replaced with people who truly care about men’s welfare.
Comment by Man X Norton — Thu 26th November 2015 @ 9:10 am
Has anyone made Official Information Requests to find out how much money is spent on the male hating propaganda lie that is the ‘domestic violence’ and ‘protection’ ‘order’ and ‘occourt’ scam run by the govt police state mafia corp?
Comment by [email protected] — Thu 26th November 2015 @ 2:05 pm
Most of the contributors to MENZ are already aware that our safe little haven of NZ is made up of too many one dimensional, semi-illiterate, non thinkers. It should come as no surprise to any of us that white ribbon supporters are just incapable of rational and reasoned thinking; to wit, recruitment of followers and disciples is as simple as stealing candy from a kid.
We’ll never fix the “family violence” issue, white ribbon or not, as long as men are seen as the only perpetrators and women are described as the only victims.
Comment by Bruce S — Thu 26th November 2015 @ 5:47 pm
There is no such thing as ‘Family Violence’.
It’s a political hobby horse, that attracts a variety of people, as does any other political campaign.
If anyone can’t smell the campaign at 50 metres they need a nostril transplant – no they actually need a lesson in politics.
Families are all unique, all individual (those that have survived the political onslaught) all with their own problems, some of which have violent and distasteful outcomes.
We’re not perfect. But we don’t all have to suffer the political device of using the lowest denominator to support the success of political incompetence.
Comment by Downunder — Thu 26th November 2015 @ 6:01 pm
It’s a amazing what a bunch of guys can do in a day, but one White Ribbon organiser thought it would be a good idea, to organise a race with men running in high heels, so men, could show their support for this particular cause.
That’s the depth of this political nonsense – it’s a sickness of the mind.
Comment by Downunder — Thu 26th November 2015 @ 6:18 pm
I agree with Downunder – “It’s a amazing what a bunch of guys can do in a day, but one White Ribbon organiser thought it would be a good idea, to organise a race with men running in high heels, so men, could show their support for this particular cause.
That’s the depth of this political nonsense – it’s a sickness of the mind.”
One of those (men?) was a police officer in uniform. I have not known of them to acknowledge women’s violence equally. My daughter is visiting right now, and she tells me about a TV program about killed children, and in particular she relates that the charge of “infanticide” is for women only and carries a sentence of just three years. Fathers need not apply for that charge. Police wear white-ribbons, they cannot apply the law fairly or equally. They are a biased disgrace.
Comment by Equality — Thu 26th November 2015 @ 7:34 pm
So what happens to one of the white night hero’s,Ambassadors that have pledged and been vetted and refereed once they find they have been charged with domestic violence?
Are they given the benefit of the doubt and considered innocent until proven guilty?
Of course not they’re still men and still subject to the same life changing de-humanising prejudgment that all of us face if accused by a female,even without any shred of evidence. http://www.probonoaustralia.com.au/news/2015/10/white-ribbon-ambassador-charged-domestic-violence
Comment by voices back from the bush — Thu 26th November 2015 @ 9:17 pm
This is even invading our schools.
One father in Canterbury turned up at school to pick up his children and found the trees in the driveway adorned with large White Ribbons.
I feel for the young boys in this school who are being subjected to domestic-violence indoctrination.
Comment by Downunder — Fri 27th November 2015 @ 7:20 am
Someone might be prepared to sue the White Fibbers and any state service that promoted them, for discrimination and emotional harm.
Comment by Ministry of Men's Affairs — Fri 27th November 2015 @ 12:15 pm
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11552253
Why Australian politician refused to stand during ovation for domestic violence speech
A politician who refused to join a standing ovation for Australian of the Year Rosie Batty after she addressed parliament on family violence said he did so because the issue has “incredible sensitivity” for him.
Victorian Liberal MP Graham Watt did not join the other 127 state MPs who gave Ms Batty a standing ovation after she addressed a historic joint sitting of the state parliament.
Mr Watt also refused to join standing ovations for at least one other family violence speaker, and belatedly stood for others.
For very personal and private reasons I chose not to stand,” Mr Watt said.
“Family violence is an issue of incredible sensitivity to me and my family and at some point I will be making a public contribution about the indiscriminate nature of family violence.
“I am very passionate about dealing with the scourge of family violence and supporting all those who are victims of it, male and female.”
Mr Watt revealed in March last year that one of his family members had been a victim of abuse.
“In my case, I did not know for a very long time that it was happening to a member of my family,” he said. “Others in my family did, and they did nothing about it.
“I went for 10 years without speaking to a member of my family because of their attitudes and inaction in this regard.”
He also highlighted that both men and women are victims of violence.
“Violence is never acceptable in any form, whether it be male against female, female against male, male against male or brother against sister. It does not matter who it is.”
Ms Batty spoke to all Victorian MPs on Friday, before six other speakers addressed the lower house about family violence.
Mr Watt stood and clapped for Kristy McKellar, who spoke about the horrific assaults her husband unleashed on her.
He refused to stand for Rodney Vlais from No To Violence and the Men’s Referral Service.
Ms Batty rose to national prominence following the death of her 11-year-old son Luke.
The boy was fatally stabbed by his father Greg Anderson in front of horrified onlookers at a cricket ground in the small town of Tyabb, south-east of Melbourne, in February 2014.
Mr Anderson – who had been the subject of an apprehended violence order (AVO) taken out by Ms Batty – was shot by police at the scene and died in hospital.
Following Luke’s death, Ms Batty established the Luke Batty Foundation to assist women and children affected by domestic violence.
She was named Australian of the Year in January 2015.
– AAP
Comment by Kumar — Fri 27th November 2015 @ 3:18 pm
And he politics moves down the food chain:
Afred Ngaro MP/WRA (White Ribbon Ambassador) Photo graphed with a Police constable at the stall he hosted in support of White Ribbon.
Comment by Downunder — Sun 29th November 2015 @ 12:37 pm
Support Partners
Football NZ
Zonta
NZDF
Does this mean government funding is being channelled through the defence budget?
Comment by Downunder — Mon 30th November 2015 @ 12:40 pm
Humans are very gynocentric, in thinking.
And for this subject, the term white night applies.
And I genuinely think, they can’t see how it’s wrong.
There own experience, can be there own violence.
They don’t perceive, women being violent.
They join white ribbon, with good intentions.
There is nothing wrong, with campaigns on violence.
22% percent on men, will be violent at least once.
So it is a problem, that should be addressed.
From the 22%, will be many white nights.
37% percent of women, will be violent at least once.
No woman will join a campaign, to stop women’s violence.
No woman is sorry, or wants a better future for children.
No woman will wear that ribbon, with pride.
Stats, Dunedin longitudinal study.
Comment by DJ Ward — Wed 15th March 2023 @ 9:02 pm