The rape threads point to a larger need...revolutionary change in what it is to be "a man". [View all]

We, as men, need to bring the old structure of "masculinity" down and build(to reclaim a phrase the Stalinists misused and unfairly discredited) a "new man" within its shell.

Rape is a product, more than anything else, I think, of the values that society prizes in men...the suppression of all emotions except anger, the fixation with "winning", the importance of asserting dominance at all cost, the refusal to accept "no" as an answer(because to do so would be taken as weakness)...and the way that those values cause corrode already damaged men and drive them to inflicting damage on others(including rape).

For rape, and for the other twisted results of the way manhood and masculinity has gone wrong to be stopped, the whole culture of masculinity has to be radically changed...and as many men as possible need to be part OF this change...both in our daily practice of life AND in the way in which we interact with other men.

There are other factors as well, and those who will post in this thread can add to the list and the causes.

I'm not sure when this work will be completed, but it has to start and it has to start now.

Until we can change the way we, as men, process emotions such as rage, frustration, fear and stress, create humane and respect-based power relations among ourselves, those who work for us/those we work for, those we live with/love/care about/spend time with, and those we are responsible for, there is little in life around us that can change...and massive change is needed in life it we're to survive and help others survive with us.

Don't know what all this will have to involve, but I'd like to start a long-time conversation in this thread and see what we can come up with-because we have to come up with something, and soon.

The way we live as men now causes far too many of us to harm others, whether through rape, violence, misuse of power, and inability to find ways to end powerlessness among ourselves and everyone we live with.

It's on us as men to make the changes within our gender.

Let's start now and see what we can do.

(NOTE: I posted this originally and GD and somebody said...not with entirely friendly intent, yet it struck me as an interesting idea nonetheless...that I should cross-post it here. Please send me links to related threads here where the discussion is going along these lines).