Activism should not just be women's work. Before starting Moms Demand Action as a Facebook page in 2012, I Googled “organization like Mothers Against Drunk Driving for gun control.” No relevant matches come up — just some links to think tanks in Washington, DC, mostly run by men, and some one-off city and state organizations, also mostly run by men.
I provided some thoughts on this in the past, but I have some additional thoughts after participating in PA Annual Advocacy Day last Wednesday. Immediately after the group photograph (in the capitol rotunda), another man asked me "why don't the men have a similar organization"? This left me a little perplexed because Moms Demand Action is an organization that already exists for that purpose. And I was there, so I knew men were welcome and needed. The misanthropic part of me, which prefers wildlife, believes most men are a combination of assholes and blockheads. They need to be called upon. It needs to be spelled out. And their apprehensions or concerns need to be quelled. I know this because I consider myself an empath and I see and feel things differently than most of my male coworkers, friends, and acquaintances. I DON'T have children (almost did) yet I joined Moms Demand Action to do my part to protect children. Could, perhaps, Moms Demand Action hold male-specific recruiting events?
Something told me there's not much, if anything, you haven't thought of already. 😉 Great leadership is a tenet of Moms Demand Action. I have two male volunteers that will join me at the next event. They seemed enlightened and motivated by my participation in Harrisburg last week. I will have them reach out to others after that. And we will go from there. Thanks for all you have done.
I have become so pessimistic about men and I’m married to a good one. 😞
You hit the nail on the head about how they’ve never had to be activists because white men have always had power or access to it. I tell every woman I speak to, the men aren’t coming to save us; It’s us. Women have to fight like our lives and our children’s lives depend on it because it does!
We will have to save ourselves with or without the men’s help. I hope I live to see a female president and a mostly female SCOTUS. 🙏🏻
I provided some thoughts on this in the past, but I have some additional thoughts after participating in PA Annual Advocacy Day last Wednesday. Immediately after the group photograph (in the capitol rotunda), another man asked me "why don't the men have a similar organization"? This left me a little perplexed because Moms Demand Action is an organization that already exists for that purpose. And I was there, so I knew men were welcome and needed. The misanthropic part of me, which prefers wildlife, believes most men are a combination of assholes and blockheads. They need to be called upon. It needs to be spelled out. And their apprehensions or concerns need to be quelled. I know this because I consider myself an empath and I see and feel things differently than most of my male coworkers, friends, and acquaintances. I DON'T have children (almost did) yet I joined Moms Demand Action to do my part to protect children. Could, perhaps, Moms Demand Action hold male-specific recruiting events?
Oh Tom - we have!!! So many... Even barbecues! Even Father's Day events! They do come to those -- kind of -- but then disappear.
Something told me there's not much, if anything, you haven't thought of already. 😉 Great leadership is a tenet of Moms Demand Action. I have two male volunteers that will join me at the next event. They seemed enlightened and motivated by my participation in Harrisburg last week. I will have them reach out to others after that. And we will go from there. Thanks for all you have done.
I have become so pessimistic about men and I’m married to a good one. 😞
You hit the nail on the head about how they’ve never had to be activists because white men have always had power or access to it. I tell every woman I speak to, the men aren’t coming to save us; It’s us. Women have to fight like our lives and our children’s lives depend on it because it does!
We will have to save ourselves with or without the men’s help. I hope I live to see a female president and a mostly female SCOTUS. 🙏🏻