You're Not a Man if You Support the Republican War on Women

If you’ve been thinking of sponsoring me, why not do so today :) Upgrade at 30% offThis article is in response to Melissa Corrigan, she/her who recently put out a call for responsible men to denounce the ongoing Republican/Conservative attacks on women. I know there are a few of you who will publish your own thoughts on this subject (heck, publish a thousand thoughts, let’s put an end to this kind of behavior).The idea that we live in a nation that has never elected a woman to the highest office in the land absolutely sickens me. There are far too many people who walk around with a disdainful and inaccurate perception of women. We allow too many institutions to spread false and ultimately destructive narratives. People defend their inaccurate misconceptions out of cruelty, tradition, and cowardice.The misogynistic mechanisms of delusion have been so hardwired into our brains that they prevent us from perceiving the obvious truth.Men have always called the shots in the United States of America, therefore they are responsible for everything that's wrong with our country. If you want to live in a different kind of nation, a nation that actually works for the people, it's time for an alternative philosophy.I've had the privilege of raising two daughters. They are the strongest, kindest, and most capable people I've ever met. They are superior to me by several orders of magnitude.When I encounter some random jerk out in the wild who tries to insist that women must be secondary, or that they should be subservient, or that their perspectives don't matter, it leaves me trembling with rage.Unfortunately, we live in a cruel era where the basic unalienable rights of women are under constant attack. They've already lost the right to bodily autonomy, and that has resulted in many young women losing their lives in hospital parking lots. Women are being denied the right to life-saving procedures, all because of the ignorant, self-righteous entitlement and cruelty of conservatives.For most of my life, I've felt pressure to endure the beliefs of fundamentally misogynistic people and institutions. It's disgusting that when you offer completely legitimate and reasonable criticisms, anonymous faces come out of the woodwork to berate you.“Well, that's just their beliefs. You have to be respectful. It's always been like that.”Why is it that so many individuals who mistakenly believe they are “good” will rouse themselves to denounce the fight against oppression, even as they remain silent in the presence of terrible transgressions?I realize that these are the mores of our times, but if you side with the monsters you will be held accountable for your crimes.As a father of daughters, I've come to realize that it's not my job to protect my children. It's my job to empower them. This philosophy holds true at every level of society, but it's particularly important when it comes to the rights of women.The men who consider themselves “protectors” are simply oppressors in a thinly veiled disguise. They don't want to protect anything but themselves. When it comes to women, they want to take all their rights.I've come to responsibly accept my limitations as a mortal man. Even now my strength is waning. I can't be everywhere at once even if age wasn't a factor. The only thing that allows me to sleep at night is working each day to transfer more power to my daughters.Every time I consider the actions of cowardly men who labor to erode the strength of the women in their lives, I feel bile rising in the back of my throat.The only people these monsters want to protect is themselves. They're afraid that there will be repercussions if they ever find themselves beneath the control of a woman. But that assumption is a reflection of their own guilty conscience. It is not derived from actual evidence because our institutions are so effective at discrimination.It disgusts me to think that we are expected to view any form of bigotry with deference. The Pope might be a decent man, but you can't escape the reality that he only achieved that position because women were dismissed out of hand.For all we know, there are 10,000 better candidates for the job. Candidates that could have ushered in a new era of spiritual peace and prosperity. But we're all browbeaten to accept the doctrine of the patriarchy, and people will even object if you criticize the lies disguised as sacred tradition.Telling my daughters they may not lead is unacceptable under any circumstances. Anyone who attends a church that refuses to ordain women is complicit in maintaining cruel, patriarchal abuses.Stop going.Don't be coerced into enabling the ruthless.A man guilty of even one crime of discrimination erases all the other good he might do with his life. It's no different than if he had committed one rape or one murder. My suspicion is that any man who would overlook an injustice of that magnitude has himself benefited from other crimes that were inflicted upon the vulnerable.It's in plain sight. It's wrong. You know it.This has to end. Our language has to be more severe. We can't allow the cult-like mindset that oppresses half the population in order to celebrate the inadequacies of an unworthy few to endure.There are far too many perverted and pathetic man-children who crawl around like babies in their diapers and insist that the only role of women is to coddle them and endure their abuses. I hold men like that in absolute contempt. I don't care if they're the pope or the president. They need to be flushed.Misogynistic ideas are a skid mark on humanity.I'm fed up with the disgusting and disrespectful little frat boy smirk that bears a striking resemblance to the pedo smile. These are men who film themselves making ridiculous throws, so they can turn to a camera and bellow “Let's go!”Meanwhile, my daughters have been learning complex philosophy at the library. But when the day comes for a promotion, the unqualified, unaccomplished and uncouth boy gets the call? Then he's allowed to sit at a desk and smirk as the world crumbles around us all?It's offensive.On top of everything, these men whine and whine and whine. They insist on being thanked for the services they don't provide. They see only their own pain and deny that of any other. We've allowed ourselves to be led by the least of us, and everyone suffers.At this point the whole conservative worldview is nothing but a parasite. These men are so lowly and pathetic and entitled that they have to suppress the opposite sex just to feel right. Why do we allow it? We have to stop tending their wounds and brushing over the consequences of their failures. We have to stop bailing them out and consign them to the depths like insubordinate sailors.Our lives could be so much better if we only cut loose this anchor. The whole conservative worldview, particularly the oppression of women, is an offensive disaster.Republicans are cowards. They're squandering precious resources on a war against women they cannot win. They are entitled, inept, and immoral, and I spend every day teaching my daughters to hold them in contempt.As should you.I’d love to hear a defense of women from Frederic Poag, Nick Paro, The Mouthy Renegade Writer, The Opinionated Ogre, Lawrence Winnerman, Ben Ulansey, Jack Hopkins, and more!You all make this newsletter happen! Thanks for your sponsorship! I have payment tiers starting at as little as twenty dollars a year.Upgrade at 30% offUpgrade at 40% offUpgrade at 50% offUpgrade at 60% offI'm so happy you're here, and I'm looking forward to sharing more thoughts with you tomorrow.My CoSchedule referral linkHere’s my referral link to my preferred headline analyzer tool. If you sign up through this, it’s another way to support this newsletter (thank you).I'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. 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