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The DesertLight Journal
Volume 1, Number 15
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October 31, 2001
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The bi-weekly e-zine of the International Men's Rights Movement. This is the first e-zine intended to focus primarily on the issues of domestic violence against men and divorce/child custody issues. We welcome news of groups, websites, and people in the men's rights movement worldwide. We encourage new writers and commentary.
For all the news all the time, visit our buds
http://www.mensactivism.org in the US
http://www.angryharry.com in the UK
or Men's News Daily http://www.divorceport.com anywhere.
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"A woman needs a man like a fish needs the river."
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IN THIS ISSUE
·
Worldwide Support For New Zealand Men
·Website News
·New Guest Editorial
·Update on SAFE
·New "Heart of the Matter"
This was the first time I've tried anything like this October's DV media awareness campaign, on such a wide scale. But it seems to me to be a viable way to go, particularly when you can get several orgs cooperating on the same project. With many orgs and lots of people participating, each individual's work is minimized, and the message goes out farther and better, due to the fact that everyone knows their locals. What's going on in, say, Kalamazoo or Tampa is not something I, sitting here in AZ can know.
Sometime in early September, somebodyI don't know whether it was me, Steve, or even Scott Garman, got the idea it was a good time to try out a new idea. We decided to send informational letters to as much of the media in the US as we could, in hopes of getting some better media coverage of October's Domestic Violence Awareness Month event. This was not intended as a Letter to the Editor; rather, it was a heads-up for the media that they were missing an important part of a current news story.
Steve Van Valkenburg wrote a general, all-purpose letter that could be sent by anyone, and we stuck it up on the DLJ website for easy copy-and-pasting. He included some basic facts along with some names and websites of people we knew who would speak to the media. We went around to various online groups and enlisted their assistance. I mentioned it in the DLJ, Scott mentioned it on Mensactivism.org, and Wendy McElroy also gave it some space in her iFeminist update newser.
I concentrated first on TV stations. For days, I visited websites and either e-mailed or filled out feedback forms. I'm pretty sure I caught the major stations in each state. Then the next week, I went back and faxed those who insisted on fax as the only communication, and caught the major newspapers and National Public Radio. So that all amounts to hundreds of e-mails and faxes sent out by just me. I don't know for sure who else sent what; somehow it didn't occur to any of us to ask. That was a mistake that will be corrected next year, when we go for it again.
I can't really say one way or another whether the campaign was a success or not, either. In a normal year that would've been easy, by keeping track of the media appearances by various participants. But this year, the WTC attack changed everything. For six weeks now, as of this writing on 10/22, there has not been what journalists call a 'slow news day,' where the media is looking hard for something to fill their page space or airtime. Those 'slow news days,' are what people with a new cause or new story pray for. It's what got the Beatles noticed, and how they went national in England in the early 60s. October is traditionally a fairly slow month for news of all kinds, which is probably why the original DV activists chose it, so of course I was hoping that would play out in our favor. Unfortunately, we can't know how many planned stories on DV against men got dumped in favor of something else.
As far as the movement is concerned, I'd say, yes, this effort was a resounding success. It gave many groups and orgs the chance for a bit of free promotion, and those who participated had the opportunity to work in concert with other groups on a common cause. It was flexible enough that while the letter itself was most likely tailored to suit local needs, the basic message was the same. It didn't take much money or effort on anyone's part, and we know the message got where it was going. Chances are there are still faxes with our info floating around desks somewhere. I know I got dozens of e-mail responses, sent by people, not by 'bots or autoresponders.
Next year's campaign will be geared to changes in journalism that are bound to come. I keep an eye on these things! Meanwhile, though, we can use the concept for almost anything, from Father's Rights to M14. What's M14, you ask? Well, tune in next issue and find out!!!
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WORLDWIDE SUPPORT FOR NEW ZEALAND MEN
When this article appeared in the New Zealand Herald on October 22, it was immediately shared on dozens of e-mail lists relating to men's issues:
"A national "men's day of shame" should be held on Father's Day when New Zealand men should take to the streets and apologise for the sexual abuse inflicted on children, says an Auckland lawyer. Denise Ritchie told an international conference in Bangkok that more than 75 per cent of violent sex abuse convictions in New Zealand between 1992 and 1999 involved children."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=223937
People everywhere reacted with angry letters to the New Zealand Herald as well as to the Bangkok headquarters of the East Asian and Pacific Regional Consultation Against the Commercial Exploitation of Children. This is where she initially proposed this boneheaded idea. On Friday, the 26th, the New Zealand Law society released the following statement to the media:
"The Family Law Section of the New Zealand Law Society has moved quickly to distance itself from a call for there to be a national "Men's Day of Shame" coinciding with Fathers Day. The call reportedly came from Auckland barrister Denise Ritchie speaking at an international conference in Bangkok dealing with issues relating to the commercial exploitation of children, including the child sex trade. It initially received immediate support from the Commissioner for Children, Roger McClay.
However, the Family Law Section has rejected the suggestion as ill considered and foolish. Family Law Section Chair Anita Chan said that Fathers Day was an opportunity to highlight the commitment and contribution of fathers to families in New Zealand.
'The well being of the children of this country is significantly enhanced by good and effective fathering and there is every reason to celebrate this fact and support an important part of the family unit.' Ms Chan said that to convert this family day into a statement of solidarity for the child victims of sexual abuse here and overseas would detract from the significance of Fathers Day and do little to address the underlying concerns that the Bangkok conference was apparently considering."
Also on Friday, the following news story appeared in the New Zealand Herald:
Week of Hell for 'Shame' Lawyer
"the Auckland lawyer has had a week from hell that she says may well end her career. It is unlikely that she is feeling quite so philosophical about straying, if even in passing, on to the hallowed ground that is Father's Day."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=224824
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WEBSITE NEWS
http://www.helpingmen.com/
We conceived this web site endeavoring to bring the matter of abuse to the attention of America's troubled men, cognizant women, politicians, as well as the media. We must acquire recognition and change in regards to this most significant Male issue, from our
biased Civil Servants, and State and Federal Judicial system. To obtain this, we need as many men to come forward with their stories, named or anonymous, to be posted for all to see, and to possibly be used in bringing this to the attention of the media. This is a
fight for true equality, and against reverse discrimination.
Pain Has No Gender!
Garret Moore & Paula Price Founders: helpingmen.com
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As the page editor of Men's News Daily (http://www.divorceport.com), my philosophy is that American Liberty is underscored when "vertical" communities (like divorced men) have access to diverse sources of information.
Thus, Men's News Daily provides broad information about the War on Terrorism (with special attention to cross-cultural gender issues) by providing links to various POVs-- BBC, U.S. papers, Israeli, Arab, Pakistani, Turkish, etc.
Michael Aiello
mpa@divorceport.com
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Walter Schneider at Fathers For Life has an excellent article by Erin Pizzey entitled, "WORKING WITH VIOLENT WOMEN"
An excerpt: "We have had thousands of international studies about male violence but there is very little about why or how women are violent. There seems to be a blanket of silence over the huge figures of violence expressed by women. Because 'family terrorism' is a tactic largely used by women and my work in the domestic violence field is largely with women, I address this problem discussing only my work with women."
http://fathersforlife.org/pizzey/terror.htm
Be sure to click on the "about Erin Pizzey" link at the bottom of the page for comprehensive bio and published works.
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NEW GUEST EDITORIAL
A Comment on Heroes
Evil has struck again and in the aftermath we consider the people who
responded: the leaders, the emergency workers, the common men and women. As
we write the book on this incredible event, we need to consider how we
elevate individuals to hero status, and we need to be objective in how we do
this. In our perpetual effort to give "equal" treatment to all, we risk
losing sight of the valor and the response in the face of adversity
exhibited by men
See the rest of this commentary by M14 co-conspirator Frank Hujber at:
http://www.desertlightjournal.homestead.com/guest.html
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UPDATE ON SAFE
Here's an update to keep you abreast of what SAFE is doing and has
done. Have you checked out the website at www.safe4all.org? Note the
order the brochure link. Some 7,000 of these brochures for abused men
have been ordered by various government and non-government agencies, including many
established DV groups. One of the most interesting sidelights I think is
the dozen or so court clerks who have ordered the brochure obviously using
their own personal funds. These women, who are often the first official
contact for these men, are obviously feeling so upset by the lack of
resources for the individuals in front of them, that they've dug into
their own pockets. We currently have a major opportunity to nationally
publicize the availability of this brochure and distribute them to
individuals. We anticipate that this opportunity will result in 50,000
requests. While postage costs will mostly be covered by requesting a
self-addressed envelope (although we know from experience that many will
come in without this and we'd hate not to respond), printing and paying
for personnel to handle the requests will result in expenses of nearly
$10,000.00.
A poster featuring an abused man has been created and is available.
We have created the SAFE speakers bureau, featuring many notable speakers,
and the speakers actively seek as many opportunities as possible to speak
to law enforcement, health care workers, social service providers, DV
workers, etc. See speakers brochure link on the website.
Another point is victims' advocates.
This is an established service of most all established DV services and is
available in many district attorney offices. The effort here is twofold.
Educate the established providers and provide individual services. Using
personal funds a SAFE trainer attended the national convention of victims
advocates in L.A. two years ago and hosted a short workshop. Some headway
was made, but a consistent effort is needed. It would have been great to
have been able to attend this years convention in Florida, but the
individual expense is too high and SAFE does not have sufficient funds.
There are many other opportunities like this that go by at various
professional conventions. Secondly, SAFE Washington board chair Stanley
Green and others involved have provided victims advocate services to some
individuals. However, the expense is considerable in travel, long distance
telephone costs, and time. We have considerable experience in providing
this type of service for those impacted by the legal system, some of this
work requires personal travel, for others, telephone contact is
sufficient. (email can help some, but it does require personal contact via
phone or in person as well as postage costs etc., and a huge amount of
time). We know that real lives have been saved by this individual work.
The sheer volume of such requests and needs coming into SAFE however, is
much more than we can handle expense-wise. Unfortunately, this means that
the personal victims' advocacy work is limited to those who can afford to
make donations to cover expenses. This is regretful, but that's the way
it is right now.
A top priority of SAFE currently is to apply for grants to fund these
activities and many others we are involved in. (For just some more
examples, funding to operate crisis lines for abused men and same sex
victims, their concerned friends/family, provide trainings to set up truly
effective and gender-inclusive support groups and anger management
programs). However, funds are needed to pay grant writers -- a highly
specialized field -- and expenses for grant writers. The basic philosophy
of SAFE, however, is while we recognize that direct services for
individuals are currently urgently needed, our overall goal is not to
provide or compete for funds for separate but equal services for the
currently underserved victims of domestic violence. Rather, we seek to
educate via professional trainings and program offerings and literature,
the large number of current service providers, and provide them with
training and literature, as well as reach out to members of the general
public, corporations, etc. You might call this conscious raising work,
and our successes with the general news media in this regard is quite
remarkable (dozens of national and local television and radio mentions,
the national Associated Press etc.)
We welcome your donation to help in this important work.
Jade Rubick
National Chair SAFE
Stop Abuse For Everyone
Return email: safe@safe4all.org
SAFE is a non-profit 501c3 tax deductible charitable national organization
with local chapters in 3 states, bylaws, and a national board that meets
regularly. Donations to SAFE are fully tax deductible to the extent
allowed by law. Donations can be sent to SAFE at PO Box 951 Tualatin, OR
97062 or via credit or debit card at the web site http://www.safe4all.org
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NEW "HEART OF THE MATTER"
With negative news so prevalent these days, I decided to devote the "Heart" of the DLJ this time to a little light reading. It's a short story about a couple who find each other again after the kids grow up and move away. Enjoy!
http://www.desertlightjournal.homestead.com/Heart.html
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"When you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities, remember, things could be worse - you could be them." Unknown
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We leave you with the 'Zonie blessing--"May you always have a full tank of
gas and underwear that doesn't ride up!"
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Trudy W. Schuett
Publisher
http://www.desertlightjournal.homestead.com/
PO Box 1252 Yuma AZ 85366
©2001 TWSchuett
All rights reserved
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Commentary and contributed articles are not necessarily the opinion of the DesertLight
Journal. We strive to include all views in the emerging men's rights movement, and
therefore cannot be expected to agree with everything.
