Let’s face it; we all love to complain. This is not to say our lives aren’t stressful, since many find college to present some of the most mentally and physically tumultuous years.
Perhaps this is why I was so shocked — and yes, slightly horrified — by claims made by a men’s rights organization.
Of all the ludicrous ideas that work their way into reality, never once did it occur to me that men would claim to be discriminated against.
There has been quite a bit of buzz around campus in regard to the Men’s Rights Movement Group at ASU. This organization is focused on protecting men’s rights on campus and eliminating male discrimination.
After reading the “key priorities” listed on their website, I couldn’t help but wonder if I was looking at a sort of satirical piece or “Saturday Night Live” skit. Some bizarre goals included, “Eliminate all institutional and social gender-based discrimination, including ‘Ladies nights’ at bars.”
Maybe I am totally off-base here, but is ladies' night really degrading any man’s place in society? I will give these gentlemen the benefit of the doubt and assume gender discrimination of any form is what they’re really attempting to target.
However, this world is by no means perfect. The expectations and informal rights will never absolutely match up between the genders, predominantly due to unavoidable and natural differences.
Aren’t there bigger things to worry about and more efficient uses of time than complaining about not getting a good deal at the bar one night of the week? Besides, aren’t they made to change the demographics in the bar to benefit men, anyway? More ladies at a bar means more men, or so the sentiment goes.
In all fairness, not every claim made by MRMG is as equally ridiculous. Terminating the false rape and sexual assault accusation culture is definitely something to take seriously. Improving the care for testicular and prostate cancer survivors is nothing to joke about either. Despite the limited points stated on their website, few bear much legitimacy.
One post from the MRMG website struck me as particularly sickening. “Women have NEVER been systematically oppressed,” it read.
If I could even wrap my mind around a sentiment of such naivete, my women’s history class could disprove it in about fifteen minutes. These men forgot to take into account that women got the right to vote after men did. If you were a woman in 18th-century America, sorry, you didn’t get the fundamental right of a democracy — the right to vote.
Although equality is necessary to foster a place of freedom, fighting for your rights and complaining about the insignificant and unchangeable are very different things. In this case, I suspect the members of MRMG are sick of the negative stereotypes given to males at ASU. As I recall the vulgar treatment many male students impose on females, I can’t help laugh at the irony. Practice what you preach, and treat others how you want to be treated. Just maybe then we’ll give up our precious ladies' nights ruining your lives.
Research the columnist at inovak@asu.edu
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