Are men being hated on?

I watched her scream obscenities at the crowd concerning the men that have harassed, assaulted, and raped the innocent. I saw the anger take control, as she declared adamantly that these atrocities would never happen again to other women. I felt the intensity of this dark emotion rise in the packed auditorium, as all men were labeled, and judged guilty for these horrible crimes.

At that pivotal moment, I questioned if it would be acceptable for another entire group to be labeled X for the deeds of its minority.

Could a few be held responsible for the actions of all, and would that be considered tolerable, fair, or just? For example, what if this happened to communities such as: Christian congregations, Muslims, Republicans, Jews, LBGTQ, millennials, Latinos, elderly, African Americans, Norwegians, and other peoples? There would be an uproar, wouldn’t it? Of course, then why is it tolerated when this is happening to men everywhere: a troublesome trend, which makes despising them acceptable for just being male?

I, then, speculated if this/these protest/s was/were helping, or in fact, hurting humanity, but more importantly, are men being hated on?

Furthermore, where does ALL of the vehemence and bitterness finally end; at emotionally-driven public rallies designed to evoke radicalism, on social media platforms where autonomy is not always positive, or in other media spaces? Can this type of disdain be contained once it is unleashed? Has this ever been the case throughout all of history, or do harsh angry words and devaluing of human life, eventually lead to greater destruction, unless something seriously changes?

This may seem farfetched, but consider the fact that Hitler did not convince German soldiers and citizens in one day to place people in concentration camps, and murder them, but it was a gradual process of contempt, and then hatred, which made certain allowances for inhumane actions. 

That is impossible, you say. Is it really? Check the temperature. 

What is happening with the fellas in society? Would you not agree that it is becoming more acceptable to hate on men, (as my friend would eloquently say) and to do it publicly?  

Dig deeper into this phenomenon by asking yourself honestly these questions:

1)     Why can’t men even share their opinions, but a woman can severely chastise all of them, and be respected for her outspokenness in a huge crowd?

2)     Will they likely catch innuendo, or is it possible for them to end up in court for merely opening the door for a lady? 

3)     Do you see positive images of men anywhere?

4)     Is there any place/s where they can go to learn about their masculinity, except in exclusive underground societies, which promote negative behavior/s, and in healthy families?

5)     Do men often feel uncomfortable around women they do not know well for the reasons elaborated here?

Be bold, and if you want to really know, make it a safe place, and ask the gentlemen in your life how they feel about their acceptance in society, and they will tell you.

You may argue that this is laughable because women are the oppressed ones. Are they still? Examine the evidence; it is all around.

Times are definitely changing, when one group can ridicule publicly all men with hate speech, and it is not only accepted, but even celebrated and touted as something good and beneficial.    

Thank you for reading.

Your thoughts are very appreciated.

Author’s Bio

Karen Bontrager helps 16-24-year-old men, and fellas, 25+ stuck there due to complex trauma, make permanent shifts in their behavior from merely surviving in life to thriving through transparent coaching/counseling in one-on-one conversations and in group work, and through topic sensitive trauma-informed workshops in a program called, “From Crisis to Courage.” With this ontological approach, I partner with my clients to discover their essence, (aka highest and best self) by powerfully reflecting and listening to them. My clients quickly learn how to generate self-awareness and to voice their own relationship needs in a clear, constructive way by learning key coaching techniques/evidenced based counseling approaches/tools to work past their traumatic events and addictions to move forward. The clients are then equipped to develop healthy relationships with key relationships: parents/siblings/friends, and with intimate dating partners because they have learned how to proactively use their voice.

She does a weekly Relationships Matter Monday LI article/poem/commentary for 16-24-year-old men and fellas, 25+, stuck there due to trauma, is a frequent contributor here, and has a bi-monthly podcast called Crisis to Courage to give gentlemen an honorable platform for learning how to use their voices in a way which gets respected, instead of turning to the old standbys: anger, isolation, and numbing behavior, so they can be the men they were made, formed, and created to be.

Crisis to Courage Podcast for Men Links below:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1130105/listings

https://open.spotify.com/show/0hBtQMFu6eOoHAJBZVRgiQ

https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8xMTMwMTA1LnJzcw==

https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/3017583

https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/crisis-to-courage-podcast-a-pl-1258925

https://www.deezer.com/us/show/1372142

https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/crisis-to-courage-podcast-a-platform-for-udrRN3OmV9o/

Are you a man, 16-24, or more mature, 25+ which feels stuck mentally, and is not able to move forward due to a traumatic past, which shows up as anger, isolation, or various numbing behaviors, and needs support? Or, do you feel something gets in the way emotionally from you loving self, others, or having the life of your dreams, but are not sure what? Please DM me on Linked In for an opportunity to talk.