The Backlash! - December 1994

Reports from this November '94 general election indicate that the republican rout was helped immensely by an overwhelming majority of white male voters. Even black male voters, once considered a shoe-in by the democrats, are reported to have voted republican in numbers that were once unthinkable. To help finish the republican romp, conservative women too, fed up with liberal democratic social legislation, voted republican.

This landslide shift of political power didn't come about as a result of minor irritations by the population. The forces that shook the tree of power run deep and wide. It is now time for the newly elected officials to try to understand the utter disgust of the electorate, and why so many politicians were purged. And at the same time, try to understand the frustrations of the male voting block that has just yelled "WE WANT A CHANGE".

In conversations with members of the men's movement since the election, I have yet to talk to a man who claimed to have voted the democratic line. Most all of the men said essentially the same thing. It wasn't that they were all card carrying republicans. It wasn't that they were anti democrats. Simple as it sounds, they were just plain tired of female centered legislation. They were tired of having the government pass social legislation that makes it a crime to be man. They were tired of courts that separate men from their families. And voting for the republican party was the only viable alternative to more and more anti-male government.

So what is it that made the male electorate so mad?. And what can be done to defuse these issues? There are a number of issues that need to be addressed.

The area of family law is crying the loudest for reform from the male point of view. Liberal social policies and a female dominated family law system has made the words male and criminal synonyms. Women get custody of children over 90% of the time in contested cases. Forty percent of custodial women interfere with court ordered visitation, with impunity. Tax law discourages families. Welfare law rewards single mothers. False accusations of abuse can have a man thrown out of his home, have his pay garnisheed, keep him from his children, and take him years, if ever, to recover. Reform in this area of family law is beyond negation.

The entire arena of "affirmative action" needs to be reevaluated. As it is presently administered, it has become nothing more than a legal way to discriminate against males. Government job requirements that specify gender or other birth characteristics, are by themselves, discrimination. Males of today have had no part in shaping history before their birth. The asinine idea that we can legally discriminate against a newborn male to "get even" for supposed injustices that occurred before his birth, is absurd.

This reaching back into history to correct wrongs from the past is the lesson that is presently being taught by combatants in the former Yugoslavia. If this country does not want to end up similarly balkanized, we need to find ways to minimize differences. Government programs and policies should not look for ways to discriminate between its citizens.

The arena of sexual harassment also need a "work over." Most men will go along with reasonable guidelines for sexual harassment in the workplace. But the word "reasonable" needs to have more meaning than just "reasonable woman." The "reasonable man" perspective needs to be included.

If a woman has a complaint of sexual harassment, most reasonable men would say, "Fine. Bring it up now." Not, Anita Hill like, years later. Not like an asset in the bank, collecting interest, waiting to be brought out and used at the most opportune time. If there is something a man does to offend a particular woman in the workplace, she needs to make it known immediately. The same goes for men claiming sexual harassment.

Simply allowing a very short (less than a month) window when making charges of sexual harassment would go a long way in solving the problem. This also goes for the idea of hostile work environment. This entire arena of reparations for supposed harm in office sexual wars has gotten out of control. It is harmful to men, because a mere accusation is as good as guilty. It is harmful to women, because businesses are reluctant to hire a woman for fear she may "go off." It is harmful to business, the added costs associated with investigating and defending these cases. It is also harmful to government. All expenses that businesses have as a result of these charges are a deductible business expense and lower their tax bill.

It's time for the newly elected officials to get busy. It's time to address these male issues. The next election is less than 2 years away.