I have to rush off – Josh Spokesgay is in town! – but here for your reading enjoyment is Rebecca on the SCA and Vacula.
As I was traveling to the conference Friday, a story broke that I found astounding: Men’s Rights Activist Justin Vacula was appointed co-chair of the Pennsylvania chapter of the Secular Coalition for America, the organization that recently came under fire for hiring Republican lobbyist Edwina Rogers.
In case you’re not familiar with him, Vacula has written about the “feminist lies” of Surly Amy for A Voice For Men (the same site where Paul Elam wrote a short novella on what a “stupid, lying whore” I am, and some pseudonymous grandfather called me a “bitch”).
He participated in the gleeful bullying of Jen McCreight, who was driven off her blog last month by trolls
And speak of the devil — Justin Vacula has now joined Secular Woman.
Have they no decency? Have they left any decency?
…guess not. -sigh-
Setar-
As with most national organizations, memberships are automated. It would be inefficient for someone to manually input and approve all memberships for a national organization run by volunteers.
You know, this is really getting into accommodationist territory where it is about accepting everyone through a kind of forced silence in an effort to not upset anyone, so they will turn a blind eye to things like this. Accommofeminists?
“She then went on to emphasize that SCA needs to be respectful and diplomatic and non-partisan.”
Kind of like Obama’s quest to be “non-partisan” by kowtowing to Republicans.
This half-assed “both sides” bullshit needs to end. One side is a bunch of hateful assholes. They have nothing of value to offer to the secular community and it’s time to stop pretending they do.
Crap, it appears that Vacula took his post down. (And then it seems to have been put back up by skepticblogs migrating to a new domain.)
Also, my comment was directed at Vacula et al, not Secular Woman. Apologies for the lack of clarity.
I adore Josh Spokesgay! He’s wonderful.
Great comments from the superb Bjarte, Sallystrange – and thanks to Scribe for the helpful definitions, and explanation of the political context.
I think that the frequent use of abbreviations is confusing for people new to the movement.
It makes me sick to my stomach so many atheists (feminists like Jeremy Stangroom) are ok with Vacula and A Voice for Men. People who’ve been decrying “bullying” and hateful speach are defending and excusing a site that refers to most feminist men as manginas. Who has taken to calling a black man critical of them house nigga. Who are openly and unashamedly hostile to all forms of feminism.
What’s wrong with people?
Humanists better start calling bullshit on, well bullshit.
Not just about women but the future in general as well.
All this acceptance of anything short of murder is not in service to humankind.
Some things are wrong, somethings are bad and not all opinions are valid just because they are an opinion.
@ 6 – yes, Josh is terrific!
Secular Women revoked Vacula’s membership.
I propose that we install permanent scare quotes around the term “Men’s Rights.” MRA invokes the memory of Moral Re-Armament, a proto religious right movement.
Male feminists ARE advocating for men’s rights, even if the terminology feels a bit odd.
Does the acceptance of Vacula indicate the pathological ‘both-sides-teach-the-controversy’ relativist cess pool? Or is it, as I suspect, another example of the unwillingness of ordinary folks to recognize evil when it is in front of them?
Is the Secular Coalition re-enacting the story of the Vatican and Penn State?
Well done Secular Women!
If you click on the links, you can read some of the ‘Men’s Rights’ comments. Their mindset is firmly against women. It’s very shocking. Vacula is not as bad as some of them, but that’s not saying much, and until he lets go of this ridiculously untenable mindset, he can never be a humanist.
Of course, sexism does harm men. As Rebecca West said, it places limitations on men as well as the women they control. It erodes empathy, but also twists reason. Sexism taints the world for everyone.
One alleged man said that ‘elevator man’ (‘if he even exists’! see? Get the implication? Women lie.) chose to approach the woman in a lift because he didn’t want other people to know if she turned him down.
Oh boo hoo. The problem is, rapists choose to be alone with the woman too. Women are not mind readers. In either case, it is a power trip. Why can’t people understand this? (Many look away when women are sexually assaulted in public, and so a rape victim would be better off shouting ‘Fire!’ rather than ‘rape!’ or ‘Help!’ if she or he wants anyone even to react.)
‘Fight’ is out. The man is stronger. ‘Flight’ is out. You’re in an enclosed space (yes, ‘cornered’). When this happens, a woman being offered coffee is wondering which answer will save her life.
All a woman said was, ‘Don’t do this, guys’. For goodness sake. Feminists, male and female, must stand up against this illogical, pathological negativity towards women!
I’m calling, ‘FIRE!’