Subject: ACFC: Where's the facts, Ben?
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 18:40:32 -0600 (MDT)
From: acfc-l@usa.net
To: unlisted-recipients:; (no To-header on input)
Thanks to Dave Usher for his reply to the Worcester Telegram article on Ben Zeman. For those who missed it,
Zeman has been going on "walks" around Massachusetts claiming to be a spokesman for men, while spouting all the
absurdities of radical feminist [more accurately called redfem —WHS]
propaganda that women are the only victims of domestic violence.
ACFC
++++++++++++++++++++
To The Editor,
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
It is apparent to this spokesman for the men's movement that Ben Zeman is a well-placed, orchestrated
radical feminist plant. Zeman pretends that the male perspective
on domestic violence exists solely through the eyes of women - an act of sexism in itself. He then pretends to
officiate as a men's advocate. By Zeman's standard, the civil rights movement could also blame itself for the
acts of its oppressors and then ask for more racism.
Every major study on domestic violence tells us that women and men initiate serious spousal altercations, in
roughly equal proportion. Yet only the female perspective is discussed in the media and politics. This, is
"sexism".
From these studies, we know that divorce drives remarkable increases in serious domestic violence. But
politicians and media pretend that we must grant divorces to somehow prevent domestic violence. A thorough
factual analysis about common misrepresentation of these issues is on the internet at
http://www.acfc.org/vawa/vawa2.htm.
By definition, it is sexist to view anything solely through the eyes of one sex. No subject in America bears
such sexist synergy as do family issues - long held to be solely a "women's realm". It is sexist for
Zeman to suggest that men see women as their "property" - a long dead Victorian concept - when in fact about half the
fathers in America have been casually driven from their homes while their property, savings, and future income is
seized to finance more sexism. [1]
Today's men are far different than their Victorian counterparts. We wish to have the same right to be in the family
as we have granted to women in the workplace - certainly not a "patriarchal" power grab. Where a young boy must
grow up expecting not to have the right to be a husband and father, how can we call this America? Where millions
of men are commonly driven from their homes and families, is it surprising that some men go off the deep end?
Today's women are far different too. Many of them found that being a single mother does not mean "having it
all". It means "having to do it all". They discovered that life without an invested helpmate husband is
difficult and stressful - leading to astonishing increases in women's domestic violence, child neglect, and child
abuse.
During the divorce revolution, every social and economic indicator measuring the well-being of women and children
has declined significantly - with poverty for women and children predicted by absence of a husband and father in the
home. Women are coming around to realize that social progress depends decisively on cooperation of the sexes in
working through the normal processes and problems of marriage and aging, within the whole cloth of the intact
two-parent family.
Powerful antifamily business and political profiteers continue to back the likes of Zeman. Lawyers' and
politicians' bank accounts and careers are built on sexist beliefs that continue to divide and conquer the family.
This system of predatory sexism is heading for the hard wall of reality. Just like Bill Clinton, it will
suffer the same fate as America finally comes to realize that one good husband is worth more than a 5.3-trillion
deficit and all the lawyers and jails in America.
David R. Usher
Chairman, Missouri ACFC Coalition
118 Oakwood
St. Louis, MO 63119
314 504-4684
usher@mvp.net
Children Need BOTH Parents!
The American Coalition for Fathers and Children
For Membership information call 1-800-978-DADS or see ACFC's homepages at:
http://www.acfc.org
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