There is evidence all around us and the way men respond to this evidence makes it overwhelmingly clear that we just flat out don't have a clue. Women and non-men everywhere on Earth are crying out for justice. The women's wings of every legitimate liberation movement in Africa; from the General Union of Guinea-Bissau Women, to the Organization of Angolan Women, the Pan-African Women's Associations around the world, and the All African Women's Revolutionary Union, have all questioned patriarchal institutions such as polygamy. Trans-women are vilified by men and murdered without impunity everywhere, everyday. Even in bourgeoisie societies, women are openly expressing their pain and suffering from systemic sexual assaults. These assaults are so common they have become normalized to many people. Still, far too many of us men remain arrogant, self-righteous, and simply in the way as it comes to justice for women and non-men.
First, lets define patriarchy. There is much confusion about this term, particularly I know this to be true in the African communities. Patriarchy is a system of male domination which traces its origins back thousands of years to coincide with the emergence and dominance of slavery as the dominant economic institution that replaced communalism. This slavery I speak of was not the transatlantic slave trade. It was slavery strictly as an economic science which surfaced about 15,000 years ago. At that time, every country on Earth had some form of slavery. Most of those systems were serfdom based systems, but they existed everywhere. This system evolved from the realization by people, primarily men, that if they utilized physical domination, they could control others and make them generate wealth for them. Thus, the development of class structures and the beginning of the era of physical domination of women (and non-men) and the controlling of their bodies. What makes patriarchy institutional is that this dominance of men in real life is reinforced by the education curriculum which suggests that men are responsible for all major advances in society. And by men we of course mean European or white men. And by white men we mean bourgeoisie white men, not poor working class white people. Patriarchy is reinforced in religious teachings e.g. the book of Ephesians which tells us the story that women emerged from the ribs of men and that the role of women is to follow men as the man follows the church/God. Patriarchy is reinforced through every channel of every society on Earth and the results are women are trained to see themselves as servants and sexual objects of men and men are trained to see women as commodities. That's what patriarchy is. What it isn't is some restoration of the man's place as a leading member of the family structure and society. There is no scientific evidence that confirms that men should lead anything. And leadership can certainly never be based on affirmative action. Leadership must always result from sincerity and qualifications, period. Those of us who know world history know this to be true because most societies in the world evolved from matriarchal societies. Matriarchy isn't the opposite of patriarchy. In matriarchal societies women held leadership, but men had all opportunities to participate fully in those societies. There is absolutely no evidence of the dominance of women and the oppression of men in matriarchal societies. In other words, men, if you wish to play a leadership role, do the necessary work to develop yourself and do that work so that people will organically recognize you as a leader. That's how you do it through the hard work and if you do it right, you will learn that the core value of leadership is respect for others and an undying sense of justice for all of humanity. Those are the values needed and those are the values lacking. And its true leaders who exhibit those values because in today's world, to do so requires extensive courage and character. These are the attributes most men are lacking. Instead, you would rather rely on favor and affirmative action. That's disgraceful.
Its time for men to display some estrogen and start standing up for what's right. Its absolutely disgusting that so many African men in the U.S. are talking non-stop about why Bill Cosby was convicted, but all the European sexual predators are not? Don't you see that this argument indicates you are using the values of the system that oppresses us to determine your positions on justice? How can you ever expect to win freedom while using the tools of that which keeps you enslaved? Of course those white predators should face justice, but if we are ever going to be free of this oppressive capitalist/imperialist system, we are going to have to learn how to think independently from it. That means recognizing that regardless of whatever they do, since we know nothing they do is based on justice, we should establish standards in our communities based not on what our oppressors do, but based on justice. I'm trying to liberate our people, not bourgeoisie white society. So, why would I establish my institutional values based on what they do? Absurd. And, we already know that most white men are absolutely worthless along with the majority of white women so they are not even worth discussing here. They will have to figure out their own issues and whether they do that or not, they will not stop and should not stop us from doing what we need to do. Doing what's right.
Men who are serious about liberation have to realize that we are not competing against women and non-men to achieve it. Its incumbent upon us to demand our comrades of all positions are extended an equal opportunity to participate on all levels of our existence. Ensuring this happens is the absolute only way we will be able to win our liberation because the minute we start sacrificing elements of our communities for our own positions of power, we compromise the integrity of our struggle and once that's done we are no different than the people we are fighting against. And, if that's true, we cannot win, nor should we win. And, I write this recognizing my own shortcomings of learning I can't trust anyone and that everyone is going to try and destroy me. I can't even trust the person I love and that I have to impress them and/or compete against them. I'm fighting and doing my work to move beyond those insecurities. Strong women just want to be with at the table. They don't want to replace us. We have got to recognize and institutionalize that.
And finally, it cannot just be people defined biologically as women who we extend justice towards. Every person, men, women, non-gender, need justice. And by justice we mean recognizing that gender along with race is a social construct. This is proven in history. Even in Africa, there are countless languages where women and men have been identified by the same phrase for thousands of years. What I'm saying is it is quite possible for a person to be born biologically as a women, but to determine that they are actually a man in a women's body. It is quite possible for that person to become a man, but to also decide to have a baby. So, since gender is a social construct, in this example, a man can have a baby. For the men reading this, it doesn't matter if you understand or agree with that. The point is the person living that existence believe in it. And, if we wish to alleviate our suffering we need them as much as we need you. So, get over yourself and recognize that they have as much right and place in our movement as you do. In fact, I'd actually rather work with them than most of you. Because most of you have very little actual heart for struggle. That's why you continue to bully those you feel cannot defend themselves.
Well, its time for all of us to defend all of our family members. We are stronger that way and if you don't see that, you really won't be able to convince me that you care at all about true liberation. We have to start organizing in a way that forces men to be accountable. We know power concedes nothing without a demand. We are going to create that demand. And, the way we can initiate that is by doing everything we can to strengthen our women's organizations. Strengthen them and prepare them to take over. Build a movement around women and non-men. That must be the priority of all organizations that call themselves working for justice. And as men our role in this process is to consistently challenge our brothers. To push for resources and focus around supporting women and non-men. To create no-tolerance for assault and oppression of women and non-men. That's our role as men, not justifying that oppression. From here forward, we need to just assert that any man justifying rape and oppression of women and non-men has committed rape and oppression of women and non-men and that is why they take the position they do. We men must play our role in stamping out this cancer. If you don't, you are nothing except a weak and cowardly glob of spit who is only taking up valuable oxygen that could be put to better use in another human being of better moral value and stock. What men are going to heed this challenge? What men have true heart and courage to do what's right? Or, which men will double down with confusion to protect yourself from having to grow and develop? Which men will side with bourgeoisie oppression to preserve your individual status in this backward patriarchal society? Time will tell who among us can and will rise above the abyss.
First, lets define patriarchy. There is much confusion about this term, particularly I know this to be true in the African communities. Patriarchy is a system of male domination which traces its origins back thousands of years to coincide with the emergence and dominance of slavery as the dominant economic institution that replaced communalism. This slavery I speak of was not the transatlantic slave trade. It was slavery strictly as an economic science which surfaced about 15,000 years ago. At that time, every country on Earth had some form of slavery. Most of those systems were serfdom based systems, but they existed everywhere. This system evolved from the realization by people, primarily men, that if they utilized physical domination, they could control others and make them generate wealth for them. Thus, the development of class structures and the beginning of the era of physical domination of women (and non-men) and the controlling of their bodies. What makes patriarchy institutional is that this dominance of men in real life is reinforced by the education curriculum which suggests that men are responsible for all major advances in society. And by men we of course mean European or white men. And by white men we mean bourgeoisie white men, not poor working class white people. Patriarchy is reinforced in religious teachings e.g. the book of Ephesians which tells us the story that women emerged from the ribs of men and that the role of women is to follow men as the man follows the church/God. Patriarchy is reinforced through every channel of every society on Earth and the results are women are trained to see themselves as servants and sexual objects of men and men are trained to see women as commodities. That's what patriarchy is. What it isn't is some restoration of the man's place as a leading member of the family structure and society. There is no scientific evidence that confirms that men should lead anything. And leadership can certainly never be based on affirmative action. Leadership must always result from sincerity and qualifications, period. Those of us who know world history know this to be true because most societies in the world evolved from matriarchal societies. Matriarchy isn't the opposite of patriarchy. In matriarchal societies women held leadership, but men had all opportunities to participate fully in those societies. There is absolutely no evidence of the dominance of women and the oppression of men in matriarchal societies. In other words, men, if you wish to play a leadership role, do the necessary work to develop yourself and do that work so that people will organically recognize you as a leader. That's how you do it through the hard work and if you do it right, you will learn that the core value of leadership is respect for others and an undying sense of justice for all of humanity. Those are the values needed and those are the values lacking. And its true leaders who exhibit those values because in today's world, to do so requires extensive courage and character. These are the attributes most men are lacking. Instead, you would rather rely on favor and affirmative action. That's disgraceful.
Its time for men to display some estrogen and start standing up for what's right. Its absolutely disgusting that so many African men in the U.S. are talking non-stop about why Bill Cosby was convicted, but all the European sexual predators are not? Don't you see that this argument indicates you are using the values of the system that oppresses us to determine your positions on justice? How can you ever expect to win freedom while using the tools of that which keeps you enslaved? Of course those white predators should face justice, but if we are ever going to be free of this oppressive capitalist/imperialist system, we are going to have to learn how to think independently from it. That means recognizing that regardless of whatever they do, since we know nothing they do is based on justice, we should establish standards in our communities based not on what our oppressors do, but based on justice. I'm trying to liberate our people, not bourgeoisie white society. So, why would I establish my institutional values based on what they do? Absurd. And, we already know that most white men are absolutely worthless along with the majority of white women so they are not even worth discussing here. They will have to figure out their own issues and whether they do that or not, they will not stop and should not stop us from doing what we need to do. Doing what's right.
Men who are serious about liberation have to realize that we are not competing against women and non-men to achieve it. Its incumbent upon us to demand our comrades of all positions are extended an equal opportunity to participate on all levels of our existence. Ensuring this happens is the absolute only way we will be able to win our liberation because the minute we start sacrificing elements of our communities for our own positions of power, we compromise the integrity of our struggle and once that's done we are no different than the people we are fighting against. And, if that's true, we cannot win, nor should we win. And, I write this recognizing my own shortcomings of learning I can't trust anyone and that everyone is going to try and destroy me. I can't even trust the person I love and that I have to impress them and/or compete against them. I'm fighting and doing my work to move beyond those insecurities. Strong women just want to be with at the table. They don't want to replace us. We have got to recognize and institutionalize that.
And finally, it cannot just be people defined biologically as women who we extend justice towards. Every person, men, women, non-gender, need justice. And by justice we mean recognizing that gender along with race is a social construct. This is proven in history. Even in Africa, there are countless languages where women and men have been identified by the same phrase for thousands of years. What I'm saying is it is quite possible for a person to be born biologically as a women, but to determine that they are actually a man in a women's body. It is quite possible for that person to become a man, but to also decide to have a baby. So, since gender is a social construct, in this example, a man can have a baby. For the men reading this, it doesn't matter if you understand or agree with that. The point is the person living that existence believe in it. And, if we wish to alleviate our suffering we need them as much as we need you. So, get over yourself and recognize that they have as much right and place in our movement as you do. In fact, I'd actually rather work with them than most of you. Because most of you have very little actual heart for struggle. That's why you continue to bully those you feel cannot defend themselves.
Well, its time for all of us to defend all of our family members. We are stronger that way and if you don't see that, you really won't be able to convince me that you care at all about true liberation. We have to start organizing in a way that forces men to be accountable. We know power concedes nothing without a demand. We are going to create that demand. And, the way we can initiate that is by doing everything we can to strengthen our women's organizations. Strengthen them and prepare them to take over. Build a movement around women and non-men. That must be the priority of all organizations that call themselves working for justice. And as men our role in this process is to consistently challenge our brothers. To push for resources and focus around supporting women and non-men. To create no-tolerance for assault and oppression of women and non-men. That's our role as men, not justifying that oppression. From here forward, we need to just assert that any man justifying rape and oppression of women and non-men has committed rape and oppression of women and non-men and that is why they take the position they do. We men must play our role in stamping out this cancer. If you don't, you are nothing except a weak and cowardly glob of spit who is only taking up valuable oxygen that could be put to better use in another human being of better moral value and stock. What men are going to heed this challenge? What men have true heart and courage to do what's right? Or, which men will double down with confusion to protect yourself from having to grow and develop? Which men will side with bourgeoisie oppression to preserve your individual status in this backward patriarchal society? Time will tell who among us can and will rise above the abyss.
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