Is male on male violence a feminist issue?

[lumberjack_jeff]

187. There is little need for me to focus on that side of the room.

What with the searchlights and neon signs, I can see it just fine, but *this* side is entirely unexamined.

"Creepy feeling". What an excellent metaphor. Bringing attention to the complete silence on the topic creates massive insecurity and cognitive dissonance to people who really believe they are on the side of the angels. Like the person who whistles through the graveyard, we don't like to be reminded of our vulnerabilities, including the blind spots in our moral world-views.

That blind spot is exemplified by what Boston Bean posted upthread; talking about the 70% or more of violence which victimizes men is "nothing but a deflection tactic".

There is a circular nature to feminist advocacy.
Women) "The patriarchal system is oppressing me"
Men) "It's my job to protect the women, so I'll become a feminist"
Women) "See? He gets it! And because he's a guy, the fact that even he can see it proves just how much oppression exists!"
Me) "What about men?"
Men and women in unison) "Shut up you big whiner"

Conveniently unexamined is the fact that it is the patriarchal system which places the responsibility for protecting women onto men.

The unfortunate thing is that men don't really see the imbalance in the system until they get slapped in the face with their actual powerlessness by finding themselves in divorce court, at which point they become MRA's and republicans.