#Me Too - Men Included
On May 24th, President Donald Trump arrived in Brussels for a two-day visit to inaugurate the new NATO headquarters. Ahead of Trump’s arrival, activists from across the European Union called upon a city wide protest to show solidarity in their stand against Trump’s policies. On every street, groups of everyday people were holding signs and shouting anti-Trump chants. Brussels, normally a sleepy city evolved into a center of action.
However, there was some action though that I disagreed with. Several protestors were carrying signs that focused on Trump’s record of sexual misconduct. His un-presidential behaviour is completely unacceptable, but women carrying signs saying “men are pigs” and that “men are rapists” does not improve gender relations in any manner. Generalizing all men as sexual predators is as simplified and arrogant as saying that “all Muslims are terrorists”. It is a sexist belief which has become widespread throughout traditional centers of liberalism.
The #Metoo movement is a force for positive change. As a man, I find it repugnant to see the amount of sexual misconduct occurring in so many professional areas. The film industry, Wall Street, the government, the gambling industry and athletics have all seen downfalls of very powerful men who are accused of allegations ranging from rape to touching someone’s knee.
You have probably seen a Harvey Weinstein movie. His portfolio of films, where he served as executive producer, includes international successes such as Pulp Fiction (1994), Good Will Hunting (1997), Django Unchained (2012), and The Lord of the Rings (2003). For decades, the Hollywood elite swept Weinstein’s behaviour under the carpet, even though rumours of his erratic behaviour were widely believed to be true.
The best thing men can do is to not tolerate that sort of behaviour anymore. Allowing that type of behaviour does not make you innocent, it makes you part of the problem. This idea is what men have a real problem with. We all know someone who acts aggressively after a bit too much to drink. We have a responsibility to prevent them from hurting others and educating them about how to act appropriately.
What is obvious is that men can’t get away with this type of behaviour anymore. The accusations against celebrities and powerful businessmen will continue, regardless of their popularity. What the #Metoo movement must ensure though is that the movement remains guided and does not turn into a witch hunt, where accusations are already entirely believed before the defendant is allowed a chance to defend themselves.
The case of Aziz Ansari represents the dangerous side of the #Metoo movement. In a lot of people’s minds the Ansari story seemed like more of a “bad hook up” rather than a case of sexual assault or misconduct. Without looking at the facts or listening to Ansari’s side of the story, people throughout the world immediately jumped on the bandwagon and tarnished Ansari’s once golden reputation.
In the “Post-Truth” and “Fake News” age, it is important to protect positive grassroots movements such as the #Metoo movement away from the hysteria and deception which occupies so many areas of the internet. A way of doing this is to prevent extremists from taking over the organisation by not alienating men from a movement which is aiming to make the world a better place.
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