# "Classify the Men's Rights Movement as a terrorist group" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 27, 2014, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classify-the-mens-rights-movement-as-a-terrorist-group/689395 "2014-05-27T18:41:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![blindboyard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blindboyard/32/2833_2.png) [@blindboyard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blindboyard)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classify-the-mens-rights-movement-as-a-terrorist-group/689395/1 "2014-05-27T18:41:15Z")
And the presently [2,243](http://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/classify-mens-rights-movement-terrorist-group/W5018W63) people supporting that position. The story being put about by some feminists, and some people on this very board, is that the most recent gun-toting psycho was motivated by being a member of the Men’s Rights Movement. No-one has offered any evidence of any association with the MRM or of any inclination towards violence in the MRM. The poster of the petition there offers three claimed examples of violent MRAs. One was Marc Lepine, the lunatic from the nineties who killed some Canadian students because he blamed feminism for keeping him out of the military. He was not an MRA, he was a paranoid schizophrenic. The second, Thomas Ball, is claimed to have firebombed a courthouse. In reality he set himself on fire in the street, as a form of non-violent protest. No-one else was harmed, no courthouses were burned down. The other is obviously the current psycho, called an “active MRA” and claimed to have killed seven women, but actually having killed two women, four men and his self, all of whom become women in the gynocentric narrative. It seems to be a typical feminist approach to spread lies and propaganda about their enemies, who are their enemies on the basis of seeking equality. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classify-the-mens-rights-movement-as-a-terrorist-group/689395/2 "2014-05-27T18:48:58Z")
They’re not a terrorist group, but in my opinion, they’re a hate group in a similar way that neo-Confederates and white nationalists are hate groups. ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classify-the-mens-rights-movement-as-a-terrorist-group/689395/3 "2014-05-27T19:03:31Z")
Can I classify you as a fucking idiot? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classify-the-mens-rights-movement-as-a-terrorist-group/689395/4 "2014-05-27T19:05:50Z")
> [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](#): > > Can I classify you as a fucking idiot? Is that a reply to OP or Post #2? ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classify-the-mens-rights-movement-as-a-terrorist-group/689395/5 "2014-05-27T19:06:51Z")
Associating knee-jerk reactionary foolishness with “typical” feminism seems to be a typical misogynist approach to spread lies and propaganda about their enemies. ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classify-the-mens-rights-movement-as-a-terrorist-group/689395/6 "2014-05-27T19:09:56Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Is that a reply to OP or Post #2? The OP. The rest of you are all right. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classify-the-mens-rights-movement-as-a-terrorist-group/689395/7 "2014-05-27T19:15:43Z")
How would this even work, exactly? It’s not an organization - it’s a movement. There may be organizations within that movement, but the petition didn’t name any. Also, those organizations may hold wildly different ideologies even if they are part of the same movement. Look at the Animal rights for a parallel. The Animal Liberation Front may be a terrorist organization, but the ASPCA is certainly not, yet they both argue for animal rights. In short, you can’t classify a movement as a terrorist organization, because it’s not an organization. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classify-the-mens-rights-movement-as-a-terrorist-group/689395/8 "2014-05-27T19:55:57Z")
> [@blindboyard](#): > > No-one has offered any evidence of […] any inclination towards violence in the MRM. No inclination towards violence in the “Men’s Rights” movement?! Of course there is. I agree with previous posters that it’s pointless to try to classify an amorphous “movement” as a terrorist group. Nor do I believe that most self-identified MRAs actually support a policy of killing random women as advocated in Elliot Rodger’s “manifesto” and video diatribe: > [@Elliot Rodger](#): > > I don’t know why you girls aren’t attracted to me, but I will punish you all for it. > > It’s an injustice, a crime, because I don’t know what you don’t see in me. I’m the perfect guy, and yet you throw yourselves at all these obnoxious men, instead of me, the supreme gentlemen. > > I will punish all of you for it. […] > > I will take great pleasure in slaughtering all of you. But it’s silly to attempt to deny the abundant evidence of inclination towards violence in the typical attitudes and positions of the MRM. [These are guys who harass strangers they’ve identified as “feminists” with rape threats and death threats:](http://prospect.org/article/look-inside-mens-rights-movement-helped-fuel-california-alleged-killer-elliot-rodger) > [@](#): > > One of their tactics is to put out a cash bounty for personal information—including home addresses, places of employment, email addresses, and phone numbers—of feminists who upset them. The deluge of hate mail, rape and death threats for those on the receiving end of these witch hunts is hard to describe. > > One young woman, who got in a heated argument with a men’s rights activist at a protest in Canada, was subsequently dubbed as “little red frothing fornication mouth” by AVFM and had all of her private contact information published by MRAs. She received hundreds of elaborate threats of violence. One anonymous commenter invited her to “enjoy being anally defiled.” Another gloated: “I would actually cum cutting that bitch’s throat.” Another outspoken feminist told me personally that she had to get the FBI and the state police involved when AVFM targeted her. Authorities found the threats she received so credible that they advised her to leave home for two weeks, taking her husband and young child with her. […] > > And make no mistake: anti-woman hate is the defining feature of the MRAs, and the examples above are the rule, not the exception. The Southern Poverty Law Center, a storied civil rights organization dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry, told 20/20: "The Manosphere is an underworld of so-called men’s rights groups and individuals on the Internet, which is just fraught with really hard-line anti-woman misogyny.” A Voice For Men makes no excuses for their hatred of women, from posts ranting about women who are “begging to be raped” to treatises about how fat women want to be sexually violated because it would mean we are desired. Warren Farrell, the aforementioned “father” of the modern MRAs—he openly called date rape “exciting” and said that incest can be a good thing—has recently signed on as a regular AVFM contributor. For over a year, AVFM hosted in their “activism” section a call to firebomb courthouses written by a man who actually lit himself on fire in front of one. Paul Elam himself wrote an infamous post in which he vowed that, should he ever be called to serve on the jury for a rape trial, he would vote to acquit even if he believed the defendant was guilty. ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classify-the-mens-rights-movement-as-a-terrorist-group/689395/9 "2014-05-27T20:03:07Z")
Fringe position creates petition on teh interwebs, gets a small number of people to sign it. Someone on interwebs uses this as broad brush to paint an entire group, claiming it is typical of their “approach to spread lies and propaganda about their enemies”. News at 11. In related news, [1,833 people](https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/stop-broadcasting-russian-propaganda-us/1q40Srqh) consider it an issue of Civil Rights and Liberties that the US prevent the broadcasting of any Russian channels in the US. [996 people](https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/take-andrew-jackson-20-bill-and-replace-him-someone-who-was-more-committed-liberty-and-justice-all/C9DVjkt9) petition to take Andrew Jackson off the $20 bill and replace him with someone who was more committed to liberty and justice for ALL. [1,719 people](https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/us-exports-outside-world-terrorism-and-death/8rXshDX2) petition the Obama administation declare U.S. exports to the outside world terrorism and death. [856 people](https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/designate-united-states-america-state-sponsor-terrorism/S3pRcnG6) petiton that the US Designate the United States of America as “State Sponsor of Terrorism” [353 people people](https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/defund-our-state-religion-church-political-correctness-whose-dogma-white-genocide/9dZXMr5g) petiton to Defund our state religion: The Church of Political Correctness whose dogma is WHITE GENOCIDE, including my favorite bits: 1. Issue a presidential proclamation that those who support White Genocide are not “anti-racist,” they are ANTI-WHITE! 2. Imprint on our nation’s coins: ANTI-RACIST IS A CODE WORD FOR ANTI-WHITE ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classify-the-mens-rights-movement-as-a-terrorist-group/689395/10 "2014-05-27T20:27:18Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > They’re not a terrorist group, but in my opinion, they’re a hate group in a similar way that neo-Confederates and white nationalists are hate groups. I can even see that they may have a very slight valid set of complaints, in certain very limited areas. For instance, for a period of time, courts awarded child custody to mothers rather than to fathers by a very large statistical margin. “Men’s Rights” activists helped change that, and the assignment of custody is closer to equal. But, yeah, in a way it’s absurd. It’s like listening to Rush Limbaugh claim that white men are the class “most discriminated against” in our society. What an utter load of tripe! It’s a group of very highly privileged people whining that they are dispossessed of their rights. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classify-the-mens-rights-movement-as-a-terrorist-group/689395/11 "2014-05-27T20:27:35Z")
> [@blindboyard](#): > > And the presently [2,243](http://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/classify-mens-rights-movement-terrorist-group/W5018W63) people supporting that position. > > The story being put about by some feminists, More like femi-bitches. > [@](#): > > but actually having killed two women, four men and his self, all of whom become women in the gynocentric narrative. Hating and killing men is misogynist. All dictionaries need to be re-written because misandry is a made-up word, by misogynist MRAs, and should not be in the dictionary. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classify-the-mens-rights-movement-as-a-terrorist-group/689395/12 "2014-05-27T20:34:21Z")
[Murderer kills six: 4 men and 2 women. Cause: Misogyny!](http://www.avoiceformen.com/gynocentrism/murderer-kills-6-men-and-2-women-cause-misogyny/) ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classify-the-mens-rights-movement-as-a-terrorist-group/689395/13 "2014-05-27T20:40:41Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > For instance, for a period of time, courts awarded child custody to mothers rather than to fathers by a very large statistical margin. “Men’s Rights” activists helped change that Actually, it was the feminist movement itself much more than anti-feminist “men’s rights” advocates who [changed that:](http://queerguesscode.wordpress.com/2013/02/06/the-truth-about-feminism-and-child-custody-discrimination/) > [@](#): > > In very early U.S. history, we’re talking late 1700′s and early 1800′s, children were always considered property of the father, and since women at the time had no legal right to own property, a child could be legally willed to another relative or friend of the father’s after his death even if the mother was still alive. […] > > “\*n divorce, until the mid-nineteenth century, fathers had a near absolute right to custody, regardless of circumstances” […] > > This began to change in the late 1800′s, especially during the Industrial Revolution, as men began working further away from home and women became the primary caretakers of children. […] > > “The paternal preference was gradually replaced by a maternal preference, based on the ‘tender years’ presumption. […] By the 1920′s, the maternal preference for custody in English and American law, regardless of the child’s age, became as firmly fixed as the earlier paternal preference, and was encoded in statute in all 48 states.” > > So we have two major eras in child custody so far: that of preference to the father and that of preference to the mother. In the 1970′s however, things began to change again, and a third era was introduced: that of the best interests of the child. Due to growing complaints of sex discrimination from men, the feminist movement, concerns for equal protection under the constitution, and a large number of women entering the workforce, it was decided that rather than base custody decisions on the gender of the parent, it would be more apt to consider the best interests of the child. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classify-the-mens-rights-movement-as-a-terrorist-group/689395/14 "2014-05-27T20:46:15Z")
Is anybody besides misogynists seriously arguing that Elliot Rodger’s killing spree was **not** largely motivated by misogyny? [Which part of](http://wehuntedthemammoth.com/2014/05/25/why-elliot-rodgers-misogyny-matters/) _“Women’s rejection of me is a declaration of war, and if it’s war they want, then war they shall have. It will be a war that will result in their complete and utter annihilation”_ didn’t you understand? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classify-the-mens-rights-movement-as-a-terrorist-group/689395/15 "2014-05-27T20:51:00Z")
The petition is silly, but this thread is going to be like flypaper for assholes. Hurry up and defend your masculinity, fellas! Last one in is a beta male! ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classify-the-mens-rights-movement-as-a-terrorist-group/689395/16 "2014-05-27T20:53:08Z")
Ah, they’re showing up already. ---
**Author:** ![Reyemile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@Reyemile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reyemile)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classify-the-mens-rights-movement-as-a-terrorist-group/689395/17 "2014-05-27T20:54:53Z")
> [@blindboyard](#): > > It seems to be a typical feminist approach to spread lies and propaganda about their enemies, who are their enemies on the basis of seeking equality. You had my attention until this last bit, which revealed you to be an idiotic hack. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classify-the-mens-rights-movement-as-a-terrorist-group/689395/18 "2014-05-27T21:06:50Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > Ah, they’re showing up already. If only I posted before you’d showed up. But I did beat \*\*Der \*\* “our society doesn’t care about men waaaaah!” **Trihs** to the punch. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classify-the-mens-rights-movement-as-a-terrorist-group/689395/19 "2014-05-27T21:11:47Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > this thread is going to be like flypaper for assholes. Gee, that sounds pretty uncomfortable. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classify-the-mens-rights-movement-as-a-terrorist-group/689395/20 "2014-05-27T21:16:22Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > The petition is silly, but this thread is going to be like flypaper for assholes. Hurry up and defend your masculinity, fellas! Last one in is a beta male! Oh man, it has gotten to the point where if anyone, even in jest, says ‘beta (or Omega) male’ I almost reflexively roll my eyes. I’m going to sprain my eyeballs. I just know it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/classify-the-mens-rights-movement-as-a-terrorist-group/689395.md?page=2)