Man or Mouse?
by Kerry L Marsala

It's time for men to stand up and take back their rights as men. Men have been pushed around, put down, made fun of, and ridiculed far too long. Men are portrayed in sit-coms, movies, and commercials as being nothing but stupid most of the time. Where are the men's rights groups? Where is their version of NOW? Where are their advocates? We women have them, why can't the men?

In the beginning God created male and female. The male was to be the decisive and logically thinking side and the female was created to be the emotional and nurturing side. Both perfect counter balances to each other-both sides are representative of the Creator.

There are crossovers of strength and character between the sexes. Men by nature are physically stronger and able to endure impossible tasks of strenuous proportions. Men can lift and carry more weight than women; their percentage of muscle mass is higher. Women are naturally strong as well; we can carry a growing child within our bodies for nine months and still drive, work and live our daily lives. Men at times are extremely emotional, watch what happens when their favorite team looses the play-offs. Women at times can be extremely logical, did you ever hear a mother act as judge and jury between two fighting children? She uses great logic in settling major battles on the home front.

Each sex has remarkable gifts and abilities unique to their own, and when they are used properly they work beautifully.

For sometime now, women have been contributing to a slow degeneration of what needs to find balance, if we are to survive as men and women. Due to an over zealous pendulum swing men have been under constant attack and it needs to stop.

Watch the comedy show Raymond for a few episodes and you will witness how Raymond's TV wife and mother treat him. Sure it's comedy, but it seems to be the reflection of an overall prevailing attitude from American women in general -- personified in a half-hour sitcom. Men are looked at as being louses, who are insensitive, dumb, clueless, cave men. Just because men think differently and buy tickets to the Superbowl instead of the ballet for our anniversary present doesn’t make them bad guys. Just because men don't have female hormonal fluctuations every fifteen seconds, doesn’t mean they can't be helped to understand how PMS and Menopause affects womankind. Even after full explanation is given, they will need reminders constantly because they don’t live in our bodies-give them a break!

We as women have hurt men tremendously by the way we treat them as mere sperm donors and not expect them to be real dads. Yes, there are lousy guys who go around impregnating women and leave, so does this give women the right to use men for their sperm and then walk away? Why is it okay for women not to allow men any contact or perhaps desired responsibility for a child? And yes, I even question why men don’t have any say on aborting their babies. I know you're screaming, "IT'S MY BODY, HANDS OFF!" But what about the men who don’t desire doing away with their child? What if they wanted to take their child and raise it after birth? Why do men have absolutely no rights in pregnancy? Is it all based on because we women carry the child in our wombs -- so we have full say?

Too often the Hollywood types have now bought into just wanting the sperm donation all to fulfill their need to have a kid. How selfish we women have become, we leave the most important part out of the miracle of creation-it's called love between a man and a woman. Love so powerful that it protects and nurtures each other from all outside forces, it shelters those whom they have created from all elements that may want to harm it. Men have a choice to be more than just sperm donors; they can actually be real dads. Just as women have a choice as to whether they want to be more than just a depository for the other half of the chromosomal make up of a human being.

Men are wonderful -- they're unique, they're our counter-balances. Men are worth more than the treatment and abuse they've been receiving. Men are not all crummy; most desire an equal relationship with a woman they love.

Men, you need to decide for yourselves, because it's only the individuals who can change how others are treating them. Do you continue to let women treat you like you haven't an IQ higher than a six pack of Bud, a bowl full of Nachos and Monday Football with the guys? Do you continue to let women poke fun at you over the fact that you process information differently? No, you don’t need to tolerate it any longer. And women we need to treat our men with the same R-E-S-P-E-C-T we demand of them.

Can you imagine if a sitcom was created to make fun of women who suffer from hot flashes? We could portray men ridiculing women for their irrational behavior, their inability to cool down, their propensity not to remember things (like wear she put the checkbook), their burning of the food, their zero sex drive, their constant crying and in general their acting and looking like something the cat drug in. I don't think women in general would allow that style of sitcom, movie or commercial to play more than once and they shouldn’t either--and men--neither should you.

So the real question is: Are you A Man or just a male sperm with fecundating fluid that enjoys being kicked in the groin?

K L. Marsala is a commentator on social, cultural and political ideologies. She is co-publisher of Sarah's Seed Journal and has published one book, with number two waiting in the wings.

Ms. Marsala holds a master's degree in ancient history and Biblical studies. She is currently working on her degree in bio-ethics and political science. You can visit her web-site for archived and current articles: http://www.right2think.8m.com