Dear Diana and all,
YESSS indeed, backlash has attempted to infiltrate another women's
cyberspace. As Diana points out, conversation with "Backlashers" is
thoroughly unrewarding, and there is absolutely no point in continuing. In
addition to the messages via the list today from Diana, Onnie and Helen,
Onnie and I discussed the "backlash presence" within GSN per telephone this
evening, and came to the conclusion that Rod Van Mechelen
<rodvan@...> has more than outstayed his welcome! So it's "Adios
Rod". Kindly continue your denials, excuses and failure to take
responsibility for men's violence against women elsewhere.
Ciao, Lynette.
****************
At 07:58 10/02/01 -0600, Diana wrote:
Dear All,

Well, I see we have the backlash among us. I purposely sought them
out myself in the past, in attempts to have a conversation. These
conversations were not at all rewarding, as they consisted of
the lectures and manipulated statistics and biased interpretations
of men who were unable to grasp the overwhelming oppression of
women on the planet. They believe feminism has taken over the
court systems of the land (mostly the U. S. land, as they are rather
ethnocentric) and that feminism has destroyed the family, and the
workplace, and men, etc. In my experience they have no ears but
much mouth and are verbally abusive. I have challenged myself at
this point in my life to attempt communication across great chasms of
humanity. However, with this men's movement backlash group, this challenge
was far beyond my current (or likely future)abilities -- though my abilities
in this area are generally quite high.

Feminists leave these backlash groups in droves. This angers these men.
They demand that we engage with them. (Not to converse -- just to be
around, to be lectured and dominated, diminished, disparaged, blamed,
mocked, ridiculed -- in short, to serve as scapegoats, as always). Since
feminists do not choose to engage with them generally, or for long, these
men have now begun entering feminist space, insisting that we focus on them.

What shall we do?

Diana S.