Letter: Men vs `feminazis'

DISCRIMINATION AGAINST males is so widespread in so many fields that it is not surprising that a wide variety of tactics have been adopted by those stronger-minded men with the guts to fight it. Hence the range of approaches reported by Pyke, Usborne, O'Sullivan and Clement (12 December) are the tip of the iceberg, and evidence of male creativity rather than confusion and conflict.

I see no contradiction in the men's movement needing to supplement its charitable role with anti-feminism. Just as peacekeepers, going into a war zone as medical/welfare units backed by ground troops, need minesweepers and air support against the aggressors, so organisations like Mankind will still need a form of protective "air-cover". We are now aiming at the spaces, and going round rather than through the obstacles, but we are up against dirty fighters - fanatics who have a track record of sabotaging welfare initiatives just because they serve males. I anticipate that stepping up our charitable work will smoke out into public view the viciousness of our opponents.

Far from adopting the methods of those we have dubbed "the feminazis," we are keeping to the moral high ground we hold already. Feminism has instigated a social disaster, and prolonged it by ensuring that protest has been stifled. As the men's movement aims to correct this by democratic means, we are not, as Usborne and O'Sullivan claim, copying feminist tactics. We reject their use of intimidation, demonisation, personal attack instead of open debate, biased "research", faulty statistics, censorship etc... the list would warrant another four journalists to cover it.

The Men's Movement opposes a social aberration which is shored up by intellectual dishonesty and the misuse of public resources. Our intellectual integrity, and demand for fuller democracy, with proper application of existing equality law, are powerful weapons on our side as we dismantle this iron curtain in our midst.