Many readers would be aware of the tragedy that unfolded in central Sydney in mid-December 2014 whereby a lone gunman took hostages in a coffee shop, ultimately killing two and wounding several others.
Hypocrisy #1. Don’t blame this large diverse group, blame this other one instead
It was only a matter of time until one or more feminist journalists would link this sociopath’s actions to men, masculinity, hyper-masculinity, domestic violence or the mens rights movement (or all of the preceding). But even I wouldn’t have foreseen the glaring irony contained within ‘Sydney Siege: Confronting our anti-Islam backlash‘, penned by Ruby Hamad (818 readers comments and still going).
“While it is true that this gunman put Islam front and centre by utilising that flag, let’s put the emphasis where it belongs. He may have made it about religion, but the operative word here is “he”, and not “religion.” … But such is the marginalisation of Muslims that they are not given the benefit of being individuals … What this should tell us is that our global society has a problem with violence. More specifically, we have a problem with widespread male violence and an unwillingness to even recognise, let alone confront it.”
So the author admonishes us to not blame one large diverse social grouping for this crime (Muslims) because that is unfair and unreasonable, but instead to assign the blame to another large diverse group (men) because …
Hypocrisy #2. Reporting the heroism of Lindt Cafe Manager Mr. Tori Johnson
What follows is my best recollection of a post I submitted to the Facebook page of pro-feminist news outlet news.com.au, but which (cue look of feigned surprise) disappeared from their timeline almost immediately.
“You have reported the heroic actions of Tori Johnson, and rightly so, as he was clearly a very brave individual and by all accounts also a great guy. Yet only two days ago you saw fit to publish an article in which you labelled men as “idiots” on account of their propensity for risk-taking. Perhaps the next time the feminist journalists on your team feel the urge to mock or demonise men, they might pause to consider the individuals behind the genitalia. They might also reflect on the advances made as a result of men taking risks, including the very freedoms that they enjoy today.”