Partially Woke Older White Men, Part I
To the men who feel things aren’t all that bad for women.
Recently, I posted an article on Medium about the sexual abuse against reporter Alex Bozarjian by a male marathon runner as she reported on the race on live television.
As part of that article, I stated: “Meanwhile, the people we need to hear from are the millions of the men who remain silent about our epidemic of abuse, rape and murder against women. We are living in a world where women are not safe. Ask yourself, what are YOU going to start doing right now, to change this?”
In response, a self-identified feminist man who has been challenging me in my networks for years posted this comment on the medium article which summarizes this tweet stream. He said: “Mark Greene, seems to me you are engaged in a kind of fear mongering here.”
I honestly believe he is well-intentioned, but I want to share my response to this idea. I want to respond to men who feel things aren’t all that bad for women. Specifically, older white men (my demographic.)
My response: Dear _________, I challenge you to do a gender reconciliation workshop. http://genderreconciliationinternational.org Go into that space and listen to thirty or more women tell their stories about being a woman in the world, today, now.
Listen as all of them confirm they are still afraid to walk the streets alone at night. Listen to stories of how watchful and careful women have to be. Listen to stories about what happened in their lives when they weren’t careful enough. And even when they were.
I can’t stress enough how women don’t share these stories, especially with people who they know already discount the level of harm out there. And then there are the stories women have globally. Which older white men like you and I are catastrophically oblivious to.
________, I’m glad your life is comfortable and safe and that the women in your life are not currently being victimized. I’m glad for all that. But please don’t discount the truth of the world just because your comfortable privilege insulates you from it.
I have a lot to do, and I can’t keep taking friendly fire from partially woke men who feel the need to temper my views in order to keep their world more comfortable.
$%&#@!!?&!!
More by Mark Greene on Medium:
Partially Woke Older White Men, Part II
Want more? Mark Greene is the author of The Little #Metoo Book for Men and Remaking Manhood. Both are available on Amazon.
