Friday, April 27, 2007

While I like the Liberal radio ads ... the gender discriminatory one needs to go

Just as I decided I was going to recharge my blogger batteries for a few days while in the mountains, I caught one of the new Liberal radio ads in the car.

This ad went sort of like this ..."Many single parent families live in poverty and eighty percent of single parent families are led by women. While Stephen Harper does nothing, what more would Stephane Dion do about this?..." or something like that.

I appreciate the Leader's office trying to put distance between Stephen Harper's performance on social policy compared to Stephane Dion's vision. I also appreciate these ads seek to court the women's vote.

What I don't appreciate is the fact that the Liberal party's strategists are choosing to continue to use stereotypes about matters of the family inappropriately, much like they did during Mr. Chrétien’s and Mr. Martin's terms as prime minister.

Once and for all, all issues are people issues. When gender is used as a distinguishing feature, there is an increasing possibility that any issue might violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms when considered carefully. Why touch it?

For example, rightly or wrongly (and in spite of the Charter), gender is still single most important factor used by judges to determine which parent can have custody of their children and which parent cannot, barring extraordinary circumstances. This is also in spite of tragedies involving children that show that some parents to be unfit, in spite of their gender.

This failure to consider that gender discrimination against men in Canadian family courts (not indifference or belligerence by parents of the male variety) is why 80% of single parent families are led by mothers.

Perhaps those trying to differentiate Dion and the new Liberal party from Harper's Conservatives should come up with a new angle on matters of the family that does not habitually violate the Charter of Right's and Freedoms pending interpretive spin that makes "the best interests of children congruent with the preferences of the mother". This is a poorly considered genderalisation that may give credence to gender biased judicial decisions on the surface, but also dangerously makes gender preferences by judges trump basic human rights. And, I dare to say, much to my chagrin, that many judges who most blatantly allow gender to dictate who can be with their children and who cannot are Liberal appointees.

Perhaps those responsible could refrain from putting out the same old garbage with respect to family policy that continues to haunt the legacies of M. Chrétien and Mr. Martin. This is at least the case in the eyes of Liberals who believe in fairness and equality, many of whom happen to be Liberal children of divorce, men, women, second families and children of second families.

I am certain M. Dion is not aware of how this ad could offend many Liberals, especially since he made a point of committing to putting all Liberal policy through "gender sensitive" filter as a part of his policy to increase female representation in the House of Commons. This also must apply to policies that may negatively affect men.

Bad policy is bad policy, and the Party is fortunate to have navigated through its poor record on the issue so far. Those positioning this should be more careful not to bring back this tainted baggage.

36 comments:

Oxford County Liberals said...

With all due respect, I'm not sure its going to offend many Liberals at all. I think you're looking at it thru your own eyes, probably from personal experience I'd guess, seeing as you've written about this issue several times, and this is causing you to look at this ad with a prejudice.

Edgewater Views said...

Scott:

Thanks for you comment. Whether this as offends Liberals or not, it is important to know that the majority of Canadians have been affected by divorce whether directly themselves, their friends or their loved ones. I bet that the majority of them would agree that the system favours one gender over another. Matters and how they affect one’s family can transcend political ideology and voting habits. This is why this ad needs not go so far (as per the law of diminishing returns).

I think this ad should be modified because it tries to do too much when it comes to equating Liberal social policy priorities with single parent families and women. This makes the Liberals the defenders of the victims of divorce, who according to the ad are exclusively cast as women and children. In so doing it ignores the extent to which gender is all important while merit, when it comes to parenting skills, is not a factor. Putting all bias aside, do you see merit as being a more universal criterion for evaluating parenting performance than gender?

To continue to cut it this way creates an unnecessary vulnerability with respect to the past Liberal record. It will be exploited politically if it continues, and I am trying to warn against unnecessary political risk for very little gain (or some loss). The ad could focus on the children and why there is child poverty. To make this a gender issue is simply irresponsible

With all due respect to you, Scott, you can only speculate about my personal experiences. As a policy person I evaluate policy by the extent to which it balances the needs of those who are served and affected by it. When the general consensus when it comes to family policy is that men don’t have a chance, that is the first clue. If you discovered one day an extreme injustice by accident, you could either turn a blind eye or figure it out and write about it. The fact that changes are what is fair here is the worst kept secret in town. Just ask.

Arguably, gender discrimination in matters of the family is Canada's worst social justice problem at the moment, because children are best served by having meaningful relationships with both parents. That is certainly worthy of more than one post. If you were to choose to have a careful look at these posts over time, you might just see the solution I have deliberately mapped out in the event there is ever any political will to deal with certain injustices. I have read many of your posts personally in recent months, and I know it would be a productive debate if we were to discuss it one day.

Anonymous said...

Listen "Scott Tribe", what edgewater is exposing is NOT prejudice - it is actually very mild, in gloves, of WHAT HORROR is out there!

You, "Scott Tribe", and your Lib pals (who as you said "not sure its going to offend many Liberals at all..." ) can continue with your heads in the send, with spin and manipulation, abusing Canadian People through ALL our Canadian MSM (maimstream media), print and broadcast, but Canadians are organizing themselevs on the grass-root level ...

Remember "Scott Tribe",

ONE GROUP can do wrongs to SOME people for SOME time.

THAT GROUP can do wrongs to SOME people ALL the time.

THAT GROUP can do wrongs to ALL people for SOME time.

BUT, THAT GROUP can NOT do wrongs to ALL people ALL the time - eventually the will 'pay the price'.



Example 1
------------
From Globe and Mail on-line 'Comments':

91. Mirna L. from Canada, Canada writes:
So ... Jennifer Menna (Posted 03/08/07 at 11:15 AM), in her 'quality' of arguments and 'facts', tried what is world-wide well-known as notorious Canadian 'Gender/Radical Feminist', sucking as usually YOUR, Canadian Males, OWN 'blood', WITH YOUR OWN MONEY of course:

'... As for the comments about the funding for womens issues vs Mens. Until recently the money was flowing to mens issues so the funding switch in the last 20 years just balancing thing out. ...'

And you, Canadian men, will again lower your heads, 'bow to the preasurre', be obedient, withdrawn in 'your hobby' , etc ... , won't you?

Or will you read the above posts, e.g. 'susan e. from Canada, Posted 03/08/07 at 11:15 AM' :
'...
Excellent 'R M from Ottawa'. Please do NOT FORGET also other info that was already posted above:

1) '... Laboratory prostate screening tests PSA, $30, and PSAR, $50, ARE OF COURSE NOT PAID by Ontario Gov. nor by the Federal Gov... '

2) '... Statistics Canada 2006 Report - Dec 20, 2006: ... Canadian men are still more prone than women to almost every leading cause of death, from cancer and heart disease to ...'

3) '...women still ... live longer - their lifespan is 82.6 years compared to men’s 77.8 years ...'

4) '...experts suggest is because women already are living about as long as is reasonably possible....'

5) women's health receiving lion’s share of funding (from TAX MONEY of which majority is collected from MALES), to the intentional, malicious detriment of men's and boys' well being/health, perpetrated by:

Hijacking of Gov's/services etc. by 'political/ideological network' who perfidiously do not want to form its own Political Party(ies) and then face democracy at polls, but instead infiltrate existing ones: Lib and NDP, well advanced in being ONE, now witnessing same for CPC/PC, GPC.
...'
o Posted 03/08/07 at 5:54 PM EDT

Anonymous said...

Hey "Scott Tribe" , 'master of spin'! Not following Globe and Mail on-line 'Commnets' from Canadian People lately, huh?

"...
87. Jeff M from Canada, Canada writes:

Excellent John Arthur from Canada (Posted 04/08/07 at 7:43 AM EDT ), that's exactly what "Mirna L.", "R M', "Julia", ... ALSO ware talking above (and more).

New breaking Health TRAGEDY story against men's and BOY's health/lives in our 'brother'/copy country of New Zealand, perpetrated by the N.Z. 'Networks' of our Ont./Canadian ones exposed ABOVE, infiltrated in our 'system' and exemplified by

from
Ont. Ministers (just go to their Ministries' web sites!) Madeleine Meilleur , Sandra Pupatello, Mary Anne Chambers, Kathleen Wynne etc. and their VAST staff and ENORMOUS FUNDS from YOUR OWN money!

to federal Health Canada, Justice Canada, Status of Women Canada etc. etc. and their VAST staff and ENORMOUS FUNDS from YOUR OWN money!

to their 'Service providers' (e.g., United Way GTA. ....) , 'Advocacy Groups' (e.g., Michele Landsberg of The Toronto Star, radical feminist ideology promoter, censured by the Ontario Press Council for her slanderous remarks which are part of their radical feminist ideology/hatred, to their 'headquarters' in London, ON , and UWO , so-called ''Women's Studies' Depts. at Universities, etc. ...) , etc. ,

operating with OBSCENE amount of money obtained from those above in 'Position of Government' ... etc.

In short, hundreds of millions of $$$ 'Industry of Oppression, Discrimination, Hate promotion' against Canadian males and boys.

--------------------------------
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10124309
"...
National Story

'Crisis of spirit' hits health of NZ men, 12:00AM Saturday May 07, 2005
By Simon Collins

New Zealand men are dying because of "a crisis of the spirit" and despair at what life has to offer, a summit has heard.

New Zealand men are dying because of "a crisis of the spirit" and despair at what life has to offer, a summit has heard.

A former director of Lifeline, Bruce Mackie, says more men than women are dying in the workplace, on the roads and in water, and from cancer, heart disease and suicide, because they have learned not to value themselves.

He told the first national "men's issues summit" in the Waitakere City Council chambers yesterday that boys grow up with no male role models of work/life balance and with media portrayals of men as "an irresponsible herd of buffoons".

"The more we examine the state of men's health, the more we expose problems of hopelessness, helplessness, meaninglessness and despair. This is a crisis of the spirit," he said.

In Britain, children aged 9 and 10 were taught that the reason for war was the violent nature of men, Mr Mackie said. "The boys sat crumpled, apologising for their existence."

"The denigration of men begins early in the lives of boys," he said.

"When they hear their fathers abused and maligned, or acting that way, when they undertake schooling without the presence of men, when they view men caricatured, when they read the cynicism and distortions about men - then the spirit of our boys is being corrosively and dangerously abused."

A number of male speakers, led by the embattled advocate for the "Kiwi bloke" John Tamihere, called for men's problems in health, education and the justice system to be given the same kind of attention that was given to women's issues.

"We must be quite fearless in the way we conduct our conversation, in the way we conduct our debate, in the light of some horrendous trends that are occurring, particularly with our young men," Mr Tamihere said.

The Labour MP urged men to write novels, short stories and songs about male lifestyles, become teachers and doctors, get regular health checks and stop being violent.

Victoria University researcher Paul Callister said men, not women, were bearing more of the "double burden" of paid work and unpaid childcare for children under 5.

In two-parent households with preschoolers, men worked 5.8 paid hours and 3.2 unpaid hours, a total of 9 hours daily on average throughout the week.

Women worked seven hours unpaid but only 1.7 hours in paid work, for a total of only 8.7 hours a day.

"Is fathers' work undervalued? The answer has to be yes in terms of a lack of public recognition of their 'double burden'," Dr Callister said.

"Fathers are now expected to be dedicated fulltime workers but also good fathers. To fulfil both roles requires long hours of work."

Mr Mackie, who is now director of the new Brain Training Institute Trust, said overseas studies found men were surprisingly willing to talk about physical ailments, but raised mental health problems much less often than women.

Psychotherapies based on verbal abilities and talking about emotional problems often did not work as well for men. In contrast, brain therapies such as electric feedback systems had cut reoffending rates in a study of Canadian prisoners from 70 per cent to about 15 per cent.

"With our inclination to build more prisons and establish anger management and campaigns for men, it is surely time for a rethink."

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素人 said...

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出会い系 said...

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家出 said...

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素人 said...

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