Background: I've discussed the backlash against me in the feminist blogosphere--particularly from Amanda Marcotte of Pandagon--since Pajamas Media advice columnist Dr. Helen Smith interviewed me recently on the subject of the Violence Against Women Act, the way our legal system handles domestic violence, and related issues. The interview is Fighting for Men's Rights (Pajamas Media, 10/8/07). To learn more about the debate, click here.

More amazing stuff from both sides of the aisle regarding the controversy over my comments in the interview. This afternoon Amanda Marcotte let loose another absolutely insane tirade, writing:

"Look, I know you supporters of wife beating will never admit that you actually think that—well, in public. Between friends and certainly to intimates is a different story. We are well aware of this tactic. The anti-choicer claims to love babies in public while acting as if he’s mainly interested in punishing women for sex. The racist swears up and down that he’s not a racist even while privately believing that black people are stupid and using the word 'nigger' behind closed doors. And the battering advocates claim to oppose wife-beating while organizing to make sure that battered wives get thrown in jail or are deprived of escape routes.

"I judge you by your policy ideas. You want to throw women in jail for saving themselves. You want to deprive women of basic safety measures to escape wife beaters. You used coded language that reflects the 'bitch had it coming' mentality. Others might not see through you, especially if you say, 'But I’m a liberal', as if self-proclaimed liberals can’t have blind spots. But by focusing steel-like on your actual ideas instead of your bullshit justifications, I can see right through you."

Just as my disgust and disappointment with Marcotte reaches its peak, some hate-filled lunatic from "our" side goes so over the top that I find myself feeling sympathy for Amanda. On Amanda's blog, "Benjamin" writes:

"Amanda, why are you so angry that you are hideously unattractive? What? Nothing to say about the innocence of the Duke athletes? Well, being a cunt and misinformed suits you well. Edwards was right to fire you. At least now I can support him. Your boyfriend is quite a pathetic man, if you can call him a man. What do you do, cuckhold him? Beat him while he is tied up with a rubber ball in his mouth? Or do you like ass to mouth sex? Just checking."

What a lunatic. For the record, Amanda is not unattractive, it wouldn't matter if she were, and she deserves to have her arguments judged on their merits. I frankly get sick and tired of misogynistic men insulting women's looks simply because they disagree with them.

[Late note: The following day (Friday) Benjamin wrote:

"Sick is staring at Amanda’s (and her ilk’s) portly, hairy ass, choking back vomit while trying to imagine a better place to be before sticking an appendage into the landfill she calls a vagina."

I'll stick with my label of "misogyny"...] 

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 11th, 2007 at 2:48 pm and is filed under Feminism/NOW, Domestic Violence/DV System, Fathers' Rights/Noncustodial parents' rights, False Accusations, Sexism, Divorce/Separation/Child Custody, Misandry, Misogyny, Gender Issues (Misc.), Family Court Reform Movement. You can trackback from your own site.