When Freedom of Speech Fails

On Sunday, February 12, 2012, American men suffered a devastating attack on their dignity. The attack itself came in a familiar form and is hardly worth noting. The tragedy was the absolute failure of a man to defend the integrity of his gender. We have an obligation to make use of our right to free speech. We have an obligation to defend our honor. The modern man simply cannot tolerate antiquated biases and the denial of his humanity.

Fox News contributor, Liz Trotta, was inexplicably invited to speak in front of a television camera Sunday morning and she lived down to her lowly expectations. The woman who once called for the assassination of then-candidate Barack Obama (j/k LOL) was back on the air shredding whatever is left of whatever her reputation was. This go around, she was peddling the tired rhetoric of the sexual deviant male. Having given some serious thought to a recent report on sexual crimes against U.S. servicewomen, Ms. Trotta fixed her lips and uttered this travesty of free speech:

“I think they have actually discovered there is a difference between men and women. And the sexual abuse report says that there has been, since 2006, a 64% increase in violent sexual assaults. Now, what did they expect? These people are in close contact, the whole airing of this issue has never been done by Congress, it’s strictly been a question of pressure from the feminists.”

The modern man is immediately offended. The answer to the rise of sexual assault is not segregation; it is, as always, education. Teach all men to respect the humanity of others. Teach all men to embrace and defend the individual right to freedom from oppression in any form.

Many people have noted the way she so callously deals with the horrific act of rape. Yes this alone is enough reason to develop a strong distaste for this woman. The real trave-sham-mockery in this quip is the “now, what did they expect?” bit of mindless sexism. Well Ms. Trotta, in spite of your medieval understanding of male sexuality, we are not compulsive deviants requiring gender segregation to contain some biological imperative to rape women. In fact, Madam, we are outraged at the suggestion. Well those with any sense of humanity and dignity among us are.

Sadly, we suspect Fox News anchor Eric Shawn is not among us. The response he summoned to her drivel was wholly inadequate. He makes a passive attempt at defending our spending money to defend the rights of military women to not be sexually assaulted. He lets the wholesale characterization of men as sexual predators slide on by. Mr. Shawn’s tacit approval of her insulting premise discredits him as a man of dignity.

Human history is fraught with examples of failed humanity. Various social segments have denied the humanity of entire demographic groups behind a veil of ignorance. The flawed logic seems to always progress from an indefensible bias to a strawman social norm argument. From racial equality to gay rights, we are compelled to offend all sides as we reluctantly shed the shackles of our ignorance.We enslaved people from Africa because we had scientific proof! of their intellectual inferiority, until we had scientific proof of our flawed science. Then we needed to segregate because the sophisticated white American simply could not tolerate their presence. As if any sophisticated white American should not have been immediately offended. We had scientific proof! homosexuals were actually suffering mental illness. Until we had scientific proof of our flawed science. Then we needed segregation because heterosexuals simply could not tolerate their presence. As if heterosexuals should not have been immediately offended.

The modern man is immediately offended. The answer to the rise of sexual assault is not segregation; it is, as always, education. Teach all men to respect the humanity of others. Teach all men to embrace and defend the individual right to freedom from oppression in any form. Protest, loudly, the simple ignorance of Ms. Trotta and her propagation of the deviant male stereotype. Defend our dignity, Mr. Shawn. You have a microphone, a camera, and a large audience. Our right to free speech protects Ms. Trotta’s ignorance, more importantly, it protects our right to protest her ignorance. If we do not exercise the right, what value does it have?