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"The life story of anyone for whom power counts more than love takes place in a family, organization, or nation, that is within the patriarchy, the culture that emphasizes dominance of individuals or classes or nations over other individuals, classes, or nations, of ideological supremacy decided by might, and religions that support the divine right of some men to subjugate others and of mankind to subdue nature." -- quoted from "Ring Of Fire: the Abandoned Child, the Authoritarian Father, and the Disempowered Feminine" by Jean Shinoda Bolen I think it's safe to say that most of us within the eco-activist movement operate from a place of love -- love toward wilderness, biodiversity, and the ecosystems that operate for their own reasons, separate from whatever humans may or may not get from them. I can only speak from my own perspective, of course, but what motivates me to be critical of my role in adversely affecting these ecosystems is a love for their mystery, beauty, and intrinsic right to not be slashed, burned, and poisoned by this culture I was born into. Simply put, the love I feel operates out of a sense of rage toward a culture bent on power. Because the inevitable effect of this power is that it fails to recognize nature as a system not inclined to domination, it misses what seems the most important lesson -- that nature does not seek power over its love for the balance of its systems, and thrives on vibrant diversity, not Douglas Fir mono- cultures. Just as a tree plantation doesn't make a healthy forest, a society where one gender has power over the other gender doesn't make a healthy culture. A number of questions come up in my own head when I read over a statement like that. For instance, which gender is "over" the other? What sort of power is implied? What defines "healthy"? Who am I to make such a statement? Well, for one, I'm a man. Furthermore, the more I examine such a statement -- and the more I learn from individuals whom I have chosen to listen to -- the more I realize that it is my own gender that has the power over the other, all the women in my life, in my community, and in this world. What sort of power is implied? I have to admit that I struggle with this question. It seems natural, of course, because I wasn't ever taught how to examine my own power over other individuals. I didn't even realize I held such power until recently, and the only reason why it came about was because I finally made the choice to listen to those who are affected by this power! So, now that I've listened, asked questions, and weighed the answers, I now have a better sense of what power is implied. It's the power to reduce a concern for safety to an annoying complaint. It's the power to punish for having another bring out one's own insecurities. It's the power to make someone fear for their life and have the approval of society on your side, while they have nothing but their own strength. It's the power to discount any strive toward justice as a separate issue from the fight that you're struggling for. What defines "healthy"? That's easy. It's the power to validate a concern for safety. It's the power to appreciate another individual when they have brought your unhealthy insecurities to your attention. It's the power to have the trust of a stranger. It's the power to see how all issues relate to one another, how all the struggles are really one struggle. As silly as we've been taught to hear how it sounds, it's the power of love. It's the negation of a power based on domination and fear. It's a balance between two genders that share qualities and have much to offer one another. I'm still learning, of course. I will always be learning. Why wouldn't I be? If one day I decided that I had finally come to a point where I was no longer a Patriarch, no longer a man content with the power to be right because of my gender, what would happen when a woman said otherwise? Would she be wrong? Would I be obligated to listen to her now that I was no longer a Patriarch? It seems pretty obvious to me. Of course I would be full of shit. Of course I would be right back where I started. Of course I would be playing the power game, negating my capacity to love and vindicating all the fucking abusers in my life -- everyone from my father, to my uncles, to the bullies in the locker room, to the cops, to the loggers. To every man content with their privilege as abusers. I have grown tired with the dynamic between myself and the women in my life. Not because it's innappropriate for them to have a distrust of me based on my gender, but because I realize more each day that I am not content with my privilege as a benefactor of the Patriarchy. I have no illusions that this dynamicwill be destroyed within hours, days, weeks, or even years, but it must be challenged. I believe that men must hold themselves accountable for any actions that they've taken in the name of power. It follows that only when this has begun, will any growth occur. It takes more than words, and it takes more than apologies -- although that's a good first step. I, for one, am excited about the upcoming anti-Patriarchy conference that is being planned for this upcoming January in Eugene, Oregon. I imagine it will provide many opportunities for men to realize what their power as a benefactor of Patriarchy means, how it adversely affects them and the women in their lives, and what they can do to challenge it -- provided they're willing to take the first step, and take responsibility for their privilege. Also, I anticipate that it will be an opportunity to not only hold each other and themselves accountable, but to support each other. I only hope that it will be an opportunity for men to build trust among women, and to have their backs in every situation. It's an ambitious task, for sure. As a flier for the conference states: "There are no illusions that, by the end of this conference, Patriarchy will be smashed. Instant equality isn't the goal, because that's not realistic at this stage. At the very least, it'll be a step for men toward understanding their male privilege, why it should be rejected, and how to do so -- because there's a vast difference between a privilege and a right." The forests are falling too fast for men to be angry at women for bringing up the real reasons as to why they're falling at all. | |||||||||||||||
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