Be careful, guys. It may be a trick.
Posted on 09/14/2008 10:29:07 AM PDT by RogerFGay
A women's group has declared today National Men's Day – to show them they are needed and appreciated."It is not about bashing men, it's not about making them look bad, it's not about labelling them as losers and dead beats or anything like that," said Margaret Giloth, the President of women's group Phenomenal Women.
"It's about embracing one another and saying let's work this out together, we need each other."
Today's event, which will see men speaking, telling stories, singing and dancing, will also feature guest speakers Dr. Michael E. Conner, who will discuss the importance of fathers in the community, and Dr. Anderson J. Franklin, who will discuss men in their relationships and their dreams.
National Men's Day was the brainchild of Ms. Giloth, who has worked with dozens of women over the past five years and seen them heal from wounds in their lives. Men on the Island, however, don't seem to have, or take advantage of, those same positive outlets.
She said: "I was reflecting on the situation of men in Bermuda and if they fall into troubles or whatever, there seems to be so little outlet for them to be recovered or restored.
"So I said there has got to be something that we as a community can do; and it will take us as a community. It is not just one programme or one church group or one person, it takes everyone in the community to surround this individual with a lot of love and a lot of physical support, whether it's the family, the employers, the outreach programme. It really takes all of us."
Many of the issues plaguing the Island today, such as absent fathers or broken male and female relationships, need to be looked at before healing can occur, added Ms. Giloth.
"The issue of absent fathers in Bermuda is such a cause of concern for me because I see it is so prolific here," she said.
"I truly believe that it is one of the root causes of later troubles in life and we see it manifested in a lot of the social ills that are plaguing Bermuda."
"We need to get to the bottom of it. It requires people facing the truth, and being courageous enough to step up and do something about it. That may start with a simple 'I am sorry', 'I embrace you', 'I claim you', 'I love you'. Those are steps towards healing and I believe the healing has to occur in each individual in order for the community to recover."
She admits people are always interested to know why a woman's group is hosting a Men's Day event, however, she considers it a natural progression.
"Women are nurturers and caregivers and on one end of the spectrum we have been hurt by men, we have struggles with men, we have been left in the lurch a lot by men," she said.
"So the women in our support groups are getting healed from those wounds and so it is just a natural process of growth for us to be able to reach the men.
"We need to partner with them in the healing process. This is not just a one sided affair, that's where National Men's Day has been spawned by women from the love perspective."
Though the event is intended for men on the Island, Ms. Giloth has seen woman get involved to assist the more apprehensive men.
"It's amazing how many women have called or e-mailed me and said 'I really would like the father of my children to be there' can you send me some information. And it is through the women that we are making the most inroads in getting the men there.
"Women are an incredible force and I don't want men to see us as overbearing and power hungry. We are just striving to make our men feel the love that we have for them and get it back through the respect that we deserve.
"We want to partner better with men, we want women to be in healthier relationships and men in better relationships as well."
The event will take place today from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Bernard Park and everyone in the community is welcome to attend. After the event, the Phenomenal Women is hoping to start a weekly men's support group and perhaps even make the National Men's Day an annual celebration.
The liberals are not going to like this, no, not at all.
Sarah Palin is throwing them for a loop because they need that Gender Wars thing. They need it badly. So now the feminists are claiming that Sarah Palin isn’t really a woman, as the desperation sets in deeper and deeper.
Sarah Palin has done more to unite people then the Messiah could ever do.
Be careful, guys. It may be a trick.
I thought Bermuda was like the perfect black nation....I mean even Michael Douglas and Maureen Dowd live there right?
FINALLY! About time! LOL.
The first thing to understand is that real men think national appreciation days are a bunch of socialistic crap. Try thinking for yourself and treat others as individuals and your relationships will be a lot healthier.
They’ll like this part:
“Today’s event...will see men...singing and dancing”
It would be beter to say the “Obamamessiah” so as not to confuse your statement with the REAL Messiah.
Of course, this is Bermuda. It would never happen in the US.
I regularly attend Women’s Bible Studies, where this is a common theme, but I can’t say I’ve ever seen anything like this outside of the church.
Men, you are needed and appreciated. Just look at the effect you have on families. When men stick with their families, that family has a good chance at success and decency. When men abandon their families, their families often become dysfunctional.
Good men really are the backbone of our culture, and it’s simply not said often enough.
“... we have been hurt by men, we have struggles with men, we have been left in the lurch a lot by men,” she said.”
This kind of bilge is extremely annoying. I’ve been ‘dumped on’ by as many women as men and can think of quite a few women I know that I wouldn’t want married to one of my little brothers. A lack of responsibility and lack of integrity/character is a human trait not necessarily more prevalent in one gender .
(continued from previous post)
Nice to see they’ve decided to make an effort to appreciate men now though
last time I saw a women’s group trying a “men are appreciated”, or “father’s are needed” program it turned out to be some female activist trying to get deadbeat fathers to pay their child support.
(and she viewed all fathers as deadbeats because all men can affort to pay more)
Since time immemorial men and women were involved in a social contract. Women stayed safe at home and maintained the homefires. Men took on the dangers and brought home what was needed for the homefires. Not only food but tools, new techniques etc.
Once men had pacified the dangers, women decided to breach the contract and claimed to be better than men.
Now, women seek dominance over men and use the government like a club to screw men in divorce court, family court, the executive in "domestic violence" and rape claims.
And they think that a hokey "Mens Day" is gonna pacify men, huh?
Sure.
Great sentiment. I’m glad this sort of thing is going on in your church. From what I’ve seen in churches though, I’m wondering if you are missing some perspective on family break up. Most family break-up doesn’t happen became men “abandon” their families. 75-80% or some such divorces are initiated by women. Overwhelmingly, men are abandoned - not the other way around.
You’re one of the really smart ones - capable of keeping things in perspective while those around you don’t. I’ve run into exactly the same sort of thing with nationalism (and I’m in a position to do that) -— people of this nationality this and people with that nationality that; when I know that there are creeps in every country. Sorry to make the point in such a negative way - there are good people in every country too, and generally when I hear the complaints I just think of the words from the song “You don’t always get what you wah-ahnt.” And if you’re in something for the long haul, it’s not particularly bright to give up the first time something goes wrong - holding the disappointment as permanent emotional baggage.
Which demonstrates once again how women really don't understand men. Men would prefer that the women show them a NIGHT of appreciation.
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