My maleness is down the drain...

Capital is challenging the simple truth that a child's relation with his or her biological father is valuable. The image of fathers has come under increasing attack, as more TV sit-coms feature fathers as incompetents ("The Simpsons" and "King of Queens" are current examples) and movie plots involve abusive fathers (The Breakfast Club, Affliction, and Daredevil to name only a few.) Many courageous women have long been forced by circumstances to raise their children alone. Now, however, as celebrities like Camryn Manheim (Ellenor of TV's hit lawyer show, "The Practice") choose to have and raise babies without a father (both in real life and as her fictional character, in the case of Manheim), Hollywood sends the message, "Who needs a father?" Academics deride fatherhood in books like Feminism, Children, and The New Families, in which Susan E. Krantz dismisses the notion that "two parents are necessary for the well-being of a child" and argues that "the role of the father is overemphasized." Academic "experts" are trying to split off Dad's "male presence" from the rest of him and make it just another commodity. Writing in the Journal of Marriage and the Family, Alan J. Hawkins and David J. Eggenbeen state, "Men may be important to children's healthy development, but biological fathers can readily be replaced by other adult men." (Cited in David Blankenhorn, Fatherless America, p. 80) Stepfathers may be nice people, but the claim that children have no need for a close relation with their biological father cannot bear the weight of common sense or scientific scrutiny.(For example, a study of 17,000 British children born in 1958 showed that children in step-families "experienced far worse outcomes than did children who grew up with their two biological parents." Blankenhorn, p. 191). The "any male will do" notion is ideologically driven by capital's desire to commodify men. This commodification of men is quite apparent in states like Massachusetts, where the "progressive" agenda is well advanced, and divorce courts aggressively separate fathers from their children. (The author has personal experience with Massachusetts' family courts.) Courts routinely restrain fathers from seeing their children, sometimes for years, without due process, evidentiary hearings, or the rules of evidence that are accorded accused criminals. The courts' attitude is that a father's only important relationship to his children is financial, so there's no real loss if a loving father is barred from seeing his children."

As well as downsizing mothers...more and more women feel that motherhood is opression, it easy to get rid of daddy..which it did work.....and now more and more mommy feel mother is A MAN MADE OPRESSION designed to supress women from her full potential. Am I getting this wrong or this again my means of attention? So you are saying we sit quietly by?

And by the way Lamesse if you wish to be the head of the house, be the head of the house...give me your role and I will take it with happiest of smile...there is no better role in life than motherhood, see how I no longer say fatherhood ><. The only condition I have is, if you  desire to get tired of me and wish to divorce me..that I have full custody of the children because I put my life and soul raising them while you went in the work force and provided the income.  Parenthood is the key for happier and longitivity life style if one most know this?

Megatron wrote, and I objected to it strongly: Summmarised

Men are superior to women in many respects...men make the world go around (gee, and they told me it was love! C.)...Men are CEO's, Presidents, Inventors, Geniuses etc.  "Whether it is a question of nature of nurture is up for debate".

I debated it! In a nutshell (and my answer, Foody, was to Megatron, not necessarily you unless you hold the same misguided beliefs).  I said that without mothers, not one of these exalted beings would be here to dominate the world stage, as they have for the thousands of years in which women have been denied  access to education (unless you count "Domestic Science!"), especially at the University level, (and why not add the right to vote).

My answer was largely tongue in cheek, as I couldn't believe there could be anyone still preaching the type of nonsense that Megatron wrote.

Foody, however, does not share my sense of humour, obviously:  He answered: If all (my emphasis)women think men are inferior creatures because they cannot have babies, because their live span are different and because their brain are not female..AND ALL OF THEM WHICH HE HAVE ABSOLUTLEY NO CONTROL OF WHAT SO EVER YET HE IS BLAMED FOR SOMETHING THAT GOD HAVE CREATED HIM...then I SWEAR it....I WILL NEVER MARRY A WOMAN IN MY LIFE.  WHY WOULD I? Give me a reason?

Did I cast aspersions on your masculinity/equality just because you "cannot have babies"? You also implied that I was arrogant.  I have my faults, many of them, but arrogance isn't one of them. I told you a simple truth, Foody, that's all.  And in all honesty, until you get that chip off your shoulder, no woman will want to marry you anyway, so I wouldn't worry yourself about it too much. (i.e. GOD! I give up with the opposite sex and I am not even married yet..yeach!!!!!) You've already decided how bad your marriage is going to be. Do some poor woman a favour, will you.  Don't ever, ever think about marriage again.  You don't have to. Really. I think it's best for everyone's mental health, don't you? Pull back and think before you get too high up on that horse of yours. (Sorry for the mixed metaphors!) By bringing your concerns to this forum, you have invited comments. These are (and were) mine.

We are not all ball-breaking feminists, for heaven's sake. I actually like men.  I respect most, as I respect most women. Some are not worth my attention. I have brought up two children alone with no monetary or emotional support, and am glad to have had the opportunity to become as strong and happy and capable as I am. And no, I only needed my resillience to get there, not a man.  Like it or lump it! I am not angry with my ex-husband (or men in general), just sorry he didn't avail himself of the opportunity to get to know his children (or me) better.  That's all. I put myself through university in my 30's, won lots of scholarships, and came out with two Master's degrees, and a lot of other letters aftrer my name which frankly, make me nervous.  That makes me a well educated, thoughtful, loving, survivor.  Not "superior":  just me.

Assalamu Alaikum!

Striving against any injustice is encouraged in Islam. While striving to achieve justice, we have to keep in mind the commands of Allah in Qur�an and life of Prophet ( SAW ). Islam gives specific position to both men and women. Saying that men and women are equal or not equal would not be appropriate comparison. Because Allah has blessed both genders in specific ways, and one is incomplete without another.

In order to give rights to women from oppression of men, it appears that societies are gradually heading to the other extreme. That is not the balanced society.

Men and women both should be given their due respect and rights as per dictates of Islam.

Peace