Editor’s note: This is in response to the article “Lecturer: Men can end violence against women,” published in Monday’s Daily Lobo. The article was about a talk given by Ted Bunch, co-founder of the organization A Call To Men, which is part of a UN initiative committed to ending violence against women around the world. In the talk, Bunch said men are socially conditioned to view women as inferior and that we can change this attitude toward women.
Editor,
I want to applaud the Daily Lobo for highlighting positive and thoughtful solutions to the problems of sexism and violence against women in our society. I was very glad to see Tanya Prather’s article on Ted Bunch’s lecture featured on the front page. I found Prather’s writing informative and effective and the substance of Bunch’s lecture full of useful insight. This kind of thoughtful inquiry may indeed slow the adoption of misogynistic stereotypes by future generations, and that change may one day lower the level of violence against women in our society.
Until that happy day comes, none of us deserves to be a victim of violence or to be pushed around by people who feel more entitled than us, and we can all prepare to defend ourselves and learn to stand up to bullies. I want to recommend to anybody who wants to learn basic and effective self-defense skills, and acquire the self-confidence they need to stand up for themselves in social and work settings as well, to consider getting involved with IMPACT Self Defense, a local nonprofit organization. I’ve been involved with IMPACT-style self-defense training outside New Mexico and have been amazed at its effectiveness and the positive changes it makes in graduates’ lives.
In response to the recent incidents of violence against women on campus, on April 6 the Women’s Resource Center is offering to women students of UNM a full two-weekend IMPACT basics course with a cost of only $50. Though the course offered through the WRC is a women-only class, IMPACT Self Defense offers training for men, women and youths. I encourage anyone who is interested to register for classes directly with the organization.
Bunch’s lecture is spot-on and timely. We as a society need to finally examine the misogynistic assumptions that lead directly from the objectification of women to violence against women. Young and old men alike need to fully embrace the equal humanity of their sisters and realize that demeaning and devaluing a class of people is always a prelude to violence against those people. I hope my shout out to the work they are doing at IMPACT Self Defense will remind us that to prevent violence against women, teaching women how to defend against and avoid violence and stand up to bullies is a sensible complement to teaching responsible behavior to men. Too frequently these days, when people suggest any other solution to violence against women than teaching male responsibility and punishing perpetrators, they get shouted down as victim blamers. I understand where the passion comes from and indeed we as a society do make the mistake of blaming women for the violence perpetrated against them. However, this is not an either-or proposal. As a first principle we shouldn’t be made victims. As a second principle, if somebody tries to make us victims we should all feel empowered and be prepared to say “no.”
Sean Murphy
UNM student
