According to the Columbus Dispatch “More men killing their families.”
As tragic and horrific as this is, it is not unexpected or surprising from the perspective of this masculist.
Men are under increasing social and economic pressure, while simultaneously expressions of frustration at said pressure is also increasingly viewed as “emo” and in other ways shameful.
Women overwhelmingly get custody and sizable, in terms of either raw dollars or percentages, fiscal considerations upon divorce.
Facing the prospect of being socially shamed as well as losing access to their children as well as any hope of financial freedom, all on top of impending loneliness as well as the shame that all men feel upon rejection. It’s not shocking that some men decide in these instances that death for all involved is a better choice.
Indeed, in many ways being divorced can be just like being married in terms of obligations, but with none of the rewards.
We routinely use the language of death to express love. “I can’t live without you” or “you are my life.” Well, some men clearly mean this literally.
It should be noted that this is typically (mistakenly?) considered romantic until someone follows the logic to the extreme worst case scenario.
As horrible as this is, it’s an unavoidable side effect of enforced monogamy, state controlled marriage, and various other social and legal institutions we use to shape how the family unit is structured.
Our society is saturated with instructions for the male that routinely alternate between expected fanatical and often violent devotion to family, and direct military or otherwise tactical solutions.
How many songs, movies, and television shows are at their core a story about a man killing someone to prove his love for a woman and or his family?
A great many.
We need to rethink a few things we take as given. Important things. Such as the nature of love, the reality of sexism against men, and the separation of church and state with regard to the institution of marriage.
