From 1991-2006, there was a very famous Canadian TV show called The Red Green Show. It was a comedy show, filled with all kinds of interesting segments like handyman’s corner, which showcased a million different ways to use a roll of duct tape. The show wasn’t politically correct by any means, but there’s definitely a lot of good wisdom sprinkled throughout all 305 episodes.

One of the most known phrases from the show is the men’s prayer:

“I’m a man, but I can change, if I have to, I guess.”

A few days ago, I heard this phrase mentioned again and it suddenly had a different meaning to me. As we enter the age of 4th wave feminism, I think it’s pretty clear.

It’s time to change.

I am a man and I consider myself a feminist. I don’t understand how one can’t think of themselves as a feminist. I want women to have equal rights in the workplace, be treated with respect and importance, and not be subjected to the antiquated misogynist views of previous centuries/millennia. Since the dawn of time, it seems that for some reason, women have been treated as less than men, and that’s simply not right or just.

Earlier this week, the United States Senate voted to confirm Brett Kavanaugh as the newest Supreme Court Justice. This is just one of the many many examples of how the societal system as we know it needs to change. This one event will have a far reaching impact for decades to come, and sadly it likely won’t be in favour of equality and women’s rights.

Women are finally beginning to feel safe enough to stand up and come forward with all of the details of sexual assaults and events that they have experienced in their life, and it’s time that these men are brought to justice.

I would never suggest that women need men to stand up for them, because I think they do a fine job of that themselves. I do think that it’s important to inject a dose of decency into our society however, and recognize that as men, we need to change and keep each other accountable in supporting and encouraging women to come forward and feel safe.

While listening to Episode 17 of Conversations With People Who Hate Me, I was shocked and appalled at the attitude of the man who called a rape survivor “a liar”. He demanded to see video proof of her rape and declared that he has never known anyone to laugh at a rape survivor and not take them seriously. He said this despite the fact that she had just informed him minutes earlier that it happened to her while attempting to report her rape. The police made jokes and mocked her. That is sickening.

This kind of thing happens every single day, and it is simply wrong.

Men need to stop and think about their actions and realize that women are people too. They deserve respect and to be treated fairly. It’s time to trust that nobody would bare their soul in such a raw way just to take down a man for fun. When women come forward with allegations of misconduct, it’s time to take it seriously, just like we all should have been doing in the past. We can no longer sweep this issue under the rug.

Men, it’s time to change.