Men and the Media, final original draft, The Australian, 3 January, 2001.

Final draft. Written for the Media Section of The Australian newspaper.

They would not run it. It was an era when everybody wanted to be seen as "progressive", and those who showed an interest in men's issues were dismissed as reactionary, right wing, misogynistic bigots, historic relics who could not embrace the bright future of equal rights.

Yes, well....

You could waste your breath forever pointing out that equal rights actually does mean equal rights.

The herd hold their government manufactured prejudices close.

The truth lies elsewhere.