Going to War

Going to War
Rachel Birdsell

Rachel Birdsell

This is going to be a two-part article, which I rarely do, but there are so many issues related to this story, that I can’t condense them into a few hundred words. Earlier this month, MMA fighter, War Machine, tried to commit suicide while in jail for assaulting and raping his ex-girlfriend, Christy Mack, in August. No, War Machine isn’t the name his parents saddled him with as a newborn. Once upon a time he had a normal name, but he thought his MMA fight name was so mantastically duderlicious, a legal name change was the only course he could take, which says a lot about him.

Another thing that says a lot about him is that he founded the Men’s Rights Movement which brings awareness to the oppression that white males experience. Oppression, according to WM, that is worse than slavery or the Holocaust. The mantra of the movement is “Keep that male shit alive!” which is at once hilarious, ridiculous and asinine, none of which were probably the intent. New plan: Anyone who claims that whatever they’re going through is as bad as slavery or the Holocaust should have to actually go through slavery or the Holocaust, and get some damn perspective.

When War Machine attempted suicide in jail, he left a note, and in it addresses Christy and writes that “not a day goes by that I don’t wish that you weren’t hurt that night,” which refers to the night he pummeled the shit out of her. In his mind, her getting hurt wasn’t his fault. She brought it on herself because she dared to get involved with another man months after the relationship with him was over. What else was he supposed to do when he showed up and found another man in her bed? He was going to surprise her with an engagement ring that night, but she messed up his plans, so he had to fight for what is rightfully his. According to one of his tweets, she’s his property, which I guess was all the justification he needed to severely beat her. Doesn’t that sound like true love? Doesn’t that sound like a man who is so oppressed he has to start a movement for said oppression?

Sadly, there are other people who blame her, too. Some of his fans let him know he should have known she was going to cheat on him, because she’s a porn star, and she deserved what she got. Obviously his fans are as delusional as he is in thinking that you can cheat on someone you aren’t in a relationship with any longer. And if you think that someone’s profession makes it okay to assault them, you are past delusional and are just completely off your rocker, batshit insane. Besides that, War Machine was once a porn star, too, so they just doubled down on their idiocy.

This is the world we live in, and even though the people who feel this way and the percentage of people who assault others are a small percentage of the population, it makes me sad and sick that they’re still a percentage at all.

Rachel Birdsell is a freelance writer and graphic artist. You can reach her at rabirdsell@gmail.com.

Categories: Commentary