“You take the blue pill—the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill… and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes.” So says Morpheus to Neo in The Matrix.
For Rep. Robert Fisher (R-NH), the “rabbit hole” is feminism. Though Fisher has demonstrated misogynistic views in the past and has publicly defended the misogynistic actions of his colleagues, the extent of his idiocy was unclear until Tuesday, when an investigation by The Daily Beast exposed Fisher as the founder of Reddit’s The Red Pill. (We wrote about this the other day.)
Now Fisher is attempting to turn the Red Pill conversation towards fake news: “I’m disappointed that this sort of attack has replaced real news, but it strengthens my position and resolve that fighting for equal rights is more important than ever. Here’s my message to the public: I am not disappearing. I will continue to stand strong for men’s rights and the rights of all.”
Riiiiiight. Because during a time in which Republican lawmakers are seeking to defund Planned Parenthood, repeal and replace Obamacare, strengthen the Hyde Amendment, and place anti-abortion judges on the Supreme Court, men’s rights are more important than ever. Robert Fisher, please disappear.
Fisher’s official statement also addresses the “false rape accusations” brought against him in his early 20s, and how these brought him to “a very low place.” Although Fisher no longer runs The Red Pill, these comments—which forces systemic violence against women into a male-centric narrative—underscore the connection between the men’s rights movement and the alt-right. The Cut‘s Claire Landsbaum writes, “Altogether, the men’s rights movement represents a streak of misogyny that Trump’s candidacy helped bring to the forefront.” But their movement is losing momentum, and “MRA ideology is leaking into the teachings of a group whose figurehead is one of the president-elect’s closest advisors: the alt-right.”
According to Time, Republican House Speaker Shawn Jasper said he was “sickened” by the the knowledge that Fisher founded The Red Pill. Jasper encourages Fisher’s constituents not to re-elect him in 2018.
Though Fisher’s creation of a misogynistic, pro-rape forum is probably the worst of his deeds, there are plenty of other reasons not to vote for him: he does not serve on any policy committees; he has missed 50 percent of all votes this legislative session; and he is a co-sponsor of 14 pieces of legislation, including bills which are anti-gay, pro-conversion therapy, and pro-reducing business taxes.
As we wrote earlier this week, if you are a New Hampshire resident, please call your representative to ask what they are planning to do about Rep. Fisher.
Top photo: Public Domain Pictures
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