Dear America

Dear America, you are so proud. Too proud. You are arrogant, cruel, and are dangerously becoming one of the most politically polarized countries. You are so divided that it scares me to even be writing this to share my opinion; so divided that you are making a mockery out of The Pledge of Allegiance that addresses us as “one nation”. You have allowed so many school shootings to the point where kids acknowledge active shooter drills as normal; so normal that they remain desensitized when the news warns of another person with an AR-15 rifle targeting an elementary school. You have taught women, like me, that they are not in control-even if it's regarding their own bodies. America, you hear the opinions of the Liberals and the Conservatives, see the war between the Christians and atheists, and undoubtedly notice the prolife and prochoice bumper stickers all across the highway. You have yet to hear the voice of an 18 year old girl sick of the hypocrisy demonstrated by our country; a girl sick of living in a man's world.

A man’s world. A world where at age six you were trained to believe that a boy being mean to you was his way of showing interest. He’s making fun of how you dress or how your hair looks? Don’t worry. Don’t bother to stand up for yourself; take those degrading comments with a smile, because you know, just as your teacher told you, “boys will be boys”. A world where at age twelve you start to realize how offensive it is when boys at recess tell you to “stop playing like a girl.” Don’t play like a girl? Don’t play like Alex Morgan, Serena Williams, Gabby Douglas or any other talented female olympian that would outperform you in their sport? Got it. A world where at age sixteen, men put their hands on you without any permission and catcall you to a point of harassment. You're sixteen, still a kid, but you're considered lucky because catcalling and slightly inappropriate touches are considered mild in comparison to what your friends have experienced. But remember, you were taught at age six that this is all okay. Boys will be boys.

America has taught you all your life that as a woman you are the inferior in society. Land of the free and home of the brave seem like some twisted lie: You don’t feel free, you don’t feel equal, and you refuse to be brave because no one takes your words seriously. Now you are eighteen, and you are overjoyed when you see a video of a group of men chanting “my body, my choice.” Maybe women’s rights will be taken more seriously now that it is defended by both sexes. Maybe society really is changing; men are finally defending their wives, sisters, and daughters who are begging for autonomy over their own bodies. Boys may have teased you as a kid, but as an adult it seems like you have finally earned some respect. Except that's not what is happening.

They are chanting “my body, my choice” as an excuse to support their anti-vaccination beliefs. They are not defending you, they are taunting you with a phrase that has now lost its original empowerment. You don’t want a vaccine that has the potential to help save people in a world-wide pandemic because “the government is going to track you” and “no one will tell you what to do.” It's your body, your choice; so you refuse to get it. But what about the girl next to you chanting the same sentence. Notice that she is more emotional; that she has tears in her eyes, and that her voice cracks ever so slightly after each syllable. She isn’t targeting a harmless vaccination mandate; she is protesting abortion laws that could ruin her life. She was raped. She is seventeen, still in highschool, and does not want to have a child because she is a child herself. She is six weeks pregnant, but the Texas Supreme Court argues that it is illegal for her to get an abortion. Even though she cannot raise a child, even though what’s inside of her is not even developed enough to be considered a fetus, an abortion is not an option. It's her body, but it's not her choice. If you are the man screaming “my body my choice” for your own benefit, but denounce that young girl who is scared for her life; you are not the brave and brawn American that you claim yourself to be.

You flaunt your red “Make America Great Again” hat, and you confidently strut in your Biden shirt. Before you put your presidents on a pedestal, just remember, your accessories are not only emanating the goodness of America, but are also carrying the weight of the bad. As a privileged American, feel free to be proud; but refrain from being too proud because our country is just as ugly as it is beautiful. Although underestimated, gender inequality is the one of the ugliest things about this place. Society needs to recognize that everyday, American women are fighting for basic rights. Gender inequality issues are not distinctive to developing nations; they are ever so prominent in your “perfect” country.

Dear men, we are sick of your sexist ideologies and we are sick of being told what to do. Dear real men, teach your sons how to be like you, because only real men understand and respect women. Dear women, keep defending yourself and demand what you deserve. Dear everyone, stop teaching the “boys will be boys” lie, because you are the people invalidating women and excusing men for the inexcusable. And dear America, you are teaching young girls everywhere that “My body, my choice” is only valid when it suits a certain narrative. Do better.