What I've Learned in College

The other night I was thinking back to all the things I have been told for the past 21 years. As a woman in this society, I have been told a lot.

"Don't walk alone at night."

"Walk in groups, use the buddy system."

"Stay with people you trust."

"Don't look down when you walk."

"Don't wear revealing clothing."

"Don't speak up, don't be controversial. It's easier that way."

But the other night I had other thoughts in response to those thoughts.

Even if I do walk with a a group of people it doesn't matter. Just this past month a friend of mine was walking home with five other women and they were involved in a mugging.

Even if I do stay with people I trust, I still can't be sure that something won't happen to me. Most sexual assaults happen between the survivor and someone they know and trusted.

Even if I was to wear a turtleneck sweater and the baggiest sweatpants I own, my chances of being sexually assaulted do not go down.

Even if I am silent, the pain of the dehumanizing remarks, comments, and actions people make about others does not go away and does not make it any easier.

It doesn't make every catcall any easier.

It doesn't make every unheard opinion or answer any easier.

It doesn't make the pay gap any easier.

It doesn't make the fact that I and my friends have a 1 in 4 chance of being sexually assaulted while in school any easier.

It doesn't make the fact that I don't have control over my own body any easier.

It doesn't make any unwanted or not needed advice any easier.

It doesn't make the expected reciprocation of nice actions any easier.

It doesn't make sexist comments from professors any easier to hear.

It doesn't make racial or homophobic slurs any easier to hear.

My silence does not make my oppression any easier. My silence does not make me being born a liability to my existence any easier. My silence only allows that oppression to live on and be ignored by others, both the oppressed and the oppressors. My silence does not educate those on how the oppression affects me and so many others. My silence only perpetuates a culture where the oppression I face daily is accepted and ignored. My silence lets the oppression of those who don't have the privilege to speak up go accepted and ignored.

Speak up and speak out on things you believe strongly in.