In the 1600s, when the settlers arrived at the New World, they came for a breath of fresh air. They desired freedom and equality -- that is, freedom and equality for some, not all.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness..."
Do you see anything wrong with this excerpt from our United States Declaration of Independence? "...That all men are created equal." Men. The population of the United States of America is approximately 319 million, nearly 126 million of them being female. Females -- you know, the other gender that happened to have been left out of our country's Declaration of Independence.
This isn't new knowledge. Globally, women in history have suffered from inferiority. Historically, women have been viewed as lesser to their male counterparts. Women weren't allowed to vote, attend school, or participate in political conversations. Women were only viewed as child-bearers and their place was always known and secure in the home -- nothing else mattered. Do you know what women did? They fought back. They were peaceful. They weren't violent. But they never gave up, never backed down, and never allowed another human being to tell them they weren't worth fighting over.
In 1920, the 19th Amendment was passed, granting women the right to vote. Since that day in August 1920, women continued to make changes that our society needed. In our society past and present, we've seen women such as Harriet Beecher Stowe, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Clara Barton, Rosa Parks, and Justices Sandra Day O'Connor, Elena Kagan, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, and Sonia Sotomayor. The list could go on and on, but these women mentioned have impressive resumes, from fighting against slavery, fighting for women's rights, founding the American Red Cross, fighting for African American rights, and sitting on the United States Supreme Court -- interpreting a Constitution that didn't necessarily give women the credit to do so.
Our world is nowhere in proximity to perfection -- women, in many instances, are still viewed as less. It's been nearly 100 years since the 19th Amendment was passed, and much has changed. Women stood up for what was right -- their chance to achieve their own dreams, not dreams that someone else set for them, but their very own dreams. And boy, have they achieved them.
"I – try to teach through my opinions, through my speeches, how wrong it is to judge people on the basis of what they look like, color of their skin, whether they’re men or women." — Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg
And, of course, we know that all men were not really considered equal -- hence, slavery. It's no secret that women were not the only ones who faced oppression in American history. African Americans dealt with the same oppression and prejudices from others. In the 1800's, African Americans were not even viewed as humans. They were literally viewed as property, something that could be bought and sold without any thought. Like women, African Americans also fought back and would not be silenced.
Fast forward to the mid-1900s -- peaceful protests led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, and others spread across the nation. Sit-ins occurred, speeches were given, buses were boycotted -- all to prove a point, that they were just as equal as anyone else in this world. Well, it worked. It's beautiful to think that not so incredibly long ago, African Americans were not even allowed to attend the same schools or drink from the same water fountains as everyone else, and longer before that, they weren't even viewed as human beings, and yet today, we have an African American serving as the 44th President of this great nation. No matter what political party you affiliate with, you must agree that this is a major accomplishment in the history of our nation.
"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." — President Barack Obama
Injustice will occur in any society. However, when it does occur, it's important to remember who has the power to change that: We the people. In previous centuries, when malfeasance arose, people (peacefully) fought back and let their voices be heard. The voices of Dr. King and others still ring in the ears of the public. 100 years ago, people were active to support change. Today, we hide behind a computer screen and a cell phone. And when we do decide to go out and protest, we are anything but peaceful, which is so, so wrong. Never fight hate with more hate. Do not allow yourself to fall into the apathetic way of life. This country has come so far and we can only continue to go forward. If you don't like something about the way the world is running, work to change it. Fight for your good cause. Let your voice be heard and do not ever think you're not worth fighting for.
"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." — Anne Frank
