While scrolling down my Facebook feed, I saw an article called, “I Am A Female And I Am So Over Feminists”, (https://www.theodysseyonline.com/female-over-femin...) so naturally, the feminist within me had to read. Struck with an inability to read the article without an immense anger at the immeasurable spewing of unintelligence, here is my response.

The subheading to the article reads, “I believe that I am a strong woman, but I also believe in a strong man.” How excellent, we have that in common. Unfortunately, I actually define this belief by the term, “feminism.”

Furthermore, Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines feminism as “the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities.” You say: “I’m all about girl power, but in today’s world, it’s getting shoved down our throats.” At what point did positivity and avocation of a certain belief become excessive and damaging? To quote another one of your article's, in which you paint Tomi Lahren as the ultimate female, standing up for her beliefs and fighting against those who disagree with her politics,

“She’s young, full of fire, and unafraid to speak her mind: that’s what I love about her.”

For someone who is not afraid to speak loudly about her own opinions, I am confused by the harm in promoting women’s rights; defined by the word feminism, a word now surrounded by a negative stigma, because of celebrities with a mysteriously large fan-base, such as Lahren. As an eighteen-year-old female, I strive to be associated with that description: young, full of fire…unafraid to speak her mind. Except for the fact that we do differ in principle. My beliefs do not interfere with a greater worldly ideal: that humans are humans; regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, or sexuality.

Saying that you are “for girl power” is completely negated in the following statement in which you claim it is being shoved down your throat. As a proud supporter of Tomi Lahren and her views, I hope to not be too presumptuous as to assume you also support Donald Trump. Trump, who has shut down any notions that women possess any strengths beyond their physical attributes, but also, yes, "girl power!"

Additionally, the overarching problem we are faced with here is your internal denial of calling yourself a feminist. Focus less on listing that “the woman has a more efficient brain” than a man, or how you believe in a strong powerful woman, if you are going to immediately contradict yourself and encourage an ideal that places men on a pedestal, towering over women in all aspects of life. On the topic of definitions, I suggest looking up the meaning of irony.

“My inspiration actually came from a man (God forbid, a man has ideas these days)”

Of course men can have ideas. So can women. Although it’s women such as you writing these articles that makes certain men lose respect for our gender, and it’s men such as Donald Trump, whose ideas barely differentiate from a doormat, that makes women lose respect for the male gender. You see, it is a never-ending cycle. Feminists are not men-haters, and like absolutely every personal affiliation or political party, there are different levels and scales to which people feel. To generalize the views of feminists is the same as to generalize every movement, religion, or political affiliation, which in turn, becomes unfair to everyone.

“First of all, this is the 21st century. Women have never been more respected.”

On that note, I ask you, do you agree with Donald Trump insulting all Muslim women, victims of sexual harassment, or telling a reporter she only has her job because of her looks? That men such as him now make it impossible for women to be seen by the quality of their thoughts, and that our gender now has to fight harder because of that? Sure, you can easily argue women have never been more respected; but amongst every step towards further positive progression, certain men and women remind the world that women are no-good, replaceable, brain-less entities.

You wrote this article in order to be seen as this pro-women, individualistic, strong girl, but I view this as an immediate cry for help towards a gender anyone disrespects every time feminism is fought. Feminism, a movement created in hopes of giving women their freedom of speech, freedom of speech that is, to write an article such as this. So, yes, in a completely ironic and inapposite way, perhaps you did make me a little less feminist, because writing articles that project such nonsense should not be allowed.