The first time I got to take women and gender studies was my senior year of high school. My teacher was incredible, and I feel that once everyone (yes including me) could get past our political differences, we all learned so much from each other. We didn't agree with each other the majority of the time, but we all took the time to understand why we felt the way that we do.

In college, I was isolated by my own professor and I was taught her opinion and was expected to take it as a fact. It was anti-Republican and politically charged. Anyone who has taken a women's studies course in college I've spoken to agrees, the course is only so much fact and history, it's most discussion and opinion.

I dropped that class, it was not what I knew it could be. I recently enrolled in the same class online. Relearning the foundation of what the feminist movement is, and what it stood for only renewed my disagreement with modern feminism.

For those of you unfamiliar with feminism, it is categorized into three waves. To keep it short and sweet, first wave feminism consists of the women who worked to gain the right to vote and other legal aspects.

Second wave feminism took place in the 1960's and 70's and to my knowledge, seemed to focus on a lot of workplace rights, education rights and such.

Third wave feminism started in the 1990s and is considered modern-day feminism.

Feminism is the desire to have equality among the sexes.

My grandmother once said that she didn't know what these women were so upset about. They don't know and have never seen real and true oppression. She has a point. Women in America have it good compared to women even 50 years ago and certainly have it better than women in most other countries. We get to drive, have credit cards, our own bank accounts, have a job, own a company, run for office, and live on our own. Women are allowed to be pro-choice or be pro-life, carry a gun or not carry a gun. This is all because of the women who came before us and helped us get here.

So many modern feminists believe that men are the reason they face oppression and that men cannot represent them. That isn't equality. That is shutting down an entire group of people, saying they cannot adequately do their job simply because they are a man. Which is exactly what feminists are supposed to be against when that is applied to women. Also, if they don't like their elected representatives, go out and exercise your right to vote, work on campaigns you do agree with, or even try to speak with your elected officials.

Most people also associate modern feminism with being a liberal. There is an obvious exclusion of conservative women from the feminist movement.

If you are pro-life you can't be a feminist.

If you voted for Donald Trump you can't be a feminist.

If you are a conservative with conservative values you can't be a feminist.

This is not what the feminist movement is supposed to be about.

Let us go straight to a hot topic as an example: abortion. The Supreme Court has the final say, and they set precedent. In other words, any law that would change any outcome of Roe V. Wade is unconstitutional unless the Supreme Court itself takes on a case and makes the changes itself. So no, Donald Trump cannot take away your right to an abortion. That is just a politically charged line to get people fired up.

Also, conservative values include minimal government, therefore many conservatives feel that it's not the government's place to tell you what to do with your body. Being personally pro-life doesn't mean we believe that you shouldn't have a say in if you get an abortion.

A lot of women are NRA members and have a concealed carry permit so they can protect themselves, their children, etc. Maybe they recently got out of a domestic violence situation, or have been harassed by an ex. If you are lucky enough, you can get a piece of paper that gives you some form of legal protection, but a law or a rule won't stop a criminal.

Why do women who claim to be feminists tear down or shame other women because of political differences?

I know I will never hate another woman based on her political party. I didn't want Hilary Clinton to win because I didn't agree with any of her policies, not based on political parties and not because I thought a man is supposed to be in charge. I think it's awesome I got to see two women be candidates in this past presidential election.

We live in a society where we are considered equal to men. Is it perfect? No. But the most important right previous movements gave us, is the right to an opinion and to seek justice. Women have access to birth control just like men, in fact, women have more birth control options than men. Women can speak out and seek justice and protection from violent relationships, and so can men. It is also true men face more stigmas than women when it comes to domestic/dating violence and sexual assault. Men are expected to be the ones who are the aggressors, not the abused or assaulted. Nobody talks about that fact.

I'll leave you with this: if it is so bad here, then why do so many people aspire to start a life here? We are the land of the free. We are not perfect, but we are the closest to perfect here than anywhere else.