Emily​ ​Mikulski

Growing​ ​up​ ​in​ ​a​ ​small​ ​town​ ​can​ ​shelter​ ​adolescents​ ​from​ ​the​ ​“real-world’s”​ ​judgements,

views,​ ​and​ ​actions.​ ​The​ ​small​ ​town​ ​in​ ​Michigan​ ​that​ ​I​ ​was​ ​raised​ ​in​ ​was​ ​dominantly​ ​populated

by​ ​white​ ​and​ ​blue-collar​ ​workers.​ ​ ​The​ ​views​ ​that​ ​I​ ​grew​ ​up​ ​with​ ​were​ ​quite​ ​simple:​ ​stay​ ​in​ ​line

and​ ​listen​ ​to​ ​directions.​ ​While​ ​growing​ ​ ​up,​ ​I​ ​had​ ​always​ ​thought​ ​that​ ​it​ ​was​ ​the​ ​same​ ​teachings

to​ ​all​ ​students​ ​in​ ​my​ ​school.​ ​Life​ ​in​ ​a​ ​small​ ​town​ ​can​ ​drastically​ ​alter​ ​perceptions​ ​of​ ​reality,​ ​and

“wake-up-calls”​ ​can​ ​be​ ​beneficial​ ​to​ ​developing​ ​an​ ​understanding​ ​of​ ​the​ ​world.

Life​ ​changes​ ​all​ ​of​ ​the​ ​time.​ ​It​ ​can​ ​change​ ​in​ ​multiple​ ​different​ ​ways.​ ​One​ ​way​ ​that​ ​my

life​ ​changed​ ​is​ ​when​ ​I​ ​was​ ​in​ ​eighth​ ​grade,​ ​my​ ​mom​ ​began​ ​dating​ ​a​ ​man:​ ​my​ ​current

step-dad-who​ ​lived​ ​downstate.​ ​Little​ ​did​ ​I​ ​know​ ​that​ ​his​ ​contrasting​ ​views​ ​on​ ​life​ ​would​ ​lead​ ​me

to​ ​change​ ​the​ ​way​ ​I​ ​look​ ​at​ ​gender​ ​inequality.

I​ ​would​ ​not​ ​necessarily​ ​call​ ​myself​ ​a​ ​feminist,​ ​but​ ​I​ ​would​ ​call​ ​myself​ ​an​ ​equalist,

meaning​ ​that​ ​I​ ​believe​ ​that​ ​emotionally,​ ​physically,​ ​economically,​ ​and​ ​mentally​ ​women​ ​should

be​ ​considered​ ​equals​ ​to​ ​men.​ ​The​ ​idea​ ​that​ ​men​ ​are​ ​more​ ​superior​ ​to​ ​women​ ​is​ ​outdated.​ ​My

stepfather​ ​is​ ​a​ ​man​ ​that​ ​does​ ​not​ ​believe​ ​in​ ​equality​ ​and​ ​has​ ​outdated​ ​and​ ​unrealistic​ ​views​ ​for

this​ ​time​ ​period.

I​ ​disagree​ ​with​ ​male​ ​supremacy​ ​and​ ​all​ ​forms​ ​of​ ​inequality.​ ​While​ ​I​ ​understand​ ​that​ ​not

all​ ​beliefs​ ​of​ ​mine​ ​will​ ​agree​ ​with​ ​everyone's​ ​that​ ​I​ ​meet,​ ​I​ ​do​ ​not​ ​appreciate​ ​or​ ​understand​ ​verbal

criticism​ ​because​ ​of​ ​the​ ​choices​ ​I​ ​have​ ​the​ ​right​ ​to​ ​make.​ ​The​ ​first​ ​time​ ​I​ ​heard​ ​him​ ​make​ ​a

comment​ ​that​ ​women​ ​were​ ​inferior​ ​and​ ​worse​ ​drivers,​ ​I​ ​was​ ​taken​ ​aback​ ​and​ ​appalled.​ ​He​ ​states

commonly​ ​that​ ​he​ ​is​ ​superior​ ​to​ ​my​ ​mother,​ ​and​ ​often​ ​likes​ ​to​ ​state​ ​that​ ​men​ ​are​ ​much​ ​more

intelligent.​ ​I​ ​have​ ​never​ ​felt​ ​held​ ​back,​ ​because​ ​of​ ​my​ ​gender,​ ​until​ ​I​ ​met​ ​him.​ ​He​ ​is​ ​the

definition​ ​of​ ​male-supremacy.

 Emily​ ​Mikulski

I​ ​have​ ​learned​ ​that​ ​I,​ ​and​ ​all​ ​women,​ ​need​ ​to​ ​fight​ ​for​ ​their​ ​beliefs​ ​and​ ​rights.​ ​What

comes​ ​to​ ​men​ ​does​ ​not​ ​come​ ​as​ ​equally​ ​as​ ​easy​ ​to​ ​women.​ ​My​ ​stepfather​ ​has​ ​taught​ ​me​ ​that

people​ ​are​ ​still​ ​unfair​ ​and​ ​unjust.​ ​This​ ​has​ ​changed​ ​my​ ​views​ ​on​ ​society,​ ​and​ ​even​ ​the​ ​world,

because​ ​I​ ​know​ ​that​ ​if​ ​white​ ​women​ ​are​ ​struggling,​ ​then​ ​all​ ​other​ ​minorities​ ​must​ ​be​ ​struggling

much​ ​more.

I​ ​have​ ​changed​ ​my​ ​views​ ​on​ ​life,​ ​because​ ​this​ ​man​ ​blatantly​ ​disregarded​ ​my​ ​views​ ​and

his​ ​intentions​ ​are​ ​cruel.​ ​Men​ ​often​ ​hold​ ​more​ ​leadership​ ​positions​ ​than​ ​women​ ​do.​ ​I​ ​have​ ​placed

myself​ ​in​ ​multiple​ ​positions​ ​within​ ​my​ ​community​ ​that​ ​have​ ​given​ ​me​ ​the​ ​opportunity​ ​to​ ​be​ ​a

leader.​ ​As​ ​president​ ​of​ ​my​ ​school’s​ ​student​ ​senate,​ ​similar​ ​to​ ​student​ ​council,​ ​I​ ​often​ ​am​ ​given

the​ ​chance​ ​to​ ​speak​ ​in​ ​front​ ​of​ ​the​ ​student​ ​body.​ ​I​ ​recently​ ​was​ ​given​ ​the​ ​chance​ ​to​ ​speak​ ​with

my​ ​fellow​ ​peers​ ​at​ ​the​ ​Veteran’s​ ​day​ ​assembly.​ ​Though​ ​both​ ​males​ ​and​ ​females​ ​are​ ​given​ ​the

right​ ​and​ ​opportunity​ ​to​ ​serve​ ​in​ ​the​ ​military,​ ​more​ ​males​ ​spoke​ ​that​ ​day​ ​compared​ ​to​ ​females.​ ​I

find​ ​myself​ ​in​ ​a​ ​position​ ​that​ ​women​ ​are​ ​placed​ ​in,​ ​especially​ ​in​ ​small​ ​towns.​ ​The​ ​idealistic​ ​and

supremacist​ ​views​ ​that​ ​can​ ​be​ ​placed​ ​on​ ​small,​ ​white​ ​towns​ ​can​ ​give​ ​minorities​ ​less​ ​of​ ​an

opportunity​ ​to​ ​advance​ ​and​ ​enhance​ ​their​ ​skills​ ​within​ ​the​ ​community.

Women’s​ ​views​ ​are​ ​changing​ ​drastically​ ​in​ ​a​ ​day​ ​by​ ​day​ ​fashion.​ ​My​ ​perception​ ​of

women’s​ ​rights​ ​and​ ​equality​ ​has​ ​changed​ ​in​ ​the​ ​past​ ​few​ ​years,​ ​because​ ​of​ ​ ​my​ ​step-dad​ ​and​ ​his

male​ ​supremacy.​ ​The​ ​ideas​ ​that​ ​people​ ​find​ ​moral​ ​can​ ​change​ ​from​ ​place​ ​to​ ​place,​ ​but​ ​there​ ​is​ ​no

question​ ​that​ ​women​ ​in​ ​all​ ​societies​ ​are​ ​look​ ​down​ ​upon​ ​as​ ​inferior​ ​and​ ​have​ ​less​ ​privileges​ ​that

men​ ​do.