The beginning of July also marks the beginning of the second half of the year, and 2016 has already been a whirlwind of nothing but crazy. Here are a list of six things that everyone should have learned so far.
1. My Body, My Choice
Abortion has always been a hot topic in the United States. Recently in the media, comparisons have been drawn between the regulation of firearms and the rights a woman has over her body. Regardless of whether you are personally pro-life or pro-choice (and the keyword here is personally, people) everyone has the right to decide what they do to their own bodies, and no one should force their beliefs on someone else on the basis of religion or what they believe to be true.
2. Political Correctness = Common Courtesy
With the quickly approaching Presidential Election, I feel there has been a bigger emphasis on political correctness, especially with the presumptive nominees. There have also been many arguments on whether is it necessary or not. The thing is, what is known as "political correctness" can also be referred to as "common courtesy," which is something that should have been instilled in everyone at a young age. People who cannot and do not agree with the importance of being "politically correct" should definitely not be in the running to be the leader of a country.
3. Black Lives Matter
According to the #BlackLivesMatter [Network] was created in 2012 after Trayvon Martin’s murderer, George Zimmerman, was acquitted for his crime, and dead 17-year-old Trayvon was posthumously placed on trial for his own murder. In regards to 2016, this point has more to do with national recognition of the network and the role it has played in recent politics. One of the most important takeaways (I feel) from the site is that "#BlackLivesMatter is working for a world where Black lives are no longer systematically and intentionally targeted for demise."
4. Terrorism Comes from Anywhere and Everywhere
We have a bad habit in the United States of automatically associating Islam with terrorism. First off, this is not okay. We are stereotyping the people of an entire religion in the worst way possible. According to google, the definition of terrorism is "the use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims." The truth of the matter is that terrorism knows no skin tone, ethnic background, or religion.
5. Gay is OK
Hate is one of the strongest emotions. Wars begin over it, violence is used, and lives are lost. Love is also a strong emotion. Communities are built, people are cared for, and living life to the fullest is encouraged. So why, why are people still trying to dictate what gender it is socially acceptable for a person to fall in love with? I personally find it interesting that a society that still believes love at first sight it true, also believes that sexuality is a choice. It's the 21st century people, time to wake up and smell the roses.
6. Feminism is About Equal Rights
Feminism, the word has different meanings to different people, and experiences with feminists may have something to do with some of the negative connotations around the word. To me, feminism means equal rights for men and women. One of the craziest things that I have had to wrap my head around as an adult are things like the 'pink tax' (and I don't even like the color pink, so why am I paying extra for it), that for every $1 a man makes, a woman get 75 cents for the same job, and that, in the modern world, some people are still astonished if they see a woman lifting something perceived as 'heavy' (I've experienced this first-hand). When it comes down to it, all women are asking for is to be treated exactly like men are in modern society, is that so much to ask?
And there you have it, the first half of 2016 in review. Hopefully we can turn back to this article in late December and feel some sort of pride in what we have (hopefully) accomplished since July.
