Feminism blowup on social media ignores golden lesson

Our View

Clashing views over gender-inequality have recently sparked massive controversy here at Cedar Falls High School, turning into a firestorm of opinionated mayhem amongst CFHS students on social media and in hallway conversations. It seems like nearly everyone has something to say regarding the issue of feminism and gender equality, and everyone wants to win. However, there may lie the issue.

For equality to truly be reached, a consensus must be reached between all people – not one side proving the other wrong. All sides must realize that women’s rights is a pertinent issue in today’s society that needs to be addressed and dealt with in a rational and objective manner.

One issue that arises from this controversy is the misconception of what the feminist movement is. Feminism, first and foremost, is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities — the political, economic and social equality of the sexes.

Negative connotations often come about with the term “feminism.” This is because views are taken to extremities that involve man-hating and altogether anti-male stances. This is not feminism, and those who demonize the male population as a whole are not feminists. Men and women alike suffer from the discrimination brought about by gender-role stereotypes.

This is not to detract from the issue at hand — women ought to be treated equally. However, this issue is more than that. It’s not about just about men and women, it’s about ourselves and our ethics as humans. It may sound novelty, but there is a reason it’s called the golden rule. There is a reason we all learn it as children — it sounds so simple, and that’s because it really is. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Tried and true, this philosophy cannot be refuted. However, we often struggle to truly put it into practice.

Human equality means that everyone receives the same rights, opportunities and freedoms to be him or herself without oppression or degradation. Equality disregards gender, race, social class, sexual orientation and religious affiliation. Equality is a societal ideal that has proven to be inherently correct. The right to being happy with who you are and how you were born is a basic human right, and this right encompasses all people. This encompassment can be thought of as a great big circle that we’re all a part of — and a circle does not have sides.

Resolving these issues is not about taking a side and arguing your way over the others. It’s about realizing that we all truly want to be happy, and we all truly deserve to be happy. Which means all of us. We humans. It’s an amazing experience that we all get, and not a single person deserves to have their experience worsened at the hand of their fellow human beings.