Lately, New Yorkers have consumed themselves with the "See something, say something" philosophy, for it unassailably plays an integral role in preserving the safety of our community.  Nevertheless, people often contemplate the applicability of this philosophy when it comes to "private matters," for private matters couldn't nearly be as dangerous as a mysterious van in Times Square, or could they?  Granted, an explosion will shatter the lives of hundreds while dangerous domestic disputes will simply shatter the lives of one family, leading many to understandably argue that the importance of saying something substantially decreases in the latter situation; yet nonetheless, danger is danger, and advocating for the unheard victims of domestic violence, and those who cannot advocate for themselves, holds insurmountable importance.  Provide an opportunity to victims and help them mend the pieces of their shattered lives at virtually no cost, simply by extending the renowned philosophy "see something, say something," to matters that may have in the past been considered private, for relinquishing efforts to help simply on the basis of preserving privacy is futile and leads to more pejorative outcomes than beneficial. 

Although society is presently considered "reformed" and "progressed," many pejoritive conventional norms still seem to be pervasive within society.  This is immensely evident - especially during the holiday season.  Whether you look at the dichotomy between the presents infants of different genders recieve, notice who is expected to set the table or wash the dishes, or speculate upon who is permitted conversation without interruption at the dinner table...Gender roles are evident, and are far from being eradicated.  My aunt had even gone so far as to judge how my sister and I were raised, for we did not jump out of our seats to clean the dishes.  My brothers?  They're exempt.  Why does this still have to be so?  I sure as hell would not have touched a dish after that comment was made, for now it symbolizes an intrinsic flaw within American society, one to which I will not submiss. 

Yet still, when I reflect with others, they say that I had overreacted, and I wouldn't have acted in such a manner if I wasn't such a feminist.

The problem is that these notions are engrained into our sex-stereotyped personalities, or concepts of gender.  If you look at the Bem Sex Role Inventory, for example, it demonstrates the complex manifestation of these societal conventionalities.  The BSRI was primarily an experiment that dissolved into which characteristics were considered "desirable" in the opposite sex.  For women, the results encompass passivity, compassion, sympathy, kindness, etc...  For men: aggressive, determined, intelligent, and the list goes on.  The point being that if these societal ideals were conformed to (as they often, subtly, are given the overwhelming power of social roles and norms), the importance of a woman depended entirely on that of another, in which a sense of autonomy and independence can hardly prevail.  That being said, you can analyze the connotations implied on one who is not married in say, one's 40's or 50's.  The man is a bachelor, and the female - a spinster.  The bachelor, of course, is seeking for opportunity, excitement, and has too much passion to settle down; ultimately, the term bachelor carries a very positive connotation.  Spinster, on the other hand, carries a highly negative connotation, and is looked at with pity, if not scorn for one's dissidence.  This, to me, explains the craze women have in finding husbands.  If women are defined explicitly from others (for passivity, compassion, and sympathy can not exist without another person), then they are not complete or "ideal" by societal norms until another person is binded onto them, hence the 'longing' for interpersonal relationships.  Furthermore, this could possibly also explain why women are more likely to be depressed and anxious, more likely to attempt suicide and why 95% of those with eating disorders are women.

If I were not a feminist, they say...this would not have even phased me.  Well, I am glad I am; I have every right to protect my own liberty and that of others.  It is more evident to me, granted, for I define myself in this manner...as a feminist.  I also recognize that my aunt was just acting as she was raised.  Nevertheless, if I wouldn't have said anything, I would have been passive.  I would have been regressing, rejecting all that was made possible for me through the progressive era and liberation of women.  So what if I'm overreacting?  For revolutions, even those that are slight, everything can be considerent an overreaction.  But it's how individuals make a point, and it is how you stand up for what you ultimately believe in.

Though we have come very far in eradicating gender limitations, it is not nearly far enough.

I think that it's very telling, and rather unfortunate, that since Palin has been added to John McCain's ticket, America has focused more on her former status as a beauty queen and mother rather than shed light on her policies and ideals.  Personally, this is not only representative of the ignorance harbored within society, but indicative of the way women are often disguised through their beauty.  Personally, I am not a supporter of Palin - not because she's a woman and I don't think she's ready to be Vice President while raising a four month old child, which has garnered much criticism, or because her she was in Vogue at one time or another; I am not a supporter of her because of her policies, which are the antithesis of my ideals.  Mainstream America definitely objectifies woman in such a way that is appalling - it is superficial, trivial, and fosters ignorance and attempts to confirm sex roles; we will never thrive in a society that subtly portrays by focusing on the achievement of women gained through beauty.  To get where she is, she had to be more than a beauty queen, more than a pawn in the media; why is that not recognized in society?  Why must a woman's intellectual ability be blindsighted by her beauty?  Oh, how it angers me...