Beatriz Verneaux

My good friend, a woman, gave the news about the Santa Barbara shooting. I could not help but to feel even more nauseous than I already did as I read the description of the crime. A man driven by hatred, hatred towards women. That isn’t the first crime exposed by media that involves the same motive, but it’s certainly an extremely shocking one. There are many characteristics that make this crime stand out, and I believe that we can all agree that the manifesto written by the killer is particular terrifying.

“All I ever wanted was to fit in and live a happy life amongst humanity, but I was cast out and rejected, forced to endure an existence of loneliness and insignificance, all because the females of the human species were incapable of seeing the value in me.” 

Women are taught from early on that they should please the men in their lives, starting by their parents, knowing they need to honor and respect their authority, obeying, remaining chaste. Women are taught to lower their voices, that they are more sensitive, that they need protection, and that their source of protection and love comes from the men in their lives. Women learn from early on that saying no and being accretive are inappropriate behaviors, that kindness should be inherent for a woman, that behaving properly is more than necessary – it is an obligation. Women learn that being feminine and being submissive are exactly the ...