Student Spectrums

Maaria Khan is a 10th-grade student who thinks critically and has strong opinions about the world, everyday politics, and activism for human rights. She wants to fuel people’s thoughts with new ideas and hopes for peace in the world, eventually.

The U.S. is considered one of the most successful countries in the world. However, the biggest flaw in our country is that we lack women’s safety. Being a Muslim girl living in the United States, where gun violence and physical assault of women are common, I feel extremely uncertain about my safety and need to think twice before I make any decision because I am apprehensive that anything can happen to me at any time. Every year, as shared in RAINN.org, almost 463,634 victims of physical assault cases in the United States are women.

However, no one wonders how the country is so confident with itself when it immensely lacks the overall security of its citizens, especially when young women and girls like me are struggling to feel safe in the country. I am very alarmed by this issue and strongly urge Americans to stand up for all women and girls who are facing this injustice before it is too late.

The Washington Post mentions that “at least” 89% of victims in the U.S. suffer from emotional and physical effects from life-threatening situations and injustices, such as trauma, chronic nightmares, and flashbacks as a result. However, people in America seem to care more about themselves and continue to be oblivious to the ultimate struggle of having to check one’s surroundings every few minutes, in fear of attacks and assault. Many women globally as well, especially in third-world countries like India, can also relate to this problem.

On August 9th, 2024, a female doctor in India was physically assaulted and eventually murdered by a group of individuals. Seeing this, people from all across the country protested and stood up for victims of physical assault, including the female doctor, and didn’t back down even when they faced backlash from the police, and continue to fight for these victims’ justice today. 

Seeing the resilience and unity of these people is what disappointed and frustrated me the most because this is what our country’s citizens should have been doing already. Living in a first-world country, it is disappointing that U.S. citizens are doing far worse than a third-world country like India. At least people are protesting to receive justice for assault victims in their country. Our citizens continue to be ignorant of those who struggle to feel safe today, such as young and afraid women and girls like me. Seeing this injustice globally and the ignorance in our country as a female and Muslim high schooler, it makes me wonder how I will be treated by others when I go off to college or other public settings, and it rockets my anxiety about how safe I am and will be in the future.

In a quote, Suzy Kassem once said that “Strong people stand up for themselves, but stronger people stand up for others”. If Americans had stood up for us women and girls a long time ago, there would have been more unity and less tension in the country today. “So why are people refraining from helping those in need?”, “Why can’t anyone raise their voices for each other?”, and “Do Americans even want their fellow citizens to be safe?” are the questions that are constantly ringing in my head. There is no favor-doing or reward from this, but looking at the bigger picture, there will be a safer environment in the U.S. for worried women and young girls like me, and the United States will finally be able to live up to its name.

Americans need to realize that life may be full of danger and difficulty, but the main purpose of is not to leave others hanging, it is to help and save them from it.