The “True Alpha Male” is what misogynist Elliot Rodgers identified himself as before he massacred six people in his “war against women” in Santa Barbara on May 23, 2014.

Women today are not safe in this world, and it’s most often because of misogynist like Elliot Rodgers. Entitlement and dominance are some of the feelings that drive men to believe they have rights to women, as if they’re property not people. In some parts of the world, women have little to no rights; however, we live in 2014 not 1830, and we need to start acting like it.

In Florida, a rape case on a college campus between a girl and one of the football team’s star players recently emerged. The case ultimately was disregarded, and the young girl never received justice. Plenty of other cases similar to this one have been “swept under the rug” by the police department as well. How do we expect the world to change if we can’t even trust our police departments to convict criminals or thoroughly investigate reported crimes? Occasionally media will attempt to victimize the male in college rape cases, stating that the student’s future is ruined and that this incident could really put the entire student’s career in jeopardy.

Sometimes, students will say, “Well she put herself out there.” Because someone is drunk and might be wearing a short skirt or a tank top does not mean that they plan on being raped. I firmly believe that because of concepts such as rape culture, women now more than ever need to stand firmly as one. Girls have been trained to see each other as competition, not as allies. If females want to see a change, then we must stop seeing each other as people we can can compare ourselves to. We need to be loyal to one another, and instead of putting each other down, we should rise up to together. However, even with women united, we can’t change the world. Women need men to recognize the inequality and to recognize that, whether it be fully acknowledged or latent in their minds, they are privileged. For change to happen, it requires a universal effort.

It’s been inadvertently grilled into my head that I always need to be on edge, to always be ready to protect myself. Why? Many men believe they possess privilege to women. It probably won’t happen in my day, but one day I hope the world reaches a time when its girls aren’t told they need to carry pepper spray.