TOW #18- Why Do We Teach Girls It's Cute to Be Scared?

        "Shouldn't you be scared?" they would say. Coming from a prestigious, prominent background as the first woman in the San Francisco Fire Department, Caroline Paul, now a New York Times opinionist, surprisingly experienced a plethora of unnecessary comments, all directed towards her capabilities as a woman to handle the task at hand. Offended, as many would be, Paul synthesized that these remarks are too often directed towards young women, especially around adolescence. Parents tend to "baby" or protect their young daughters much more than they would with a son, since males have always been expected to be the more powerful and dominant gender, able to fend for themselves. Detailing several anecdotes from her childhood and experiences on the fire force, Paul can vividly remember many instances in which this attitude was directed towards her, whether it be from her elders or simply a friend. No matter where it came from, it left an impact on Paul and how she viewed herself.
         Naturally anyone would be terrified when faced with a disastrous and deadly situation, such as a fire, and of course Paul was, but so were the men too, and this is why it gives them no right to treat her any differently. Fear is no reason to quit, it is a motivation to strive to overcome. Paul "put her fear where it belonged, behind (her) feelings of focus, confidence and courage, and headed into the burning building with her crew," it didn't matter that she was a woman, she could still handle it. Issues over the roles of women have been around since the beginning of time, constantly pushing them into the shadows of society, struggling to have their voices heard and truly respected. Being a strong woman doesn't mean backing down from something that could possibly end in an injury or embarrassment, it means proving yourself in front of those who think you would never have the possibility to succeed.
        Risk taking is an important part of growing up, therefore I believe that parents should caution their children equally, not a daughter more than a son. Fear conditioning for females starts at a very young age, and must not be enforced any stricter than it would for males. Both races are capable of performing the same tasks, at the same pace, and at the same moment in time. Women have proven countless times, in past athletic events and academic competitions, that they can be smarter, stronger, and braver than men. So why should they be protected more? Who decided that women were weak? I think many would be surprised just how amazing and tenacious the female race can be.

Paul, Caroline. "Why Do We Teach Girls That It’s Cute to Be Scared?" The New York Times. The New York Times, 20 Feb. 2016. Web. 21 Feb. 2016.