Allan G. Johnson’s “Patriarchy, the System” holds us all accountable for our actions by asking what kind of society would permit misogyny and crimes against women to take place. “We are involved in patriarchy and its consequences because we occupy social positions in it, which is all it takes,” writes Johnson. I really enjoyed reading this essay because it put the power to change the system in the hands of the individual without placing blame on them. Every time we choose to stay silent and maintain the status quo by taking the “path of least resistance”, we contribute to upholding the patriarchy or any other racist or homophobic beliefs.

         If you’re not speaking up and speaking out against the side you disagree with, you might as well agree with them. Peer pressure and fear of being ostracized by one’s social group is a big deterrent against voicing an opinion that will rock the boat. When we recognize that what’s at stake is much larger than momentary social discomfort, the reasons to voice our opinions become all the more clear. Systems are comprised of individuals, not some nebulous “they”. Change begins with us. 

         “Above all, patriarchal culture is about the core value of control and domination in almost every area of human existence,” writes Johnson. In order to overcome the patriarchy, we must dissect its motivations. The desire to control and dominate is historical baggage. The need to colonize and enslave others stems from the same motivation. The patriarchy grows stronger by pitting oppressed groups against one another. In her book, “There Is No Hierarchy of Oppressions”, Audre Lorde wrote, “I cannot afford the luxury of fighting one form of oppression only. I cannot afford to believe that freedom from intolerance is the right of only one particular group”.

         We cannot pick and choose which major forms of oppression are tolerable, because none of them are. Similarly, we cannot downplay the undertones of violence present in a seemingly harmless cat call because we think only what we perceive to be cold-blooded rape is a problem. This is the sort of thinking that leads to blaming women by asking questions such as, “What were you wearing?” or, “Were you drinking?”. In Ceranlly Serrano Rodriguez’s snapshot, they posted a picture of what appears to be a woman whose mouth is being covered up by the hands of others. Upon each arm a question is written which doubts the validity of the woman’s experience of rape. 

         It’s easier to silence marginalized groups than it is to listen and reflect. To choose to ignore another person’s experience is to uphold the status quo. The power truly lies with each of us as individuals. We must stick our necks out for others when we are able to do so especially when the threat of physical violence is not present. Failure to do so is effectively supporting the patriarchy. Reality is what we choose to make it. The only thing which must be silenced is hate itself. If we don’t silence hate, it will surely silence us.