As times press forward, we must be progressive in our legislation. We can't stick with old traditional laws. They simply don't hold a place in modernized culture. The "Free The Nipple" movement is, to put it simply, the proposal that we should uncensor the female breast (more specifically the nipple) both in the sense of public view and the media.

Women's rights have been fought for for a little over a century. It all began in the late 1800s and early 1900s with the actions of Jane Addams, Susan B. Anthony, and other women's rights activists. One of the biggest milestones during this time was women earning the right to vote. Little by little, because of actions from people like Addams and Anthony, women have become more and more equal to men.

A century later, we're still fighting to make women absolutely equal to men. The latest craze is the "Free The Nipple" movement. This might not seem like it's within the same ballpark as voting rights, but it's still a fight for equality, no?

For some odd reason, only women's nipples are censored or deemed to be "inappropriate" in the sense of public view and media. Some media platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, unfairly take down pictures of women with their breasts exposed while men are able to post topless photos of themselves without repercussion. If men are allowed to bare their chests on an Instagram post, women should be allowed to do the same.

Considering this country was founded on puritan values, it's no question why any sort of "exposure" was considered indecent. However, men fought and won for their right to expose their chests in the 1930s. Prior to this, men also faced the same issue as women: risk of arrest for "indecent" exposure. Women should be able to enjoy the exact same freedoms as men. It's because of the risk of arrest, a criminal record, and being treated like a "freak" or "social outcast" from the stigma that some women are afraid to speak out and act. Social conformity is what's preventing us from being progressive. Realistically, in "modern" civilization, there should be no laws that bar any one gender, ethnicity, or color from the same freedoms others get to enjoy. Gender discrimination and sexism should no longer exist. If we want to progress as a nation, we can begin by not sexualizing breasts in situations they aren't meant to be sexualized in.

Remember: The primary function of the breast is to feed children. It is NOT inherently sexual in the sense of sex. Fetishization of the breast is a purely a product of culture. They cannot be compared with genitalia.

Also, don't forget: The media and especially the porn industry continue to sexualize breasts in culture because they make money off of it. If there's one extra thing they can make a quick buck with, you can bet they'll support it. In this case: they support the over-sexualization of female breasts. Since the media reaches out to large audiences, it has a huge influence on these audiences. Thus, the culture of over-sexualization spreads.

If we fight for the Free The Nipple movement, soon enough, women will become closer in equality to men! No one should have to feel ashamed of their body!

Let's get rid of gender discrimination and sexism in the modern world once and for all!

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(Quick introduction of myself: My name is David A., and as I am writing this (4/23/2018), I am a 17-year-old senior in high school in New Jersey. I strive to be a humanitarian, philanthropist, human rights activist, and computer scientist when I grow up. Ever since I was a child, I've dreamt of making the world a better place. One of the biggest things I wished for was absolute equality amongst all races, colors, nationalities and between both genders. I dream of a world of peace, not of discrimination and hatred.

As a child, I personally never sexualized breasts. My western culture taught me to sexualize breasts, but I never followed in its footsteps. It always seemed a little "off" to me. While others my age used terms such as "boobs" or "tits," I stuck with "breasts." Call me old-fashioned but...

Recently, perhaps about 2-3 months ago, I was sitting in a car listening to the news. A story came on about a French figure skater's apparent "nip slip" while performing during the 2018 Olympics. "This? THIS made national headlines? The fact that the media is unnecessarily drawing attention to this event is bad enough," I thought to myself...)