Social Justice Event #1 When Inequality Keeps You Safe

I thought that I'd use one day I worked at the liquor store as a social justice event. The class we had on economic justice we spoke about women being treated differently than men in certain work situations. What got brought up was girls having to either walk together late at night or having a co worker walk them to their car. As much as I'd love to say "I can take care of myself" I know I couldn't if I was up against a guy. When I was younger I said that probably 100 times because my mom wouldn't like me being somewhere. When that invincibility finally wears off, around 20 for me at least. I realized she was doing it for my safety and not to get under my skin because lets face it, everything your mother does is to annoy you or so you think. My mom did not like the fact I took a job at a liquor store but after explaining its a safe area and they've never had a problem she felt a little more at ease. There was one night that I was working with my manager and he had to run some stuff down stairs. I was just doing the usual ringing people out and filling shelves. I had a gentlemen come up to me and couldn't find something that was in the cooler without a second thought I walked in with him and pointed it out. As I'm walking out he starts to say you really shouldn't walk in the cooler with someone instead just direct them to it. He also explains he's a police officer and has seen a lot of things and that as much as you look at someone and think that they look like a nice person you could be completely wrong. It doesn't matter what someone looks like anyone's capable of hurting you. If that had been one of the guys I work with he would not have said anything and probably because they could defend themselves better and wouldn't be as easily targeted. I brushed off what he had said because I felt like people become a little too cautious but after talking about this stuff in class realized he was justified in warning me. And as much as we wanna get mad and say that we're being treated differently as women its not to do us harm but rather, keep us safe. I feel that the inequality we see at least in the situation is okay because people are capable of evil and if they see an easy target such as a young girl by herself they will take advantage of the opportunity.