1. Check our breasts for suspicious lumps
2. Wear seat belts in automobiles
3. Avoid swimming in shark-infested waters
4. Wear a heart monitor
5. Get our teeth cleaned
6. Have our cholesterol checked
7. Take vitamins
8. Get a pap smear
9. Install anti-virus programs on our computer
10. Lock our doors
11. Install an alarm system
12. Put safety lights on our bicycle
13. Wear a fluorescent vest while jogging at night
14. Drive with our headlights on
15. Carry an umbrella
16. Wear a winter coat
17. Wash hands to avoid getting the flu
18. When we see a raccoon in our garage awake in the middle of the day, with mouth foaming, do not pet it; instead call a neighbor who grew up in the country to come over and “take care of it”
19. Tell our mother-in-law that we would love to spend the holiday at her cabin just to save ourself an argument
20. Use birth control to prevent pregnancy

Dear See Jane Fight Back:

I object to your list of 20 ways women participate in victim blaming because some of those things are useful things any reasonable and responsible person—male or female—should do. For instance, many of us take vitamins and get our teeth cleaned. We also feel perfectly entitled to blame people who eat chili cheese fries whilst forgetting to take their Lipitor^®.

However, I can agree to items 3, 9 10, and 11 on the grounds that those things involve other people whose behavior should be better controlled by their parents, the government, or the criminal justice system. Let’s arrest people who throw chum in the water when fishing off ocean piers. Let’s prevent burglaries so locking doors and home alarm systems aren’t necessary. Let’s show hackers that we shouldn’t have to protect our files and our hard drives from their malicious plans. We have a right to swim wear we want, compute how we want, and live without fear of burglary. In fact, I’m going to leave my unprotected computer in my unlocked house right now while I go jump off the fishing pier for a swim. In the dark. And I’ve just had a huge plate of chili cheese fries (and my Lipotor^®)!  Now this is true empowerment.

Yours,

Etc.