This election has been one of the most divisive in history, starring two of the most disliked candidates ever. When the dust settled, Donald Trump was named President. For me and many others, we are embarrassed and disappointed at these results. I have been anti-Trump almost from the start, resulting in countless fights between facebook friends and family members. Much of my disdain lies in his appalling character and proposed policies that target women, minorities, and the environment. Specifically, I am abhorred by his history of sexism, sexual assault, and rape (if the charges are true). I cannot believe that a man with such a history was able to win our nation’s seat of power, but what I can’t seem to similarly fathom is how such a man has so many vehement supporters in spite of this.
And just to get a few things out of the way: Trump was going to court for rape of a 13-year-old girl (who received so many death threats she felt unsafe pursuing the suit), Hillary defended a man accused of rape because it was her job (she asked to be removed from the case and was denied), Bill Clinton is a separate issue entirely, and ‘locker room’ talk is just an excuse and not the way real men talk about women. Oh, and Trump has a history of over 30 years of groping, kissing, lawsuits, and sexual assaults, some of which can be corroborated by witnesses, some of which he was caught admitting to on a hot microphone.
I am a victim of rape and sexual assault. It is a topic that I am very passionate about and take deadly serious. For this reason, among others, I would never support Trump. This was a common point of mine when arguing with others about Trump’s suitability for the presidency. In my realm of facebook, Trump supporters ignored this point entirely, often redirecting arguments to faults of Hillary’s or all the great things Trump promised. Once, a woman brought up ‘locker room’ talk but did not refute the rape allegation. One other time, another woman told me the particular instance was 11 years ago and he apologized for it after not believing that Trump even admitted to sexual assault himself. This was similar to the lack of response on Trump mocking a disabled person and shaming veterans for PTSD. I was aghast and angry, wondering how they could ignore and excuse such horrendous behavior.
Then I realized that this is how sexual assault is often dealt with. It is ignored and excused and not taken seriously. Perpetrators are let off the hook and victims are the ones left being questioned, and this discouraging reaction leads many to remain silent, just as I remained silent about it for almost 4 years.
If you voted for Trump because he was the lesser of two evils, fine. If you voted for Trump because he represented your party’s ideals, fine. But if you supported Trump, excusing his gross mistreatment of women and allegations of sexual assault, I would like some answers. What makes sexual assault so much of a non-issue in your world that a potential rapist is justifiably a better option for president than a woman who was reckless with her emails? Do these crimes only matter in certain circumstances? Why aren't they enough to condemn a man with a proven history of sexual assault? Why is a man like that worthy of our nation's highest office? The fact that many people I know can’t or won’t answer that tells me that they don’t care about me and other victims of sexual assault and that it isn’t an issue worthy of argument nor is it damning enough of a crime to deserve serious repercussion.
Despite these bleak conclusions, I have found solace knowing that there are still people out there who care about these issues and who won’t accept excuses for sexual assault. This farce of an election will be the catalyst for a new movement that I am eager to be a part of, and I will no longer be accepting excuses.
