Thank you, Donald Trump, for announcing to the world in 2005 that you grabbed that woman's pussy.
Because in saying those words, and being who you are, you exposed something that has been long debated but rarely fixed: misogyny.
See, Donald, what you did was horrific and awful and that poor woman did not deserve it, but by boasting about it you opened the door to hold a real conversation on the treatment of women in this country.
See, we thought we were getting far. We thought that we were seeing advances in the way that women were being treated-hell we have a woman running for the most powerful position in the free world. You think that would stand for something. Equal rights were being talked about again for women, whether it be equal pay, workplace harassment, or just harassment in general. The important part was that we weren't going to take it anymore.
But that's all going to change now, isn't it? Because here comes Donald Trump, a PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, the possible next POTUS, saying that he can do whatever he wants to women, just grab their pussy or kiss them without their consent. Here he is, exposing us for who we really are: a country that is no better off now than we were 30 years ago. I mean, Donald Trump, who is now 70 years old, has gone is whole life thinking that treating women like this is okay. Many people backed out of supporting him after these tapes were released, but some are still backing him, saying that it's nothing worse than they've heard men say before.
Isn't that a scary thought?
Misogyny is still an inborn thought; people still think it's okay to view women as objects, undeserving of real compassion or consent. Even after making lewd comments, and being rightfully dragged for it, Donald decided that he would tastelessly parade sexual assault victims around to the press-as if that would make him look like a good person. Instead, he came off looking like even more of a monster because he still was using these women.
But let's not lay all the blame on Mr. Trump, okay? I think there's some room to share with the thousands of men coming to his aid, supporting his statements and saying that, "That's just how guys talk!" Which is as far from okay as you can possibly get. This just solidifies the idea that men need a little reshaping in the way that they think because it is never okay to talk about a woman in such terms, regardless of if she's there or not. Women deserve respect over our bodies, our attitudes, our choices, and our lives. These men, like actor Jon Voight, are defending Trump's comments and brushing them off as "locker room talk."
"Boys will be boys," isn't that how the saying goes?
Because men never need to be held accountable for their actions, do they? Women are the ones who need to walk on eggshells so as to prevent assault or harassment. It's our job to ensure that we aren't attacked or abused. Everything is the woman's responsibility, correct?
So again, I'd like to thank you, Mr. Donald Trump, for shedding light on how screwed up our country still is despite all we've done to try and fix it. The degradation of women is ingrained in our very soul as a nation, and it doesn't look like it's going to change anytime soon.
Makes me feel safe being a woman in this country.
