For months now, we've slowly become more and more accustomed to Donald Trump's outlandish and brazen comments about anything from women to mocking the appearance of the physically disabled. We're so used to this behavior by now that any new Trump discourse that arises simply doesn't surprise us anymore. And that is where the issue lies. We can't recognize when things are simply not okay.
Trump supporters cry 'political correctness,' but these comments mean something much different. These comments are about more than just offending individual people. These comments are about creating a society in which harmful stereotypes are continuously perpetuated through our rhetoric and speech. What we say matters just as much as what we do, regardless of our intentions. And in a country where Donald Trump is running for President, these distinctions matter more than ever.
Some may try to argue that these words are not meant to hurt anyone, that dialogue was taken out of context, or that lewd comments about groping women can be chalked up to private "locker room banter" (which, by the way, is exactly what it means to perpetuate rape culture). But none of that actually matters because, when you don't recognize that language affects social perception, you give up control of what you're saying altogether.
Recently, Trump's discussion about veterans suffering from PTSD has sparked controversy from both sides of the debate. Trump supporters claim that video clips being circulated by leftist media outlets are taken wildly out of context while anti-trump advocates argue that Trump means to imply that veterans suffering from PTSD are weak compared to those who are "strong...and can handle it [war]." I believe that Donald Trump did not intend to lessen the importance of PTSD, or the plight of any returning veterans, by making this comment. After all, appealing to the veteran population is a significant part of his campaign, so why would he consciously alienate them? It was likely not his intention to reinforce the stereotype that PTSD sufferers are equated with weakness, but nevertheless, it is what his words ultimately portrayed.
The issue with saying that some military persons "can't handle it [war]" is not that veterans experiencing mental health issues are going to simply be offended. The true issue appears when these and other veterans are discouraged from seeking help due to the stigma surrounding PTSD and mental heath in general. When discussing topics as important as these, you must be knowledgeable about society's perception of them as well as the actual implications for those affected.
No one disagrees with the fact that we need more programs that help to reintegrate veterans into their daily lives after war. Yet, what needs to be questioned in this situation is what is considered natural and unnnantural to society. For example, is it 'unnatural' to feel depressed after returning from war? Is it 'unnatural' to relive violent traumas that you can't stop thinking about? Is it 'unnatural' to suddenly feel separate and distant from your families? Why is it that these completely valid responses are labeled and categorized as a 'disorder' while the only reaction that becomes normalized is the very lack of reaction? These 'nonreactors' become the ones that are "strong....and can handle it" while others are deemed weak and unable to bear the burden of war. The comments that Donald Trump made only serve to reinforce the 'natural' order of things, which in turn causes stigmas about mental health to recirculate over and over again. And that's simply not okay behavior for the President of the United States.
You're right Donald. 22 suicides a day shouldn't be. But they are. And to change that number, we need not only to reinvent our VA programs. We need to normalize symptoms of PTSD. Because that's what they are - normal. It should be considered normal that you were affected by scenes of violence and death. It should be considered normal that you have trouble readjusting to your daily lives. It should be considered normal that you can't stop revisiting your traumas because they won't go away on their own. Who, I ask, is going to partake in all of your new programs if it means admitting that they are weak, different.....less? Once we tell veterans that there's nothing wrong with them, we can begin to help them work through the hardships that anyone would face after transitioning from full time soldier to someone's father, mother, husband, wife, son, daughter....
So yes, Donald, your comments are harmful. It would be wise for you to become educated on such topics before your speak publicly about them. Only then will I actually believe that you care.
