I know I cannot be the only woman or person in general (let's be serious) fed up with what has been going on.
Just this week, an old behind the scenes tape of Donald Trump with Billy Bush, who then was on Access Hollywood, was released. This recording shows Trump saying vile and repulsive words about trying to sleep with women non-consensually.
"When you're a star they let you do it," says Trump on the tape with Billy Bush. This was recorded when they were on a bus headed for Trump's appearance on the Soap Opera The Days of Our Lives. My initial problem with those words is the fact that he believes because he is famous, women will let him do what he wants to them. Sure you hear the exaggerations that us ladies say about our favorite male celebrities, but that's exactly it. They are exaggerations. Fantasies. Girl talk. We have all seen the old films of women throwing themselves at The Beatles or Elvis. But that was in fact The Beatles and Elvis. This is Donald Trump mind you. Not on the same level. I would not be throwing myself at him on 5th Avenue.
I always get the question of why I am so feminist or why I believe what I believe. I always give my personal life experience reasons as well as societal. When something like this happens, that’s all the more I need to prove my point. As much as I want to, I find it hard to come to terms with my fellow women who do not have at least a small feminist bone in their body. I feel like themselves, with most people, do not know the true meaning of the word and what it stands for. This is a part of what we are fighting for. Letting a person like this run your country is not acceptable. He is making rape culture and sexual assault okay. These words are appropriating sexual assault. He has already let a massive wave of bigotry and racism spread in our country. I am not going to sit and watch men go around “grabbing women by the pu**y.” We cannot go backward anymore. Donald Trump as a president may have worked in the 50s when women were in the kitchen, rape was a slap on the wrist punishment, and fathers didn’t change diapers, but he won’t be a president of mine.
Instead of Trump apologizing for his comments, he turned around and made his three-minute video all about the Clintons and the Lewinsky scandal. If Trump was actually sorry for his statements he would have said it. Most Republicans have started to withdraw their support from Trump after this week.
As if you needed another reason to not vote Trump in November along with these comments, a rape case involving a 13-year old aspiring model who was under his management team.
No matter what your views are on President Obama, this is a man that believes in equality for women. He has fought against sexual assault and for LBGQ rights. Who treats his wife and daughters with respect. I do not think Obama would call his daughters "a fine piece of ass"
Some men will try and say that those days are over. Sexism and misogyny. But they are far from over. Women still cannot make their own reproductive choices, get paid maternity leave, get harassed in the workplace, on the street, in school, make 75 cents to the man's dollar for the same work. The list continues on.
Donald Trump is exactly what is wrong with the United States and exemplifies one of those men. Yes, we have many other issues but who we elect will determine the face and direction this country goes in. You may think, "you're young, what do you know?" Well, my generation is the one who has to live with the repercussions of the vote either way. (Look at Britain and "Brexit") If Trump is elected, I fear for the nation and world itself. We need to move forward. We are a "progressive nation" aren't we? It's time we need to start acting like it.
