"Men are now guilty until proven innocent."
President Trump hasn't always had the cleanest reputation for saying the most politically correct things. However, this time around, it's simply ironic.
With all the sexual assault allegations going around, you'd think he would express his support for women who are feeling more empowered than ever; women who are standing up for themselves and speak up against not only celebrities but everyone who has ever tried to silence them.
With movements like #MeToo going around you'd expect support, right?
Well, leave it to our President to play the victim card for men, demand that we all cut them some slack because they're essentially the only ones affected in this situation.
Now, don't you think it's a problem if so many men are being accused? It surely can't be because there are random women blaming random men and ruining their lives for fun. There is definitely an unaddressed issue deeply embedded in society that we must discuss if so many men have been getting away with assault for so long.
There is something embedded in women, and sexual assault survivors in general, that it was their fault.
Trump telling us to cut men a break isn't helping.
If it's so dangerous "to be a man" in America, then why are 90 percent of perpetrators of sexual violence against women are men and 93 percent of sexual violence against men is reported to be by men as well.
If it were truly dangerous to be a man, those numbers would reflect it. They evidently do not.
Understandably, men have been targeted, even wrongfully accused at times. Yes, men do get assaulted as well and yes women can be perpetrators as well, but numbers speak for themselves and the numbers are saying that there is something we are not talking about.
Men usually have a normalized sense of violence. It has been ingrained into their minds since the beginning of time. To most men, being "manly" is a way of life, something they're forced to understand and act upon since they were young. Some say this is the reason for the number of assaults committed by men being so high. To them, it simply seems like an appropriate response.
So, in my opinion, Trump needs to stop worrying so much about how dangerous it is to be a man, but ensure that men know how to make the United States a good place for everyone, not just themselves.
We all need to get educated.
A research study in 2004 stated that only about eight percent of education and prevention programs specifically cater to men. Now that is something to discuss. Instead of teaching women (or men) how to stay out of trouble there should be a way to ensure that men (or women) don't cause it.
All in all, Trump needs to watch his word choice.
It's not a scary time for men, it's a scary time for everyone in America.
We all need to get educated, informed and open-minded. It is time for a change in the way rape culture is discussed and dealt with.
It starts with the President.
