"Just kiss. I don't even wait. And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything." This was a quote from the now infamous video from 2005 of Republican candidate Donald Trump and then "Access Hollywood" host Billy Bush talking about the women they see from inside the tour bus that was taking Trump to the set of "Days of Our Lives" for his guest cameo on the soap opera.
Now, what he was saying was extremely demeaning to women, that I do not contest. What he was describing was that women were just objects for his pleasure. Their bodies had no autonomy, and they could just be fondled and invaded with no consequences. That silver spoon was so far down his throat that he actually believed that he was invincible, and therefore, his morally abhorrent words and alleged actions reflect this mentality. The worst part about it is that at the second presidential debate, Trump tried to explain it away by saying it was just "locker room talk." He said the world would be embarrassed by what they see, but he seemed to ignore what his words and alleged actions would make fellow Americans feel.
In a speech that First Lady Michelle Obama gave in response to Trump's admission of "locker room talk," she said that this being in the headlines is making it seem like it's "just politics as usual." She went on to say that a society is judged based on how it treats its females, and that point made me pause. We want to talk about how Trump's words make it seem like women and girls are not valued, but that is already happening, and it certainly isn't anything new.
The documentary "Miss Representation" was based on how women and girls are undervalued and how agencies in this country have contributed to young girls feeling insecure about their bodies through the media. It showed that while America boasts itself to be the beacon of freedom, so few women have been in government. In supposed oppressive countries, there have been more women as heads of state or in government to date. So when we treat Trump like he's just an isolated incident is wrong. That's like saying because Barack Obama became the president, then that means we are in a "post-racial" society. The speech, while it was very influential and just overall amazing (because Michelle Obama is amazing), sold the notion that once America votes in Hillary Clinton as the next president of the United States, sexism would be over. That couldn't be farther from the truth.
America was based on misogyny. Women from its inception were not afforded the same rights as men. Women were always seen as second-class citizens. When the Declaration of Independence was written, "all men are created equal" was the famous line that literally meant all men. Fast forward to the present and technically, women are still not equal to men due to the Equal Rights Amendment not getting the necessary 38 states for ratification in the 1970s.
Let me be clear, what Donald Trump said about what he allegedly does to women is deplorable, especially from a man who is so close to winning the presidency. I believe that indeed women should unite to stop this menace. Hillary Clinton is more than capable of being president. But to try to construct Trump as being the one who is the force that oppresses women in America and that Hillary Clinton is our salvation is false. Trump is just the personification of sexism in America. But just like the mythical creature the Hydra, defeating him will not defeat sexism, because there are more Donald Trumps in this world.
We need to tackle sexism through legislation. More women need to be included in government because for far too long, our government has been looked at through an older, white, heterosexual male lens. We need to change how females are portrayed in the media to reflect that women come in all different shapes and sizes and that they aren't just confined to certain occupations. Hillary Clinton is a symbol that women can be leaders. Even if she does lose the election (heaven forbid), her extensive political career is proof enough that women can do anything.
