Donald Trump. What can I say about him that hasn’t already been said? I could resign myself to the fact that anyone planning to vote for him won’t change their mind, no matter how passionate my argument. Or, in a last-ditch effort to summon every ounce of this country’s human decency, I can ask how we can justify electing someone to represent the United States of America who repeatedly shows his ignorance and disrespect toward minorities and the marginalized segments of our society.
Since the launch of his campaign, Trump has repeatedly shown his ignorance and disrespect regarding the issues facing many of the groups that make up this country. I too laughed off what he was saying, thinking he was a joke, but that has changed. We are now past the point of laughing it off and we need to realize that what he’s saying isn’t a joke. It’s time to ask yourself if this man – a man with no morals, no respect or human decency, a man who is so cavalier and thoughtless with his words and actions – is who we want to lead this country.
Although he’s denied almost every offensive comment he’s made during, and even before, his campaign, he can’t take back all of the appalling things he’s said. And really, that’s the difference between Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton. When you Google “Hilary Clinton”, the search results are things that are being said about her. When you Google “Donald Trump”, the results are all things he’s said.
So that’s what I did. I actually Googled “Donald Trump” and, well, I may have broken the Internet. Article after article was filled with negative text about him and his campaign. Trump has said numerous times that this election is rigged and that the media is intentionally making him look bad, but really, the media is just reporting the horrible things he has said. So in fact, it is Donald being his own worst enemy.
I can’t speak for everyone, but in my opinion, his most abhorrent offense is when he mocked a reporter with a disability. At a rally, Trump waved his arms, mocking the disability of New York Times reporter Serge Kovaleski. Trump was talking about comments made by the reporter at the time he moved his arms and bent his hands mockingly. In the last debate he denied this when it was mentioned by Clinton, as he always does, by whispering ‘wrong’ in regards to whatever statement is being called into question. As someone with a physical disability that in no way affects my thinking ability, I take this very personally. When I first heard about this incident, I thought, “There’s no way someone could be that cruel.” When I saw the video, I was appalled. The reporter, Kovaleski, made a name for himself despite his disability, which, trust me, isn’t easy. Then, Trump with one thoughtless act of ignorance attempted to humiliate him by focusing on his physical presence, rather that applauding his professional accomplishment and his overcoming the challenges life has put in front of him. Ignorance like this spreads like wildfire and will only grow in presence of people like Trump.
Then there are all the degrading remarks he’s made about women, and most recently, the women who have accused him of sexual assault. During the final debate on October 19th, Trump said he thought that these women we only looking for their “10 minutes of fame” (I believe the phrase is 15 minutes of fame, Donald) or trying to help Clinton’s campaign. He has now said that he is planning to sue these women who are coming forth. What kind of a man does that? What kind of a man, who self-reportedly has more respect for women than others, would sue his accusers for coming forth about being sexually assaulted? This is not a man who should be president. Sexual assaults are serious and it takes a lot for a victim of sexual assault to come forward. They could be coming forward now to bring awareness that this is not a man who should be in control of this country. They could be coming forward now because they’re finally able to talk about what happened and aren’t scared of repercussions. What I don’t think he realizes is that, even if these accusations were completely fabricated, his response says everything there is to say about his true character. He has basically said that some of these women are too unattractive to warrant his sexual advances – a defense yet again built upon attacking the integrity and physical appearance of women. He showed this attitude earlier in his campaign when he attacked his GOP opponent, Carly Fiorina, and his running mate, Clinton. A lot of people ignored the comments and excused his behavior, but why? Why, as women, as a society, are we willing to let Trump walk over everything we’ve been working towards?
There are lots of reasons Donald Trump shouldn’t be president, but of all of them, his ignorance and lack of respect are the most terrifying. As this election nears its end, we face one of the most emotionally charged elections in history. As a woman, and more specifically, a woman with a disability, I cannot imagine a world where any good can come of Donald Trump being president. Before you go cast your ballot this November, ask yourself if you are willing to let the identity of this beautiful nation be tarnished and corrupted by the hatred, ignorance and shameful nature of one man looking for nothing more than to fuel his own ego at the expense of the few.
