In light of recent events, I thought I would share my opinion/the opinion of women across the country. Before the most recent controversial Donald Trump clip had been released, I was balanced in still having no idea who to vote for on November 8th, and to be honest, I’m still not entirely sure, but I am sure of the fact that this video has tipped a lot of scales in favor of Hillary Clinton. At least, according to the backlash from Twitter, the scales have tipped. Responses like the millions upon millions sent to author Kelly Oxford from women of all classes and races to the likes of Anna Kendrick and Robert De Niro have shown up all over, and I’d like to see how Trump plans to get himself out of this one. However, that is not the point.
The point is that what Donald Trump said is sexual assault, no matter how you swing it. It is certainly not “locker room banter,” as his apologists tried to play it off as. “You can do anything to women if you’re famous…I just grab her p****.” These fourteen words are what sparked the uproar. This presidential candidate has just basically admitted that he can do whatever he wants to women just because he is famous and has power. He has admitted to sexual assault in not as many words, but to put a title on it, that is what it is.
What hurts the most from these words, from a woman’s perspective, is that most of us have been sexually assaulted or will be at some point in our lives. No, not all of us have been or will be assaulted in the sense of rape as shown on crime shows or in the more publicized cases. There are so many things that women fear nowadays that they shouldn’t, especially because they are told sexual assault isn’t real if it isn’t what is glamorized. But it is. Two examples of women who tweeted their stories to Oxford, as mentioned earlier, include one being twelve at the time on a city bus where a man shoved his hand between her legs. The other is that of a woman being thirteen at the time she was kissed after saying no and forced to make out with the guy. Sexual assault doesn’t have to be brutal physically, but those two acts that may seem to just shake someone up has effects that last a lifetime. The anxiety, the constant worrying that you are being followed or watched, the inability to trust, it is all real.
By saying aloud this “locker room banter,” Trump is essentially saying that this is something that men converse about on a daily, friendly basis, and if that is true, Lord help our country. Perhaps many men think thoughts such as this daily, but does that mean they act on them? Does that mean they believe they are entitled to a woman’s body? To dehumanize her and disrespect her? No, unless you are famous, apparently. If you are a presidential candidate, if you are a Stanford swimmer, if you are a music producer (yes, I am talking about you Dr. Luke #FreeKe$ha), then you don’t have to follow the law. Does that make sense? It makes sense to someone who wants to be our next president. And let’s not forget, he blamed Clinton for the lewd banter, not even being enough of a man to take the blame. If he were to go to jail for sexual assault, the inmates would eat him alive.
It is something that nightmares are made of, what our country may become if this is not straightened out and a man who believes he can do whatever he wants is put into office. Who cares about women? Trump has made his opinions clear, and unless he’s got a very good explanation for this, I believe this will drastically affect his votes in the polls.
Think what you will, take this to heart or take it with a grain of salt, but come November 8th, vote. Do not be apathetic in this election, please.
There is one month left until the fateful Tuesday. One month for Trump to sort this out or not to. Your move, Donald.
