“He is a gentleman, and I am a gentleman's daughter. So far we are equal.”
~Jane Austen in Pride and Prejudice
This happens to be one of the worst weeks for a presidential candidate in recent history. It should be obvious to most readers that I'm referring to Donald Drumpf. He is a polarizing man, which in itself may not be a good thing for a divided country. As a candidate for the highest seat in the country, many will look at his political qualifications and personal qualities. Politically, he does not have much to go by except his words. Unfortunately, his words seem to damn him more than anything. It also doesn't help that he flip-flops on issues more than John Kerry (What's his stance on abortion again?).
The candidate's character is another quality a voter can investigate. In this case, it is arguably worse than his political inadequacies. Specifically, his misogynistic tendency may be his biggest flaw. His leaked comments to Billy Bush, which I am purposefully omitting, is what bothered me the most. It bothers me an incredible amount because it validates sexist behavior. This article is more for men who don't get why sexism and misogyny can be dangerous, not Donald Drumpf's moral bankruptcy. I'm simply using Drumpf as an example of the broader issue of sexism in our country.
It's safe to say Drumpf's behavior only validates the devaluing of women. This can only lead to a dangerous situation. For example, my mom's ex-husband was an abusive alcoholic. The booze was a smoke screen for something deeper. It revealed what was already in his heart: insecurity. Should we be surprised when an insecure alcoholic puts his hands on his wife or girlfriend?
Can you imagine how a woman feels about her self-worth when a man treats her sub-human?
It angers me that my mom went through such a horrible relationship, but I also feel pity for her ex-husband for not dealing with his personal flaws. Many men follow Drumpf's example and wave off sexist remarks as "locker room talk." However, if a man wants to feel empowered, why not combat sexism? One of my biggest pet peeves is hearing men belittle their wives or girlfriends. Honestly, I also give my female friends a hard time when they bad mouth their husband or boyfriend. It is generally not helpful and leads to more negative feelings about the respective spouse. It is a behavior that is very close to my heart. From the day my wife and I got married, I made a vow that I would not bad mouth her to other people. I may not be perfect, but I try to be cognizant of the way I speak about her. Too many men I encounter prefer to bash their wives and mock them using stereotypical language.
Instead of devaluing her, why don't you grab her by the hand? In our current postmodern world, I don't believe either sex is honestly looking for partiality. We all just want equality. We have biologic and genetic differences, but in the end, we want love and respect. We just want to walk hand-in-hand across the land and spread a little light in the darkness.
