This letter is not coming from a Democrat or a Republican, but simply from a female, in response to Donald Trump’s commentary on females.
With the election upon us, we are forced to take a look at our country, who will run it and what we as a nation will become. I understand that our choices for the next President of the United States are not necessarily the best, but let’s just step away from the political, financial and economical points for a minute and reflect on humanity. Yes, you guessed it, I’m referring to Hillary Clinton’s jab at Donald Trump in the first debate last week.
Clinton set up many traps for Trump to fall into, and inevitably he did, but the one that stuck out most to me were his comments on females. Clinton brought up the fact that Trump has previously called women: “pigs, slobs, and dogs, and someone who has said pregnancy is an inconvenience to employers" (here is the proof.) Trump “has said women don't deserve equal pay unless they do as good a job as men and one of the worst things he said was about a woman in a beauty contest, he loves beauty contests, supporting them and hanging around them. And he called this woman Miss Piggy. Then he called her Miss Housekeeping because she was Latina. Donald she has a name." In response to this, Trump simply asked “where’d you find that?” -- if you don’t believe me, watch the clips again.
Now I am not writing this article to bash Donald Trump and outright support Hillary Clinton, but to simply address one part of the debate that I, a female, have opened my eyes and taken much offense to.
Although I am one to look into the background of things before I make a decision on them, I had no idea that Trump’s sexism dated back so far. One of the first noted sexist quotes from Trump was in the 1990s when he belittled his wife saying to Vanity Fair: “I would never buy Ivana any decent jewels or pictures. Why give her negotiable assets?” Now sure, women don’t need to be given tangible things to be happy, but really?
In 1991 when he was married to Melina, he made a comment belittling women again: "You know, it doesn't really matter what [they] write as long as you've got a young and beautiful piece of ass." If this doesn’t say something then I don’t know what will. Donald Trump blatantly criticized women, his wife in particular, by saying that intellectual ideas and works don’t necessarily matter, but if they have a nice body then it does. Is that how we want the minds of young women and girls to grow up feeling?
Trump has been noted for calling women “gold diggers, tramps, dogs, ugly, fat” and much more. He has notably called Angelina Jolie “not beautiful”, Anne Hathaway a “gold digger”, pointed out Cher’s imperfections, called Heidi Kulum “fat” (let's be real here), insulted his rival, Carly Fiorina, calling her fat and not a pretty face for America and let's not forget his multiple slams against Rosie O’Donnell. And, of course, the now famous comment from Hillary Clinton about former Miss USA Alicia Machado.
He has also claimed that if Hillary Clinton cannot satisfy her husband, how can she satisfy America? This one really got me. He couldn’t even give his opposing candidate a little respect.
Aside from Donald Trump’s comments referring to famous women, Trump has made comments about some women “making good wives," blaming sexual assault on the idea that men and women just can’t live together, and calling breastfeeding disgusting and abortion “punishable." First off, what makes a woman a “good wife?" Second, how can you blame sexual assault on males and females not being able to live together? It’s been happening since the beginning of time. Third, this is almost as bad as saying pregnancy is an “inconvenience.” Mr. Trump, is that what you would've called your mother’s pregnancy too or just everyone else’s?
Now I understand that anyone could criticize me for writing this article or claim that this is all falsified, but it's not difficult to find a source. Yes, Donald Trump most likely has said nicer things about the female race, and yes, he very well could be a pleasant, woman-supporting man and be whatever people make him out to be; but how much can people support a man who doesn’t support all of us?
You can bring out the “oh, Americans are too sensitive now-a-days." Yes... Many of us probably are, but excuse me for being sensitive about subjects involving females like myself. No woman deserves to be treated like they are lesser than men. We are not in the 20th century anymore. Females have come a long way to be where they are today, and everyone should, in one way or another, acknowledge and respect that.
If you have a child, know a young girl or boy, or let’s even pretend you have a child tomorrow: would you really want them to be belittled as they grow? Would it be acceptable for little boys to be encouraged to look at their female or even male peers as an object? Is it okay for little girls (and boys) to think that they are dogs, gold diggers, ugly, and can only be really seen if they have a nice body? To me, this sort of behavior is not okay and should not be condoned or accepted by our population, despite your political viewpoint.
Let’s look at the bigger picture: Ethics. Let us take a look at our candidates as a whole, not just from one aspect.
As a college sophomore who will be approaching new obstacles in her life within these next four years, I can honestly say that I will not accept the messages and ideas on females Trump conveys. I refuse to be belittled, as a female, and led to believe that I cannot live up to a man’s standard in the intellectual, physical, professional or any type of department he chooses to make commentary about.
I understand that this commercial is extremely biased, but please take a look at Hillary Clinton’s newest campaign video, it really gives an idea as to what we are dealing with:
