Former nude model and current First Lady, Melania Trump, seemed to be an innocent victim of Donald Trump's narcissism, gross stupidity, and overall bigotry. Whenever she looked absolutely disgusted while in his presence, or snatched her hand away from his grasp, a little ping shot through my heart. "Poor Melania," I would think to myself.
Melania Trump Hates Holding Donald's HandSource
Her lack of warmth and adoration for her husband always seemed to be an indicator that she hated him, and I automatically equated that to her hating his political views. I mean, what is there to love about a misogynist and racist? I silently rooted for her, hoping that one day she would divorce him, take all of his money, and write a tell-all book with photos and audio tapes to match.
It seems like my hopes for her will never be realized, as it appears that Melania is just as ignorant and offensive as her husband.
A few months ago, Melania was spotted wearing a jacket that said, "I really don't care. Do U?" on her trip to the US-Mexico border, where she visited an immigrant's children shelter.
Really, bitch?
You know, I really want to be fair and give her the benefit of the doubt, but the shade is too damn dark for us to excuse her actions. I mean, what grown adult lacks the discernment needed to realize that wearing that was a bad idea? Out of all of the jackets in her wardrobe (and I know she has a lot, she's rich for Christ's sake), that was the one she wanted to wear on that particular occasion? With all of the tension rising up in the country in regards to immigration, especially how it relates to the separation of families and the abhorrent living conditions women and children are subjected to in detention centers, she thought it would be appropriate to wear a jacket that said IDGAF during her one interaction with Mexican immigrants?
She's bold.
Recently, she was spotted wearing a pith helmet during her trip to Nairobi, Kenya.
OK, one time is a coincidence, two times is on purpose.
For those of you who are unaware, pith helmets are a common sign of colonialism. They were frequently worn by European colonial officials, soldiers, and explorers during the 19th century.
Yes, colonialism. That thing that centered around the political, economic, and social domination of other countries by Western nations, leading to the death of thousands of natives, the adulteration of Eastern culture, and the stripping of precious natural resources that left both the land and people barren while Western nations profited.
I don't even want to hear the bullshit excuse about her not knowing the significance of the pith hat. If people on Twitter know the history of the helmet, she should too! It's about time that we stop excusing people's ignorance. We live in a digital age, an age where we have tons of information at our fingertips. As the first lady, it's literally her duty to conduct herself with elegance, grace, and to have the people's best interests at heart. I don't think it's classy or helpful to American society for her to claim that she doesn't care about kids being locked in cages in detention centers, or about the brutal history of colonialism that her hat signifies.
When confronted about her offensive attire, Melania responded with "focus on what I do, not what I wear."
You know what she should be doing instead of pretending that she's dense and doesn't understand the cultural context of her clothing? She should be speaking out against the disgusting words and actions of her husband and his entire cabinet. Melania claims that she "supports women," but that they should "show the evidence" when accusing men of sexual assault.
Oh, right, because I'm sure that all victims of sexual assault have convincing evidence at their disposal. They should've recorded their rapes, am I right? Hell, they should've kept the used condom.
Her ignorance and lack of moral judgment are absolutely abhorrent. Not only because she is the first lady, but just because she is a woman in general. In this country, there's been a history of privileged, White women upholding the systems that cripple other communities, while they get to sit back and remain unaffected. 53% of white women actually voted for Trump... The same guy that professed he grabs women by the pussy and who has been accused of sexual assault by multiple women.
Early feminists rarely cared about issues affecting Black women and other minorities, while some even wanted to cling on to patriarchal and oppressive institutions. The truth of the matter is, that while all women are affected by sexism and misogyny, white women have a leg up compared to the rest of us. In our society that is plagued with other social issues such as racism and xenophobia, white women remain protected under White supremacy.
That's how it's possible for a 14-year-old boy to be beaten and killed simply because a white woman accused him of flirting with her (which later turned out to be a lie). That's how it's possible for white women to make 20 cents more to the dollar than Latinas for the same work. That's how it's possible for dumbasses like Tomi Lahren to endorse Trump and his ignorant views, even though they harm women. They just harm white women a little less.
I didn't write this to criticize white women. After all, it's not their fault they're white. But it's time we start holding every bigot accountable, even those we consider our sister.
Melania, you know exactly what you're doing... And it's pretty damn disappointing.
