Remember the old saying boys will be boys? It seems like it was the answer to every single problem that involves boys. We live in a world where a million reasons and explanations can be said about women and the problems they have or caused, but the one answer to all boys problems and logical explanation to their heinous acts is the fact that they are "just being boys."
But what if those same boys grew up to be men? Men who have money? Men who have wealth? men who have power? men who are able to become president in spite of how unqualified they are? Does that old statement still apply? Are they still just being boys?
In the light of recent events, Trump has been under fire for having a history of sexual violation of several female associates that have worked for him or have simply came in contact with him from decades ago. In one interview, where he was confronted with using an inappropriate word for the female organ, he states that his use of the word "P***y" was simple "locker room talk." To quickly define what locker room talk is, it is another code for "boys talk." It is not limited to the locker room. This "locker room talk" can take place in a location that is strictly male-dominated and services male clientele like barbershops, Gentleman's clubs, sports bars, or even the old-fashioned "man cave" and bachelor's pads. As a result of this "locker room talk", every single victim that has stepped forward and confessed that Trump has violated them faced the exact same type of criticism from Trump of being undesirable or unattractive to where Trump has literally stated for one of the victims that "If I wanted her, I could've got her easily." To make matters worse, they are the ones who are more criticized and shunned by this society than Trump ever will truly be.
With these allegations from Trump and the horror stories of every single victim that has confessed against trump, we must question this locker room talk. It has come down to this. The locker room talk has turned into a hall pass for saying the most misogynistic, sexist, and even racist comments about women without consequence. Are we as society should just accept the fact that men need a moment in time to express some of the most hateful and disgusting thoughts about women and promote something so vile as rape?
The greatest audacity to this whole incident is not the fact that Trump has said this. At this point, anything goes when it comes to Trump and his mouth. No, the true audacity is that there are men and sadly even women who would support Trump regardless of these factual confessions against him. The responses to those who are challenging Trump are along the lines of "get over it", "it's just words" "you should be grateful that he even did that to you", or "why are you bringing up the past". By saying all this, these people are reinforcing the long dated statement of "boys will be boys" to ridiculous levels.
A good friend has told me that what Trump did was not a mistake, but a choice. A choice that was poorly made. A choice that devastated lives. A choice that should not be taken lightly. How does he get reprimanded? More Publicity to fuel his campaign, thus giving him leverage to this already confusing election. This choice has been made by several people before him and most of them were reprimanded just the same. They were publicized and romanticized as some tragic hero who has made a wrong choice, but has a chance to reclaim their life. Simultaneously, they directly or indirectly blame the victim for "allowing" it to happen. The victimization of a person that was damaged by the person who chose to sexually assault them is the end result. Review the Brock Turner case and find the similarities in how Turner was treated versus his victim. We as a society should begin, if we not have done so, question and actually hold people like Trump and his supporters accountable for saying such atrocious words that can lead to even more atrocious actions. If we fail continuously to hold these people accountable, people like the victim to the Brock Turner assault from this past summer will continue to live in perpetual fear, discontent, and brokenness. To those that continue to support this behavior and those that participate in the "locker room talk" Imagine that feeling of fear, discontent, and brokenness befalling on your mother, grandmother
,sister, aunt, or especially your daughter. Is a whole different sensation if it involves your family. One would be angry and ready to defend them at all cost. One would demand justice done to the victimizer by being punished for committing such a heinous crime. How come that same feeling does not apply to the victims of Trump's assaults? Brock Turner's victim? Any victim of sexual assaults that leave the victimizer unpunished? How long will we continue to allow "locker room talk" to flourish from a private post into a public pandemonium?
In conclusion, the locker room needs to be shut down permanently, metaphorically speaking. It is time to hold those who believe in being misogynistic and Heinous and have made THE choice, not mistake, to cause harm to another human being accountable for their actions. Let us teach these boys to become responsible and respectful men, because boys CANNOT and SHOULD NOT be allowed to run a country that has 5% of the entire world population.