Misogyny Hurts All of Us

It comes as no surprise to anyone that Donald J. Trump is a misogynist. With recent recordings of him bragging about sexual assault once again as if he's God's gift to women, there is more than enough proof (there was way before this but ok) to give him this title. And normally, I'm able to distance myself from the horror because I have no intention of voting for this guy and almost every single person I know feels the same way as I do. But for many reasons today, all the crazy made it through my filters and I am genuinely, palpably upset. His statements don't shock me. In fact, I'm sad to admit that when I heard them, I wasn't even all that offended. Not because what he said isn't offensive, but because it's something I've heard before and his voice is typically the worst and loudest in the crowd. I don't put a lot of stock in anything he has to say, especially about me. 

The thing that really upsets me is that no one gives a fuck that this man is who he is. I know that's not true. There are so many people, myself included, who would rather surrender their citizenship than make this guy our leader. And yet, there seems to be no way to knock this guy off the evangelical, conservative pedestal, half of the population be damned. How is it that we don't have a problem with a candidate for presidency who brags about assaulting women? I just don't get it. What makes it personal is that I am in the process of raising two future women and he could be their president. He could be the man they grow up remembering. Giving speeches, representing them, showing them what it means to be an American - I can't handle it. Macy's 8 and Penny's 3. If he's elected and has 2 terms, he will be the leader of their nation until they're 16 and 11, respectively. That is an incredibly formative time in their lives. 

And I know, that just reading this far, someone has brushed him off again because there are people who are worse. There are men who are more sick, more proud, more shocking. And there are women who do horrible things too. I get it. But what does it say about us that we can only justify our vote when we compare our candidates to relatively evil people? I want my children's president to hold his/her head high, show them what leadership, compromise, stewardship and diplomacy look like. I want my children to be proud to be Americans, to work to make this place better than it is now - more tolerant, more diverse, more fair, more stable. Why is it that we don't see a bright future for ourselves? I want a brighter future - for me and for my daughters. I want more. And you should too.