Mr. Trump, many people have attempted to discredit your claim that you do not discriminate.
Many people have pointed to your tweets to point out the things you have said about women.
They have pulled up videos of your rallies to show how you discriminate against ethnicities other than your own and even the disabled. Despite this, you continuously deny their claims.
During the final presidential debate, you even said, “No one respects women more than I do.” I would like to do something different than simply deny this claim.
Instead, I would like to paint a picture of what this world would really look like.
A world where no one respects women more than you do is one I am utterly terrified of.
In this world, there is no one I can turn to if I have the horrific experience of being groped on a bus ride or late at night in an alleyway. You have yet to apologize for your statements in the 2005 video where you overtly claim you assault women, so I would have to infer this is acceptable behavior in this world.
In this world, my future daughters are called “pigs” and “ugly” instead of “intelligent” and “strong.”
They will become teenagers and be reduced to a list of body parts that men are openly allowed to objectify.
They will see you on TV, saying there is no way you could have assaulted a woman, because, ”believe me, she would not be my first choice, that I can tell you.”
After this, Mr. Trump, by your own words, I would have to tell my daughters that you, actually, respect women most of all.
This would be the bar that is set for how to treat women.
In this world, anyone who wishes may insult my physical appearance in a masked attempt to insult my identity as a woman. When a woman thinks that her looks matter more than her talents, accomplishments or character, she is being set up for less than she deserves.
If this is an acceptable attitude, not only will society undervalue her, but she will also undervalue herself.
I sadly can assure you most women have felt bad about their appearance at some point, even before someone called them ugly. This is a problem that should be fixed, not reinforced. But according to your words, in your world, this is not a problem.
Mr. Trump, I do not wish to live in your world, and I will not apologize for it.
In the world I really live in, I can count so many men who have respected me more than you.
I can also look back in our history and realize how lucky I am that so many amazing figures have helped pave the way for where women are today.
Resilient, intelligent, brave women fought for years to create the world which I really do live, the world where I am not property, where I am encouraged to know that I have more to give than my appearance, and where men are not allowed to kiss me and touch me without my consent.
Your words are not merely commentary on social issues, but are attacks on identities.
I am a woman, and Mr. Trump, you have not respected me.
sdloughr@indiana.edu
