An Open Letter to the Women of America Who Still Support Donald Trump

Politics Features Donald Trump
An Open Letter to the Women of America Who Still Support Donald Trump

Dear lady Trump voters,

Let’s talk. I get that you’re pissed. You hate Hillary, you hate Obama, and think this country has become far too secular. You and I will never agree on policy, and that’s okay. So let’s talk about common decency instead.

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” – Matthew 7:12

Whether religious or not, this is the code we all strive to live by. We have an unspoken societal contract to treat others as we would like to be treated. We hold doors open because we appreciate it when others do it for us. We teach our children to say please and thank you because we understand basic manners are essential. Every day, the vast majority of us show kindness in either the words we say or the actions we take, because that’s how humanity behaves. We even look down on other cultures sometimes, believing they should live by American values, because America has become the moral authority of the world.

So what happens when morality and policy don’t converge? When a politician comes along and espouses ideas that you agree with, but is morally bankrupt? Well, we stand at a crossroads. We must begin to prioritize our love of country with our love of mankind.

One of Donald Trump’s greatest appeals is that he “tells it like it is.” He’s a straight talker that says what he means and means what he says. When he states that he’s going to build a wall and Mexico is going to pay for it, it’s bought hook, line, and sinker. You back his charges of Hillary’s alleged corruption without needing any more proof than Trump’s word. His accusations of Bill Clinton’s sexual deviance from twenty plus years ago is gospel, despite Clinton having never been convicted. However, when it comes to Trump confessing to sexual assault on tape, he was just “being a man.” That’s how men talk. Despite always meaning what he says, he didn’t mean this.

We are at a place now where Trump’s language disparaging women has become commonplace. We know about “fat pig,” “blood coming out of her eyes,” Heid Klum no longer a ten, and the endless sexual comments about his own daughter. He’s written about his philandering during the Vietnam War, and it has become common, undisputed knowledge that he cheated on his first wife, Ivana, with his second wife Marla Maples. When asked by Howard Stern if he treated women with respect, he said, “I can’t say that either.”

The common line to excuse this behavior is that he wasn’t considering running for President yet—that he was a private citizen. This is wrong in so many ways. In 1987, he toyed with running for President when promoting The Art of the Deal. Again in 2000, he bounced around the idea of running on the Reform Party ticket. And yes, he was a private citizen, but he was also a celebrity. The same kind of celebrity as Colin Kaepernick, who incurred your wrath when he wouldn’t stand for the national anthem. The same kind of celebrity as the Dixie Chicks, whose CDs were burned by Republicans when they disparaged George W. Bush. And on a completely bizarre level, there was a Republican meltdown on Twitter when Bradley Cooper, who played GOP hero Chris Kyle, was spotted at the 2016 DNC. If every other celebrity is expected to live up to code, then so should Trump.

Trump is running to be the president of the United States of America. Not only the most powerful job in the nation, and arguably the world, but also the most visible. His words do matter. Not just what he says about ISIS and the tax code, but how he speaks of the citizenry he wants to represent. Yes, represent.

When I see Trump, I don’t see a man that represents all of America. I don’t see a man who even represents 50 percent of America. Again, this is not about policy, but simply because of his refusal to treat over half of the population with respect.

“I’m automatically attracted to beautiful. I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. I just kiss, I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything — grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.”

Reread that quote and then think of the men in your life. Do they say this? If your husband or your son said this, would you let it stand? What about your faith leader? If he stood at the pulpit and said these words, would you continue to follow his lead? If a young man who was dating your daughter said this in front of you, would you let it slide? Of course not. If you said yes, you’re lying to yourself. Had Obama said that, the GOP would have begun impeachment proceedings immediately.

So let’s just admit it—you are excusing this horrendous and criminal behavior because you hate Hillary. That’s fine, I’m no fan either, but I do know this situation is far bigger than the two candidates. Everything Trump espouses as he devalues any woman that dare challenge him—or smears every woman that has come forward to confirm Trump did to them what he openly admitted to a sleazy television host—resonates with both the girls and boys in the country. He’s teaching girls that they’re worthless unless he deems them beautiful. His multiple affairs and wives shows that he finds women to be expendable. His vile rhetoric against his accusers tells every sexual violence survivor that she is not to be believed. He also teaches boys these same values. That it’s okay to cheat, to degrade, and to “grab them by the pussy.”

Again, look at your children, or think of the children you plan to have: Is this the example you want set for them? I believe that you and I are alike here—we want better. We deserve better. They deserve better.

I cannot tell you who to vote for, but I can tell you that you cannot claim the moral high ground if you vote for Trump. The party of family values, who puts God before country, is putting their hate of a woman over personal and national integrity. If we’re voting, then we share a sense of duty to that country. When you walk into that voting booth, think about what you’d accept as conduct for dating your daughter. Think about the character you want to see displayed in your pastor. If Trump cannot be hired as a Sunday school teacher, then he damn well shouldn’t be president of the United States.

Share Tweet Submit Pin