The 2016 presidential election race will go down in history books for several reasons, some good and some bad. For example, the democratic nominee is former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, the first woman to be nominated for a major political party. This election will also be known for the fact that the GOP candidate, Donald Trump, is the most offensive, crudest, and Twitter-happy nominee the nation has ever seen.
What we are faced with on Tuesday, November 8th when the country will vote, is a nominee who has, for decades, been a champion of civil rights, dedicated to improving our education system, advancing reproductive freedom, and worked closely with our presidents to implement measures that increase national security. On the opposite side of the ballot we have Mr. Trump; a former businessman/real estate mogul with no prior political experience who openly discriminates against Muslims, Hispanics, people with disabilities, and women. Time and time again he has made outrageous comments about each of the aforementioned groups as well as revealing that he has a dangerous temper that is likely to lead to rash decisions.
Let’s take a look at one aspect of both candidates’ history: their views and actions that affect women. Hillary has a 100% rating from NARAL (National Abortion Rights Action League) and has been endorsed by Planned Parenthood for her commitment to ensuring a woman’s right to choose. She has consistently voted in favor of countless bills that will further equal rights between women and men. A Clinton presidency, she has assured us, will nominate a Supreme Court Justice to fill the 9th spot on the court that is pro-choice and will uphold the ruling of the landmark reproductive rights case Roe v. Wade.
Adversely, Donald Trump used to own a series of beauty pageants such as Miss USA and Miss Universe; an entity whose inherent purpose is to pit women against each other and choose a winner based on their looks. Interestingly, Trump is no longer the owner of these pageants because NBC refused to air the events after he made offensive remarks about immigrants. Later, several former pageant contestants came forward about lewd and downright mean comments Trump made about their bodies. One in particular was Miss Universe winner Alicia Machado who Trump referred to as “Miss Piggy” and an “eating machine”. He has absolutely no respect for women and he has no shame in it. Just recently, a video came out of Donald Trump where he is bragging to friends of his about his unwanted sexual advances on women and how he can get away with it because he is rich. Let that sink in for a moment: the person who is running to be the President of the United States, is on record bragging about sexual assault.
It is a phenomenon ( and a real-life nightmare) that he has gotten as far as he has in this election, but some say it is due to the endorsements he’s received and running mate he chose that truly landed him a spot on the general election ballot. His vice president pick, Mike Pence, is the governor of Indiana and possibly the most anti-choice politician in the country. He once tried to redefine the definition of ‘rape’ to further limit a woman who has suffered such a tragedy from having an abortion.
Furthermore, both Trump and Pence vow to nominate an anti-choice justice to the Supreme Court because they both believe that women cannot make their own decisions about their bodies. Trump has even stated that women who get abortions should have “some kind of punishment”.
This should be more than enough evidence for all the women out there that a Trump presidency will only hurt women, not help them. He is out to undo the hard work of millions of women who have fought for equal treatment in the workplace, in the military, and in school; and for reproductive freedom. Don’t let him bring us down!