Photo courtesy of Michael Vadon, Wikipedia
The title of Mr. or Mrs. President definitely comes with its perks. Flying aboard Air Force One, being protected around the clock by Secret Service agents and living in that big white house are just some of them. But these bonuses come only to the person that embodies the fundamental ideals of the American people and vows to carry out the duties of Commander in Chief of the United States of America.
This presidential race, branded as the choice between the lesser of two evils, continues to throw curveballs at undecided voters. Whether it’s the latest revelation in Hillary Clinton’s private email scandal or the recent absurdity of Donald Trump’s comments, the culmination of these bizarre instances throughout this election season has made it all the more difficult for American citizens to choose who to stand with on Nov. 8.
Yet the emergence of a leaked video where Trump uses vulgar language to describe women has raised more questions about whether he is fit to become the president. First obtained by The Washington Post, the 2005 video recorded a conversation of Trump, then host of “The Apprentice,” and Billy Bush, then host of “Access Hollywood,” in which the former uses lewd language against women and justifies his lustfulness by saying he’s famous.
The surfacing of this video stirred anger amongst Americans, with even Trump supporters questioning their loyalty. Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House, reacted to the video by disinviting Trump to a rally in Wisconsin that weekend. Other politicians released statements with similar sentiments condemning Trump’s language that left a bitter taste in their mouth, especially for those with a strong presence of females in their lives.
However, in the shocking moments following the release of the video, few people recognized that the language used by Trump is not just degrading to women, but also to humanity.
“The Trump tape shouldn’t offend you on behalf of females, it should offend you as a human,” criticized Trevor Noah, host of "The Daily Show."
While the public has become accustomed to the uncensored language used by Trump throughout his campaign, it seems like this particular set of comments have struck a cord with people. Of course, supporters are quick to defend him by saying that the remarks were made 11 year ago. But what would stop him from treating other women, including heads of state such as Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel or former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, just the same?
Complementary to the requirements outlined in the United States Constitution, a president must satisfy the expectations of his or her constituents: the American people. He or she should possess characteristics such as compassion, respect and loyalty that will shine the spotlight on America. The president should be honest, understanding, persistent and hard working.
In contrast to this ideal president, Trump stands nowhere close and keeps going farther from it every day. With his recent video scandal, he has proved yet again that he is not the person we want representing our country domestically or globally. While his fiery and aggressive attitude may seem appropriate for pushing things along in the White House, it’s actually what would stop him from passing new legislation and bettering the lives of the American people. Rather than working with congressmen to fix pivotal issues affecting Americans, Trump would insist on spending money on building a wall along the nation’s borders and hiring a prosecutor to put Clinton in jail.
While no president is close to perfect, it’s clear that Trump is nowhere on that spectrum. Clinton’s past is just as riddled with scandals and controversy, but she has one thing that strengthens her campaign – experience. Trump comes to the table with a history of hosting and owning a multimillion-dollar company that has filed for bankruptcy too many times. Clinton, however, has worked with the American people as former first lady, senator and secretary of state.
This November, the American people cannot afford to not vote or even vote for someone who has no sense of humanity. The lack of respect not just toward women but also toward Hispanics, Muslims, blacks and people of all races and religions demonstrates Trump’s inability to run a nation that prides itself on being a melting pot of all cultures.
mladha@ramapo.edu
