FATHERS, BE GOOD TO YOUR DAUGHTERS

Trump surrogates and Trump himself are trying to defend his comments, where he brags about his history of sexually assaulting women, by arguing that other people have said this or worse, and therefore we should not let his words stop us from voting for him.

I am a father of two daughters. The brother of one sister. The ex-husband of one spouse. I have a mother. So I'm trying to imagine what I would say to any of them, or to anyone else, if I was a Trump supporter.

I can't say "other people have said worse." That would just make me look like an idiot. I have a friend who says we need spics to cut our lawns. I know someone who says black people are animals.

If either of these two wanted to represent this country, would I defend them by saying there are people who use the word 'nigger' or people who believe all Hispanic women are whores? Would I be able to use that defense in a discussion with a black friend, or a Hispanic relative? No. I would not.

How would I tell my daughter that it is okay to elect a man who brags about sexually assaulting women as his birthright? Because he's a 'star'?

Can I say, "oh, it was a long time ago. He's not like that now?' No, I can't. First, 2005 was not a long time ago. What it was, though, was a long time after the establishment of equal rights for women, and the passing of laws against sexual discrimination. 2005 was yesterday. And you only have to go back less than one week in the news, to see that Mr. Trump has not changed. Whether it is his fat shaming of Ms. Universe, or Monday's article about Trump asking male Apprentice contestants if they would fuck female Apprentice contestants.