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The Deplorable Elephant in the Locker Room
Townhall.com ^ | October 11, 2016 | Kimberly Corban

Posted on 10/11/2016 4:42:13 PM PDT by Kaslin

Let’s cut to the chase—this has become the worst presidential election this country has ever seen.

My brief reprieve from the election spending time with family in the Rocky Mountains this past weekend was short lived. Upon my return Sunday, I found out the political world had exploded.

I read about the leaked audio of Donald Trump and Billy Bush coupled with the condemnation and calls to drop out of the presidential race, but I waited to actually watch the video. And when I finally did, I was appalled—disgusted, yet sadly not surprised.

You see, I’m used to this kind of rhetoric—from bartending amidst drunken patrons in college, to a former relationship with a morally bankrupt individual, this isn’t worth my time crying over. And my guess is that sadly, most other women are used to this kind of talk too. We grow up learning to deflect unwanted sexual advances and are constantly bombarded with projections of worth based solely on our looks instead of our minds. This is not news to us, it’s just normal.

So when I say I was not shocked by Donald Trump’s use of the “P” word, I mean it. I had actually come to expect that kind of language. What sickened me was the word “grab.” He isn’t talking about “sex” on that recording. He is talking about power—his power. The hallmark of assault is an exercise by the perpetrator of power and control, and that is what he was describing.

It was the final tipping point for me. Faced with that kind of evidence, my failing to speak up would just condone this type of magniloquence, and that is not advocating for victims—my personal mission since day one.

The presidential nominee’s comments and vulgar dialogue were truly deplorable. No man—or human being, should ever think grabbing anyone, ANYWHERE without consent is acceptable.  Period. And if you cannot understand that concept, we seriously need to have a talk. I don’t care how much money, talent, fame, or power you think you have, unless you have consent, you have nothing.

Furthermore, this was not “locker-room talk,” it is a gleaming example of rape culture. “Locker-room talk” is about bodily functions and bowel movements, not assault. Objectification of women, though not respectable, is still “locker-room talk.” Unchecked admissions of sexual assault are not. Need I continue?

Chalking his braggadocios conversation up to “locker room talk” and simply saying he regrets his words is NOT an apology, it’s an excuse. And quite frankly, an apology is nothing more than words if you continue the same exploitative behavior.

But let’s talk about exploitative behavior a little more. Don’t think that this is an isolated event because it has proliferated our country and found its way to the top of our presidential tickets. Hillary Clinton, in ways fit only for a “House-of-Cards” portrayal of a criminal’s rise to political power, is just as evil in her own unique way. We have seen her excuse her own husband’s assaults not by remaining a loyal partner, but by degrading and intimidating his victims. You can’t run for public office claiming to champion women if you don’t practice what you preach and start by believing (a pillar now absent from her campaign website).

If not for money, power, and political fame, both of these people would be held to a far different standard, likely in a court of law.

I have been struggling the same way many of you out there have been with who to support. Neither candidate represents the type of person or party I want carrying my banner.

With the Supreme Court at stake, I do not want a president like Hillary Clinton looking to fill those vacant seats with justices more concerned with their own judicial activism and popular opinion than they are with doing their jobs and interpreting the constitution as it was written. These are the types of decisions that will impact all of our lives on a day-to-day basis in this country.

My personal principles are not guided by my politics, but rather my politics are guided by my personal principles. I have always remained unabashed in advocating for victims of crime and everyone’s human right to defend themselves. But right now, those two convictions are in the national spotlight, seemingly pitted against one another.

If you truly want to make a change with less than a month until election day, do whatever you wish with the top of the ticket. But you can also join me in focusing on races that will help ensure the next President of the United States remains in check. The House and Senate have never been more crucial to protecting our constitutional rights than they are now. And if you want to make a change after the election, hold others in your life to the same standards as you currently hold these candidates.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: donaldtrump
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1 posted on 10/11/2016 4:42:13 PM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

You’re just begging for a ZOT, aren’t you?


2 posted on 10/11/2016 4:46:39 PM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: Kaslin
And when I finally did, I was appalled—disgusted, yet sadly not surprised.

Yet Another Lying Skank For Hillary.

3 posted on 10/11/2016 4:48:47 PM PDT by Talisker (One who commands, must obey.)
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To: Kaslin

Oh blah blah blah. Move along Kaslin and quit your gloating.


4 posted on 10/11/2016 4:49:32 PM PDT by Robert DeLong
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To: Kaslin

I like a guy who fights and Trump showed in the second debate that he is a fighter. His threat to keep bringing in the female victims of the Clinton’s in response to more “smelling salt” revelations of the drive by media is a good idea, too.


5 posted on 10/11/2016 4:52:00 PM PDT by Stepan12 (go)
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To: Kaslin

He does not say without consent—


6 posted on 10/11/2016 4:53:20 PM PDT by freespirit2012
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To: Kaslin
What sickened me was the word “grab.” He isn’t talking about “sex” on that recording. He is talking about power—his power. The hallmark of assault is an exercise by the perpetrator of power and control, and that is what he was describing.

No, the hallmark of an assault is lack of consent. Since the words "they let you" modified the word "grab" it was the hallmark of consensual sexual favors by a groupie to a celebrity. Trump was a playboy and a Democrat at the time. With the same kind of faults of many other playboy Democrats.

Common decency and honesty precludes accusing a playboy Democrat of "assault" for consensual contact. Even if the Democrat playboy becomes a Republican Presidential candidate years later.

7 posted on 10/11/2016 4:55:46 PM PDT by AndyTheBear (Hating Islam is the natural consequence of caring about people in the Middle East, including Muslims)
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To: freespirit2012

Indeed. And he actually said they “let you” which means consent.


8 posted on 10/11/2016 4:56:32 PM PDT by AndyTheBear (Hating Islam is the natural consequence of caring about people in the Middle East, including Muslims)
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To: Kaslin
this has become the worst presidential election this country has ever seen.

They misspelled "best".

9 posted on 10/11/2016 4:57:31 PM PDT by ClearCase_guy (Abortion is what slavery was: immoral but not illegal. Not yet.)
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To: Kaslin

Sluts use their sexuality to get undeserving jobs and promotions over qualified men. Yet when it is pointed out, they cry sexism and harassment.


10 posted on 10/11/2016 4:58:09 PM PDT by sagar
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To: Kaslin

More Salem\Town Hall #NeverTrump BS


11 posted on 10/11/2016 4:58:15 PM PDT by Phil DiBasquette
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To: AndyTheBear

And he was being absolutely silly they were laughing and giggling he was not serious.


12 posted on 10/11/2016 4:59:02 PM PDT by Williams (The (republican) party is over.)
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To: Kaslin
When I read this, I just think about what it would it would have been like trying to support Bush today, had he become the nominee.

It almost gives me sympathy for Democrats.
Almost...

Screw Townhall. Retards!

13 posted on 10/11/2016 5:02:17 PM PDT by right way right (May we remain sober over mere men, for God really is our one and only true hope.)
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To: Kaslin
Yet another example of leftist propagandists generating a fake interpretation of what Trump said. Ms. Corban conveniently overlooks that Trump said women "let" men with star power grab them in a particular way. To put it bluntly, he's not talking about grabbing women who don't consent to that kind of sexual activity, he's talking about the fact that there are women who are willing to engage is sexual activity with men who have "star" power.

Feminists hate to admit it, but there are plenty of women who seek out and enjoy having casual sex with powerful and wealthy men. Monica Lewinsky is one example, the thousands of young women who have headed backstage after rock concerts are another. And the thousands of women who reportedly had sex with Warren Beatty, Dennis Rodman,Simon Cowell, and Jack Nicholson are yet another example.

Anyone who has ever worked backstage at rock and roll concerts has seen women lined up to have the opportunity to let a rock star grab them and more.

14 posted on 10/11/2016 5:07:13 PM PDT by freeandfreezing
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To: Williams

Trump was basically describing striking out and making fun of himself.

Not assault.

“Better put some ice on that” is assault.


15 posted on 10/11/2016 5:07:30 PM PDT by right way right (May we remain sober over mere men, for God really is our one and only true hope.)
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To: Kaslin

Let’s cut to the chase - There is only ONE choice this election and it is Donald Trump. WAYYYYYY better choice then the criminal Hillary.


16 posted on 10/11/2016 5:10:55 PM PDT by IVAXMAN
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To: Kaslin
Maybe Wallace was just exasperated and desperate to get something interesting going. I think it's more likely that he planned it out well ahead of time and cleared it with his producers before he ever opened his mouth. In any case, at one point Wallace asked Cutler to comment on a Newsweek report on what Jordan and Clinton talked about when the two of them were out playing golf together, good old heart-to-heart buddies that they were. Jordan, it seems, had been very direct.

"Jordan said, quote 'We talk pussy,'" Wallace reported. Actually he said, "We talk pu____," because the network bleeped half the word "pussy." But pussy is one of those words that you don't have to be a professional lip reader to know when someone is saying, so Wallace and Cutler and CBS News all knew that all we viewers knew that pussy is very much what grandfatherly Mike Wallace had said.

Now, Lloyd Cutler is about as professional at being Mr. Cool as a person can get, which is why he was the guy representing the White House on 60 Minutes. Cutler didn't lose his composure in the least, but you could tell that Wallace had surprised him, how this wasn't a word he was expecting to travel from Wallace's mouth to his ears during a national television interview.

He shrugged it off with a little smile, saying only that Jordan and Clinton could talk about whatever they wanted to while playing golf. "If they have a certain amount of locker room banter,or tell jokes to one another, who among us can cast the first stone? You and I will tell one another jokes. That's talking pussy." (Bleeped again.) The message was fundamental and clear: Regular sexy guys talk about pussy. Jordan and Clinton are regular sexy guys. Therefore it's not the least surprising or improper for Jordan and Clinton to talk pussy when they're together.

"What could be more natural?" Cutler was implicitly asking, and of course he's right. But being natural about sex is hardly the established American way, so it felt decidedly unnatural, or at least unusual, to hear Mike Wallace and Lloyd Cutler talking pussy so supposedly naturally right there in the middle of 60 Minutes (tick, tick, tick, tick).

LINK
17 posted on 10/11/2016 5:16:01 PM PDT by BansheeBill
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To: Kaslin

Well.

I hope you’re happy.

Now I have to repeat this ugly incident one more time.

Let me take a couple of calming breaths.........

OK.

Some of you men may want to stop reading.

Once.....a girl....a girl called me....well....she called me a dick!

I was crushed.

I ran home to my Mom and told her that the mean girl had called me a dick.

“Well”, she said. “You are one. You take after your Dad. Everyone says you’re a dick. Grandma says we should have named you Richard.”

Cruel, cruel world.


18 posted on 10/11/2016 5:16:59 PM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: BansheeBill
Working link: LINK
19 posted on 10/11/2016 5:20:15 PM PDT by BansheeBill
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To: Kaslin

I don’t think I’ve ever seen any election that was more fun.


20 posted on 10/11/2016 5:21:33 PM PDT by Vermont Lt (Brace. Brace. Brace. Heads down. Do not look up.)
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