Allegations of sexual misconduct against men in power have been on the rise lately. Women generally shy away accusing their abuser especially if he holds a high rank in society as such an accusation is likely to be questioned. But because one woman was brave enough, many other women have found the courage to follow in her footsteps. It all began with Harvey Weinstein, and then Ben Affleck, Kevin Spacey and Tom Hiddleston, to name a few, have also been called out for their abuse of power.
All the allegations generated #metoo, which women everywhere have been using to tell their stories to showcase how much of an epidemic sexual assault is. However, this campaign and the allegations have not been limited to only instances in which women have suffered. Plenty of men, including James Van Der Beek and Anthony Rapp, have spoken out about situations they did not welcome. For so long sexual assault has been swept under the rug, and now, for once, it is being taken seriously as man after man is exposed.
But here’s the thing, no one is talking about President Trump. During his campaign, a plethora of women came forward with accusations of sexual assault. Even a video recording in which he bragged about committing such acts came out, and yet, no one seems to care. His words were dismissed as locker room talk and somehow people accepted that as an excuse. Americans were willing to overlook and justify his actions.
It has been reported that Trump’s accusers feel ignored, especially with all that has been going on. People should be just as outraged that our president is no different than the men they have been so quick to deem disgusting. The only way to truly resolve this issue is to show that not even our president can get away with it. Besides, it is shocking enough people were so willing to accept him as our president while being fully aware of such allegations against him. Trump said the women were lying, and somehow that was the end of the discussion. But the discussion really should have just begun.