Michelle Obama: The First Lady’s Speech
It is cruel. It’s frightening. And the truth is, it hurts. It hurts. It’s like that sick, sinking feeling you get when you’re walking down the street minding your own business and some guy yells out vulgar words about your body. Or when you see that guy at work that stands just a little too close, stares a little too long, and makes you feel uncomfortable in your own skin.
It’s that feeling of terror and violation that too many women have felt when someone has grabbed them, or forced himself on them and they’ve said no but he didn’t listen — something that we know happens on college campuses and countless other places every single day. It reminds us of stories we heard from our mothers and grandmothers about how, back in their day, the boss could say and do whatever he pleased to the women in the office, and even though they worked so hard, jumped over every hurdle to prove themselves, it was never enough.
We thought all of that was ancient history, didn’t we? And so many have worked for so many years to end this kind of violence and abuse and disrespect, but here we are in 2016 and we’re hearing these exact same things every day on the campaign trail. We are drowning in it. And all of us are doing what women have always done: We’re trying to keep our heads above water, just trying to get through it, trying to pretend like this doesn’t really bother us maybe because we think that admitting how much it hurts makes us as women look weak.
And I know it’s a campaign, but this isn’t about politics. It’s about basic human decency. It’s about right and wrong. And we simply cannot endure this, or expose our children to this any longer — not for another minute, and let alone for four years. Now is the time for all of us to stand up and say enough is enough. This has got to stop right now.
Because consider this: If all of this is painful to us as grown women, what do you think this is doing to our children? What message are our little girls hearing about who they should look like, how they should act? What lessons are they learning about their value as professionals, as human beings, about their dreams and aspirations? And how is this affecting men and boys in this country? Because I can tell you that the men in my life do not talk about women like this. And I know that my family is not unusual
And to dismiss this as everyday locker-room talk is an insult to decent men everywhere.
The men that you and I know don’t treat women this way. They are loving fathers who are sickened by the thought of their daughters being exposed to this kind of vicious language about women. They are husbands and brothers and sons who don’t tolerate women being treated and demeaned and disrespected. And like us, these men are worried about the impact this election is having on our boys who are looking for role models of what it means to be a man.
Is this supposed to be an article about Michelle Obama or Donald Trump? There was nothing spiritual based about this piece. It should’ve been approached delicately with balance and objectivity, otherwise you’re no different than those you’re attempting to slam. This was agenda driven using one specific presidential nominee as the reason for the current state of humanity.
What you’re experiencing with the presidential nominees, including Hillary Clinton as well as Donald Trump, is behavior that exists throughout the U.S. This is regardless if Hillary and Donald were running to begin with. They are BOTH merely mirrors of the current state of America. Don’t put it all on their shoulders as to the reason people are behaving the way they are. I grew up amongst children that were talking like this, so this is nothing new. Stop blaming it all on Donald Trump. Whether he becomes President or not, the bullying will continue on as it has been, because you keep pointing the finger at the wrong source.
There are millions of people in the United States alone who are responsible for the bullying anti-everything behavior you speak of. It is not all on Donald and Hillary’s shoulders. They are merely behaving like the rest of the public. Change starts individually. It starts with the parents and the schools educating their children and enacting strict discipline immediately on those that bully.
Donald Trump had a private conversation with another man that I’ve heard countless other men have with other men. If you’re really thinking this is something new, then you need to get out more. I’m not saying the conversation was okay, but it was a private conversation that was stolen and blasted on the internet. It was also a conversation made over a decade ago. I doubt you’ve spent your entire life never mentioning one potentially offensive phrase. The difference between Donald Trump and these other men who have been in the White House such as Bill Clinton is that Donald doesn’t hide it the way they do. That’s why you think this is new. Because you’ve been duped by these other men who behave this way in private. All I’m saying is call out the real sources. By calling on Donald Trump, it says that you’ve succumbed to the gossip instead of doing your research.
If anyone has ever uttered anything negative about either Donald or Hillary whether on their social media pages or to a friend or whoever, then they are part of the problem. Call them out. Don’t use Donald Trump as the reason for the bullying anti-negative rhetoric, because that’s been going on for ages. Don’t assume or be blinded to the truth that this is something new. If you assume that, then that means you fell into the dark hole of the media hype and gossip of the masses. You need to take a step back to gain some clarity. Also, why wait eight years to feature Michelle Obama? It’s not like she granted an interview.
There wasn’t a tone of spirituality for me when reading this, but if Michelle
Obama was trying to send a message of such, as in unity as a country,
her and her husband failed miserably at unifying us as a people, and we
are more divided than ever. Very disappointed that more light wasn’t cast
on what could be done, instead it seemed more like finger pointing.