#Repealthe19th!!!!!

Election day is less than two weeks away, thus resulting in some possible terrifying changes for America. The outcome of this election season has uncovered sexism in America, for the second time. Every second, every minute, every hour, every day, we are closer to electing the next president of the United States; this time our next president could be a woman! This is monumental for females, but it definitely has not been without major setbacks. Unlike past elections, this one leaves the candidates under the microscope. Four years ago when Obama re-ran for office, I watched it on the TV, on CNN and Fox News. This time around, I’ve watched each and every step that Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have taken through the eyes of social media and the opinions of others. High school seniors, particularly girls, who happen to be avid Twitter users and at least 18 years old, get to witness the election through the website and pick who they will vote for this election. Not only are these students interacting with Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, but they interact with those who support or protest in response. With the endless possibilities of trending topics found on Twitter, sexism is ever present in the 140 character thoughts of Twitter users, directly reproducing sexism in real life.

On October 8, a tape was released that features Donald Trump bragging in vulgar terms about kissing, groping and trying to have sex with women during a 2005 conversation with Billy Bush. Trump supporters don’t believe this is sexual assault but rather harmless joking words. One Air Academy Trump supporter, a female, stated, “I’m not worried because those are words. Am I upset he said them? Yes. But words are words. And actions speak louder than words. So to me, it is more concerning that Hillary Clinton made it her mission to destroy Bill Clinton’s rape victims than it is that Trump spoke of vulgar things. Do I think he shouldn’t have said them? Absolutely. But have I heard far worse to my face and around the Air Academy halls? Yes.” She seems to not be too concerned, as words are just words. Should a confession, as such heard in the video from 2005, be enough to convict Donald Trump of sexual assault?

Other Air Academy students would think so. Junior Maddie McLuskey says, “I think that America has made great strides in how women are treated and the fact that people are willing to elect a man who sets back the treatment of women by years is disappointing. It’s not just locker room talk, it’s the man that our country could potentially elect as president speaking in a disgusting and illegal manner towards women! People have daughters and sisters and mothers, and I can’t imagine them hearing this and thinking that this man would make a good leader.” Maddie isn’t about to walk into her future knowing that her president doesn’t aspire to keep women safe within America. Even boys at Air Academy have realized this danger. Micah Wilborn said, “Misogynistic presidential candidate Donald Trump, whose campaign was originally mistaken for a publicity stunt, is an unfortunate picture of a man who has not and will not ever treat women with respect. His presidency would be a terrifying affair for any woman, as he sees women as opportunities of exploitation more than the equal beings they are. The words he has spoken about women, including his own daughter, reflect a sexist and disrespectful man, one who never has been and never will be fit to lead a sensible group of people, let alone the people of America.”

The sexism does not end at lewd language and possible sexual assault. Trump’s supporters have gone as far to trend #RepealThe19th on Twitter. Apparently, a woman’s  right to have a say in the government of the country they stay loyal to is not appropriate. The polls, as of October 19th, show Hillary Clinton leading over Trump 47% to 40%. The #RepealThe19th trend was a result of FiveThirtyEight’s release of polls based on gender. If only men could vote, Trump would top Clinton in the electoral college 350 votes to 188. Many women tweeted in response, “men should never have given women the right to vote #RepealThe19th,” as well as, “I would be willing to give up my right to vote to make this happen”—a woman’s right that she earned almost 150 years due to the publication of Declaration of Independence.  A woman’s place is in the kitchen, not the voting booth, right?