Lead by example, teach respect

Liz Stephens, Columnist

There is currently a Buzzfeed article being shared on Facebook that shows how a student at Clatsop Community College in Oregon created photographs of quotes from our president on women’s bodies.

One of the photos has a woman in only her underwear on her knees with Trump’s quote “Must be a pretty picture. You dropping to your knees,” written on her back.

I fail to comprehend how mothers and fathers could elect a man who will only strengthen the rape culture their daughters and sons will experience by objectifying women on a national level.

I have realized that we are a “one-track mind” society and a lot of parents probably did not think of the daughter they were holding while watching the elections when casting their vote.

As a sexual assault and rape survivor, how comfortable Trump is with referring to women as a “young and beautiful piece of ass,” worries me.

In all seriousness, men and boys of various ages will look up to Trump for how to act as an individual.

Those of us who are thoroughly not impressed with Trump have to be cautious that there are men who see Trump as perfect and powerful and will probably have no problem justifying every word and action from him.

I cannot expect people to have the same ethical and moral values as my family and I, and hope others will recognize that this may be a problem.

It worries me that these young boys who are in an influential stage of their lives will not be corrected by their parents and have the potential to become the men who assault, harass and rape women.

We have enough people in our society who do not respect each other. This often results in rape, harassment and assault and we do not need an increase in the amount of these individuals.

We live in a society where there are flaws in how mothers and fathers are teaching their children to respect each other as an individual and sexually.

Young women are being taught by their mothers to hide their sexuality, dress basically like nuns to avoid assault or rape, and to always carry pepper spray wherever they go “in case something happens.”

I have yet to hear a story from a college guy who needed to take precautions to not get raped, assaulted or harassed before he went out with his boys on a Saturday night.

The discussion of men and women respecting each other needs to be started at a young age.

If elementary students can be taught about sexual education, I believe they should be educated about sexual assault, rape and harassment because of the situations they could get themselves put in by participating in sexual behavior.

Granted sexual assault can happen no matter what and is never appropriate, but society is evolving and younger girls are engaging in riskier behavior at a younger age.

It may make for a temporarily awkward conversation similar to the “sex talk,” but making it clear to young boys and girls that the rape culture in our society needs eliminated should be prevalent in every household.

Liz Stephens is a junior journalism major. She can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].