The president is the type of man that exploits, abuses, and manipulates others to meet his own ends. (Note: yes some abusers are women, however the majority are men) This type of man is an abuser; abusers may appear different on the outside, but the basic behaviors are the same. It is just the façade that differs. Abusers want power and control. They don’t care who is harmed, so long as they get what they want. They lie, coerce, gaslight, sexually assault, emotionally abuse, physically abuse, manipulate, and financially control others. The abuser minimizes, denies, blames, and vilifies others to detract from their own transgressions. This is behavior that our President publicly demonstrates on a regular basis.
My background of working with survivors of domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual assault means my knowledge comes from experience. Many of my clients are recovering from being exploited, abused and/or sexually assaulted by this type of man. There are people who have had their PTSD triggered every day since campaigning began in the summer of 2016 because of their exposure to Trump's behavior. This type of behavior is not leadership, it is abuse. Because of his behavior, and the Republican Party's willingness to enable him, Trump's presidency had allowed other perpetrators to feel they have permission to exploit, manipulate and abuse. His behavior legitimizes their behavior. The President has undermined the lifework of all service professionals, including myself and my husband, who work with survivors of violence and abuse.
This is not normal. This is not okay. This is not like any other president in my lifetime, even though we have had some deeply flawed presidents who made very poor decisions (sex with an intern, for example). I know some people voted for him as an attempt to make changes to the politics they were tired of. However, the changes that need to be made cannot be done at the hands of an abuser. He was not the answer then and he is not the answer now.
I endeavor to be flexible and inclusive of different ideas, philosophies, and policies. However, I draw a definite line at abusive behavior. The President’s abusive behavior is unacceptable and a vote for him is a vote to condone abuse. It demonstrates support for an individual who violates every value I was raised with and strive to apply to my life’s work, personally and professionally. Put more simply, he is an abuser, and a vote for him means you are siding with an abuser. I always side with the victims. It breaks my heart that so many I love and hold dear have fallen prey to this man and his abusive tactics. I hope for better for all of us.
A note to the reader: I have primarily been unaffiliated with any political party. I aligned with the Democratic party this year so that I could vote in the primaries and hopefully nominate a candidate with a broader appeal, not because I consider myself a Democrat. My values typically align with more progressive policies, but I have voted for a variety of political parties and will continue to do so, depending on the issues at hand. So, this is not a Democrat vs. Republican stance.
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