"I just start kissing them. It's like a magnet. Just kiss. I don't even wait. And when you're a star they let you do it. You can do anything,,,Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything."
- Donald Trump
On Election Day 2016, I was living alone in a room in East Los Angeles, separated from my family as I prepared for my run against Monica Garcia in the 2017 LAUSD School Board race. As the results trickled in, I fielded many calls from my wife, who became more panicked as the night wore on. I did my best to calm her down by explaining what data was not in yet and what to look for.
Eventually, it became clear that Clinton did not have a path forward. I called up my wife to let her know: "You can panic now."
The results on that night were shocking and left me numb. A month earlier the Access Hollywood tape had been released, exposing Trump as a misogynist who was bragging about sexually assaulting women. Somehow it had not hurt him and he was about to ascend to the country's highest office. The glass ceiling had been approached but Hillary Clinton was unable to break it. Male dominance of the presidency was safe for at least another four years.
While Trump excused his words as "locker room talk", we now know that it was more than empty boasting. A jury found that Trump slammed E. Jean Carroll "into the wall [and] pulled down her tights". While Carroll also alleged that Trump "penetrated her with his penis", the jury could only agree that she was violated with a body part. While this does not meet New York's legal definition of "rape," Judge Kaplan found that "Trump 'raped' [Carroll] as many people commonly understand the word 'rape.'"
Confirming his status as the Misogynist in Chief, Trump's blustery defense included the claim that even though, in a photo, he had confused his victim with his ex-wife, Carroll was not his "type". What type of woman does Trump prefer when he is looking to commit crimes against women? It does not seem like he is very discerning as since the 1970s he "has been accused of rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment, including non-consensual kissing or groping".
Knowing this information, the majority of the electorate still elected Trump to a second stint in the White House. With the experience of 2016 still fresh in my mind the result was not surprising, perhaps even expected. Without the protection of shock, I was instead overwhelmed with sadness. I also felt anxiety for marginalized populations, especially for women who must live with the fact that while we teach our children that anyone can grow up to become president, that is only true if they are born with a penis.
As I drove down the freeway the day after the election I was passed by a car adorned with multiple Trump flags celebrating the great "victory". The license plate read "GRB EM". Voters like this did not vote for Trump despite his misogyny; they worship him because of it.
While Americans have proven again that they are not ready for a female president, Biden has the ability to show them that a woman can do the job. When he stepped aside to let Harris run, he showed that he was willing to put his love of country over his personal needs. He must once again summon the courage to do what is right and resign the presidency making Kamala Harris the 47th president.
Admittedly, a move to make Harris the President for the lame-duck term would be mostly symbolic. However, that symbolism would be immensely important to girls who watched this election with the hope that they could see the glass ceiling broken. If he takes this action we can be honest when we tell our sons and daughters that anyone can be president. That is as long as they work hard enough and curry favor with the billionaires who fund our politicians.
The move would also play havoc with Trump's grift machine. All of the merchandise pre-ordered from China emblazoned with a "47" would suddenly become worthless.
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Carl Petersen is a parent advocate for public education, particularly for students with special education needs, who serves as the Education Chair for the Northridge East Neighborhood Council. As a Green Party candidate in LAUSD's District 2 School Board race, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action. Dr. Diane Ravitch has called him "a valiant fighter for public schools in Los Angeles." For links to his blogs, please visit www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own.
