Character is how you act when no one is watching

Danny Kilrea, Copy Editor

Leaked comments from the Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump were released in a 2005 recording including lewd comments about women. His dialogue has caused many key Republicans to drop their endorsements and even call for the RNC to lawyer up and attempt to switch the party’s candidate.

“I’m automatically attracted to beautiful [women]—I just start kissing them,” Trump said to Billy Bush, of then Access Hollywood, while a microphone was inadvertently recording their conversation. “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 [female genitals]. You can do anything.”

An unusual feature from Trump was apologizing for the act right away. An excuse, however, was included in his apology.

“This was locker room banter, a private conversation that took place many years ago,” Trump said to The Washington Post. “Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course—not even close. I apologize if anyone was offended.”

Trump’s comments were far from locker room talk and were completely offensive and unforgivable. No man who speaks of women in this regard should never be allowed to be leader of the free world.

I am in a locker room every single day after school. I hear talk about upcoming practice, reflection on competitions over the weekend, jokes from the school day and questions about classes. I have never heard any offensive comments regarding women, or anyone. What Trump said is not acceptable anywhere, even in a locker room.

If Mr. Trump anticipates on being President of the United States, he must act like it. Offending about half the nation will not allow him to accomplish anything in his term. Setting politics aside, Trump’s comments were indecent to humanity. Speaking of someone like that is vulgar, disgusting and should be words that never are spoken, especially by a person that is tied for first in the polls to hold the highest political office in the world. Dismissing the comments because they were 11 years ago is also a ridiculous notion. Mr. Trump was 59 when he said these comments. He was not young and foolish and knew exactly what he was saying.

Someone who is in contention for the presidency should be a role model for young children to look up to and should be someone who imposes American values onto these young children. The comments Mr. Trump said do the opposite. They teach young girls that they are subordinate to men and they teach young boys that they can treat women however they like. Both of these messages are dangerous and Mr. Trump showed he can not be the person our children look to as a role model.

Mistake after mistake, I still found myself supporting Donald Trump in hopes that he would carry out the Republican Party values if elected. This, however, was the final straw. Someone who says comments so disgusting regarding women should not step foot inside the White House but belong in a room with white walls surrounding it.