A Nasty Woman Responds

Published in ChicagoNow, October 20, 2016

I’ll claim the title. For the upcoming election, I’m Trump’s worst nightmare. A white, suburban “nasty woman” who can’t wait to vote for Hillary. Believe me, he wouldn’t want to grope me. I’m his age, a total turn-off. And I wouldn’t get close enough to let him touch me because I dislike him bigly.

The list of groups Trump has offended is HUGE, but some are extremely personal for me.

As the grandparent of children with special needs, I will never forgive him for mocking a reporter’s disability.
As a supporter and admirer of President Obama, I will never forgive his birtherism.
As the founder of a preschool dedicated to creating a diverse community, I will never forgive his racist attacks on Americans of Mexican and Muslim origin.
As the grandmother of two black boys, I will never forget his racist attitude toward African Americans.
As a woman who, like most women I know, has struggled with her weight, I will never forgive him for his treatment of Alicia Machado.
As an avid follower of news, I will never forgive his attacks on journalists.
As a woman from the same generation as Trump and Clinton, I will never forgive his attacks on Hillary’s stamina, health, and intelligence.
As a Jew, I will never forgive his subtle and not-so-subtle anti-Semitism.
As a woman, I will never forgive his remarks to Billy Bush, which were misogynistic and not how most men I know talk in locker rooms.
As the grandmother of two ten-year-old girls, I will never forgive him for leering at a child that age and predicting he would date her in the future.

Furthermore, how can we elect a President who says things so vulgar and offensive that I hope none of my grandkids hear them? In his speeches, he has said the F-word, the S-word, the A-word, BS, and too many other words my grandchildren know they are not allowed to say. Trump has teased too many people to count about their appearance, including saying of his former rival Carly Fiorina, “Look at that face,” and of New York Times columnist Gail Collins, she has “the face of a dog!” My children work hard to teach their kids kindness, respect, and civility. I’m guessing nobody bothered to teach Mr. Trump these things.

Election day, November 8, is my grandson’s fourth birthday. I know he wants dinosaurs and a plastic tiger. But the best gift I could give him is to have Hillary Clinton defeat this man who is no role model for him or for any of my grandkids. So, with pride and hope for a better future, this #NastyWoman is voting for the first female President of the United States.