Judge tosses Stormy Daniels defamation suit against Trump
Adult film star told to pay the president's legal fees; Josh Holmes, Matt Bennett and Brian Brenberg debate the optics of the decision.
After a federal judge dismissed adult film actress Stormy Daniels’ defamation suit against him, President Trump tweeted Tuesday: "Great, now I can go after Horseface and her 3rd rate lawyer in the Great State of Texas."
What an eloquent comment by the president of the United States about the woman who says she had an extramarital affair with him – a claim he vehemently denied.
I could go on about how President Trump’s tweet wasn’t professional, presidential or mature. It’s certainly not leading by example. And it’s yet another sad example of how insulting tweets like this have become the new normal.
But as a woman, I can’t help but be saddened by how this is a sign that our society is going backward in how it views us.
Women are being pushed back into a world that judges us only on our outsides – how we look. Although we make up the majority of the population in the U.S. and worldwide, we are treated all too often as second-class citizens.
Despite the #MeToo movement and over 4 million women marching with the Women’s March around the world, have we really come a long way, baby?
I fear not.
Years back while on my way to work I had to walk by a construction site. I dreaded the daily catcalls and comments about my physical appearance from the construction workers. I felt paralyzed and powerless. And I felt scrutinized by these men.
Then it was catcalls on the street; now it’s insults on Twitter.
Yet as most women know, we are our own worst critics when it comes to our physical appearance.
As a mother, I’m trying to teach my 11-year-old son to be kind and not to judge girls by their physical appearance. I’m also trying to teach my 10-year-old daughter to work on her insides; to be a good person, to cultivate her mind.
And living in Los Angeles, I am trying to further teach my daughter to love herself – even if she isn’t a Size 2 when she grows up.
I can’t tell you how many comments I get each time I’m on television telling me not to eat another bite of Haagen Daz. And it’s not just in Hollywood among the Kardashian clan; we’ve seen it in politics.
Hillary Clinton; House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif; and unsuccessful GOP presidential candidate Carly Fiorina have all had their faces criticized. Former first lady Michelle Obama was criticized for her arms.
So how do we love and value ourselves when we hear not only our president criticize Stormy Daniels; but when it’s become not only so common – but so acceptable – to criticize women based on our appearance!
Where’s the outrage? Among Congress, the media and women across the country?
I believe this is one of the reasons a woman has never become president of the United States. And it’s one reason why women are only 5 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs.
Judging our worth by our physical appearance keeps women down, preventing us from rising to the levels we not only aspire to, but deserve to reach.
How can we “Be Best,” as first lady Melania Trump puts it, when we judge each other so harshly based on our looks?
Ladies, until we fight and push back against such comments and behavior, we will continue to be viewed and treated as a second-class minority – even though we’re really the majority.
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