To the editor:
There are two words to describe Donald Trump, the 2024 Republican candidate for president -- "misogynistic bigot." If it's been a while since you've turned to a dictionary for precise meanings, here's what a simple online search will show you: "A misogynist is someone who hates, discriminates against, or shows prejudice toward women or girls. Misogyny is a type of sexism that has been practiced for thousands of years and can lead to women having a lower social status than men.
Some examples of misogynistic behavior include:
• Using derogatory remarks or sexist nicknames when talking about women or girls;
• Trying to control women's behavior; or
• Using intimidating or humiliating behavior to undermine a woman's self-confidence
Misogyny can also refer to social systems or environments where women are treated with hostility or hatred because they are women.
"A bigot is someone who is racist, fanatic and partisan. A bigot is a dogmatist, chauvinist and supremacist. A bigot is a person who is intolerant or prejudiced and who stubbornly adheres to their own opinions and prejudices.
Bigoted behavior is the behavior or beliefs of someone who is intolerant of people who have different opinions or beliefs. A bigot is someone who is unwilling to listen to people with different ideas or beliefs, and may treat members of a particular group, such as a racial or religious group, with hatred and intolerance."
The Republican presidential candidate for the 2024 election has clearly shown his propensity toward misogynistic bigotry during the past several decades. There is no need to dig up past proof to convince you of that. Just pay attention to the words that fall out of his mouth at each current campaign rally, interview, or online posting. Every day we are "treated" to further insight into what this "stable genius" thinks and how he intends to run the country.
Now, it might surprise you to learn that it is not my intention here to ask you to vote for a particular candidate in this election. I will not do that. I do want to remind you, however, that if you choose to support the Republican candidate, you will be seen as agreeing with his entire agenda. You will be supporting all of his ranting and raving, all of his vile, derogatory remarks. You cannot differentiate "economic issues" or "foreign policy issues" from the Republican candidate's incessant desecration of women and minorities. He is who he is in totality.
Therefore, if you vote for the misogynistic bigot in this upcoming election, you will be left to answer to your daughters and your granddaughters (or if you don't have children-- to your nieces and your neighbors), when they ask you, "What did you do to ensure my right to self-determination? What did you do to prove that you "love your neighbor as you love yourself" regardless of the color of their skin?
It's time for you to choose.
Make the decision you will be able to live with for the rest of your life.
Shirley Fisher-Ciancetta
Steubenville