There is NO excuse for Trump's Remarks. None. Zero.

So naive Krystle thought, yesterday, that Trump's joking about sexually assaulting women was the worst of it. I mean, in a reasonable world - even for someone who supports Trump - the response would have to be 'Come on, dude. That is not cool. You have a serious problem with women.' Well, thankfully I did get that response from some Trump Supporters, though, admittedly, these were not enthusiastic supporters to begin with. But the response from many was more disturbing than anything Trump said. Let's go over a few points just to clarify some things for everyone. 1. This is not about Bill or Hillary Clinton. We can and should have a conversation about Bill Clinton's treatment of women and sexual assault allegations. But they do not excuse Trump's remarks. You cannot pretend to be morally outraged by Bill Clinton and then turn around and use him as an excuse for why Trump's comments, which were advocating sexual assault, are no big deal. You see, this is why politics is off the rails. No one will dare turn a critical eye to their own candidate. Just as Democrats refuse to talk about Hillary Clinton's many troubling characteristics and policies, Trump supporters refuse to admit they picked a bad candidate who says terrible things and has no respect for anyone but himself. And so, both sides blindly march on, ignoring the faults of their candidate, in this bloodbath election until someone wins. Only problem is, the entire country loses when we don't have people with the ability to be objective choosing who runs the country. 2. This is not 'locker room banter'. Or should I say, if this is locker room banter, rape culture is worse than any of us feared. Do I expect men (or women) to be perfect angels who never objectify others in private? No. Of course not. We've all said things like 'I'd hit that' or 'he could get it' or 'Daaaam, look at that rack!' This is 'locker room banter'. Things like 'I can do whatever I want to them,' or 'I just grab them by the pussy' are the 'locker room banter' of rapists. This is not normal. This is not just objectifying a person you find attractive, this is joking about violating her consent and autonomy because you feel that your wealth or status makes you entitled and that 'she'll let you do it'. If this is your locker room banter, I don't want you alone in a room with me or any other women. 3. 'She lets you do it.' An extension of rape culture, this idea that he's off the hook for groping women because they 'let him' is troubling in the extreme. First of all, how do we know they let him? We take his word for it, but do you think he'd ever admit he tries this with women and they rebuff him? Not the narcissistic baby man. But forgetting that it is statistically unlikely that he has been warmly received by every woman he's groped, the idea that he's entitled to do it because she didn't stop him sets a dangerous precedent.

The fact is, he is a powerful man and he does hold a lot of careers in his hands. So, when he assaults a woman she might feel uncomfortable stopping him. That does not mean she's asking for it or that she's consenting. Being alone in the room with Donald Trump should not put you at risk of being groped. He doesn't have a right to touch you until you stop him. He doesn't have a right to touch you at all - not until you give him affirmative permission to do so. You know, men around the interwebs constantly laugh about feminists saying 'teach men not to rape' but it sounds, based on the response of Trump supporters, that we very much do need a crash course lesson in what consent is. Hint: Consent is not the absence of a 'no'.

 4. Irony of Rape Culture denial. What is really interesting here is that everything from Trump's comments, to Billy Bush's acceptance of them, to the excuse-making on behalf his supporters is a vivid, technicolor picture of rape culture.

 Thinking it's okay to touch people because of your status: check
Assuming that if she doesn't say 'no' you are in the clear: check
Spreading this mentality to other men: check
Shifting the blame to imply 'all men' do this: check
'Boys will be boys': check Blaming the women who 'put themselves in that position': check Thinking a Presidential Candidate with this attitude about women is nbd: check I leave you with a question I asked a Trump supporter which he, to his credit, admitted he could not answer: How would you explain these comments to your daughter? How would you want your daughter to be treated if she were alone in a room with Donald Trump? How would you want your daughter to be talked about in the 'locker room'? Sadly, we still need to use the 'what if it was your (fill in the blank)' to get through to some people.