“Important” is defined by Mirriam-Webster dictionary, as “having serious meaning or worth, deserving or requiring serious attention”. So when Donald Trump responded to concerns about the tape at tonight’s debate with, “We should move onto… more important things,” I was shocked.
By this definition and Trump’s use of the word, sexual assault is not significant enough to be addressed in debate. Trump avoided his comments on the tape, which he calls “locker room talk”, by downplaying sexual assault and saying that we, as a country, should be more focused on what he considers to be more serious issues. Excuse me, more important issues. And although the violence he mentioned is an issue that needs to be addressed, it doesn’t make sexual assault less important. If you are wondering about the role of sexual assault in the United States, check out these statistics I found, courtesy of Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network.
- Every 109 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted.
- Over 60,000 of American children experience sexual assault or abuse every year.
- One in six American women are survivors of attempted or completed rape.
Do sexual assault prevention and awareness organizations deserve resources in order to continue their work? Yes.
Do sexual assault survivors deserve support? Yes.
Is sexual assault the only problem in America? No.
But in my humble opinion, Mr. Trump, it’s pretty damn important.