I fear for your sons

I write this as Brett Kavanaugh was just confirmed to the Supreme Court. There’s no need to re-hash the battle over his nomination. It was ugly and I’m sick of it. Instead, I want to focus on a statement made by that bastion of rational thought, Donald Trump, Jr. Shortly after Christine Blasey Ford gave testimony before the Senate regarding her allegations that Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her, Trump Jr. gave an interview with DailyMailTV. In that interview, he stated he had both sons and daughters, and right now, he feared more for his sons.

He went on to explain that, because Dr. Ford’s allegations were obviously politically motivated, he feared that his his sons might fall victim to similar allegations at some point in the future. Presumably, he meant that his sons might become victims of a smear campaign that was calculated to derail their aspirations in business or politics or whatever. Since then, others have taken up the same line of reasoning.

You know what, Donald Jr? I fear for your sons, too. I fear for them, because they have you for a father.

I fear for them if they are raised in an environment that teaches them that, as rich white men, they are entitled to special treatment. I fear for them if they are taught that women are second-class citizens, and that it’s okay to “grab them by the pussy,” and their dear old grand-dad was overheard to say. I fear for them if they disrespect their wives or girlfriend or any women. I fear for them because they are going to grow up in a world that isn’t going to let them get away with it as easily as Brett Kavanaugh did. I fear for them if women all over this country decide they don’t want to be represented by misogynists any more, and if they are joined by the men who support them.

You know what? On second thought, I don’t fear for them. If they believe such things, then I hope they get what they deserve, and I hope you do, too, for teaching them. I’ll tell you what I do feel. I feel sorry for your daughters.

I fear for my own daughter, but my hope is stronger than my fear. My hope is that the world is actually changing for the better, in spite of the headlines. I have hope because young people are rejecting  the values of rich white men, whose strongest motivation is not morals or values, but greed and power. I have hope for her and others like her because her parents are teaching her that she is second to no one, that she deserves respect and she has a voice. I also hope that she becomes skilled in martial arts, so if some miserable bastard ever tries to hold her down against her will, she will beat the everloving shit out of him.