Hillary Clinton recently visited my home state of North Carolina, but I was not in attendance. Although I should – according to the assumptions of some – be cheering on the first female presidential nominee in American history, I cannot cheer for her.
What should be a moment of triumph for all women is actually a great disappointment for us. And I am disheartened. There are many reasons why I believe she will find it difficult to rally other women around her campaign.
She has intimidated victims of sexual abuse into silence.
Hillary Clinton has stated that all victims of sexual abuse deserve to be “heard, believed, supported.” I wholeheartedly agree. Unfortunately, nothing undermines this message more than Hillary’s own actions.
For someone who claims to be a champion of these victims, you would think she would have a track record of actively defending them. But her track record is quite the opposite.
Sexual abuse victims should indeed be supported in their vulnerable state. But Clinton herself not only didn't 'hear, believe and support” the 10 – count ‘em, ten – women who have accused her husband of sexual assault and abuse. She instead actually intimidated many of them into silence and stood by their abuser, her husband. Pro-woman? Not at all.
She ferociously defended a child rapist in court.
As a lawyer, in order to defend her client, charged with raping a then-12-year-old girl, Clinton smeared the victim, saying she was “emotionally unstable with a tendency to seek out older men and engage in fantasizing.” The victim now has some strong words for how she was treated by Clinton in court: “Hillary Clinton took me through hell.”
She is on the front lines in defense of Planned Parenthood.
Hillary is one of Planned Parenthood’s biggest supporters. And the feeling is mutual. But the organization is hardly pro-woman. Despite what they’d like women to believe, the organization provides little health care and many abortions. In fact, Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards has herself stated that 86 percent of Planned Parenthood’s revenue comes from abortions. Furthermore, Planned Parenthood execs speak freely of their sale of human tissue retrieved from aborted babies. Anti-human and anti-woman, indeed.
She promotes the false narrative of pay inequality for women.
Hillary Clinton is an outspoken advocate for the Paycheck Fairness Act. Women, who can already sue if they are not paid equally, would not benefit from this legislation. The only individuals who do benefit are trial lawyers. Furthermore, the myth of the gender wage gap that requires government intervention is a dangerous one. Would Hillary have women believe we are still seen as “less than” men in the workforce? It is a false, harmful narrative. Women should not feel like victims of a wage gap that they cannot change. We are empowered to make the career decisions that will determine what we earn based on merit, not gender.
She lied to the mothers of Benghazi victims.
Hillary Clinton told them their sons were killed by random participants of a protest against an American-made, anti-Islam YouTube video. This was an outright lie, as we now know from her own emails immediately following the attack. Hillary knowingly lied to the mothers of our fallen, for her own gain. She showed complete disdain for their loss and the sacrifice of their sons. Appalling.
I am not automatically compelled to vote for another woman just because of my gender. And I find that assumption insulting to my intelligence and my values.
In fact, any reasonable pro-woman woman will likely find it very difficult to support Hillary Clinton.