“You don’t have to be a husband or a father to hear what we heard just a few days ago and say, ‘that’s not right.’ You just have to be a decent human being to say that’s not right.” — President Barack Obama
I’ve been going 
into male locker rooms for 60 years or so. I learned new words, ones I knew not to use at home, during elementary school.
My buddy and I would go to the community pool for open swim. Sometimes there’d be older boys, high school boys, using the locker room, bantering with each other. This expanded our vocabularies, though we didn’t always get the terms quite right, and we were forced to surmise definitions of unfamiliar terms from context only.
There were locker rooms in junior high school and high school, used for mandatory gym class, and for any extracurricular sports one might elect. In the Marine Corps, there were barracks, and of course, locker rooms. I’ve also heard crude uses of language at times in my career, which included visits to prisons and jails and mental health facilities.
I’ve heard expressions of appreciation for the beauty of the female form, locker rooms or other bastions of male separateness, in varying levels of crudity or artfulness. I took “An Historical History of Art” from Professor Chester J. Alkema at Grand Valley. I learned that the female form inspired the production of fine art for centuries. In anthropology, we learned that the Venus of Willendorf (now referred to, at least in academia, as Woman of Willendorf) was a celebration of women’s form that dates back to 25,000 years BC.
“Locker Room Talk” can well describe unfiltered language. It is not an apt way to describe discussion of sexual assault. In Michigan, grabbing one by the genitals, without permission, is a felony, called criminal sexual conduct (CSC-2 or CSC-4). It is not something to be b
oasted about, as heard by Donald Trump, or giggled about, as heard by Billy Bush, on a hot mic eleven years ago.
Lest you Trump enthusiasts decide to follow the example he described, be warned, that, even “if you’re a star,” you might face prosecution.
Chris Christie was unwilling to be an apologist about this sort of talk. Rudy Giuliani, took to that role with gusto, and seems to have moved himself ahead of the N.J. governor in the competition to be named U.S. Attorney General in the all-about-law-and-order Trump Administration.
Trump, when pinned down, said he’d not grabbed anyone by the genitals. If that’s true, Donald, good for you. But pardon us for getting the wrong idea. We listened to your words, and we’ve been told repeatedly that you speak from the heart.
The comments are offensive to women. The comments are offensive to men. The comments are offensive to decent human beings.
Mr. Basura….. It amazes me that after all your encounters with and education about locker room talk and about women in our society, that you fail to mention the existence of Women known as Groupies. Perhaps because you did not have the opportunity to hang out with any Rock Stars, Super Athletes or yes, even Billionaires, you may not be aware of those women and their acceptance of such activities as described by Mr. Trump. And as dismayed as you are about Mr. Trumps comments, it would not be the first, fifth or fiftieth time I have heard such talk in locker rooms, taverns or in the military. You must have lived a very sheltered life or I was destined to live with the lower life forms in our society that worked in steel mills, sailed the Great Lake and worked on construction crews. Whatever the reasons, we certainly have not shared the same experiences, as far as lewd comments about women. Myself, I really have not been affected in the same manner as you. To me, it is just one more of those ridiculous political arguments that weigh far less than others in importance.
For instance, what did you think of Hillary’s dream of open borders in this country? Previously, you stated proudly that you served in the military . And suffered battle wounds as a result. Although your service was not a matter of defense of America’s borders , we both are aware of the sacrifices of many of our forefathers and relatives who did; with some making the ultimate sacrifice. I find it more appalling that Hillary’s dream would so blithely cast all that aside. After all, it would all become a waste of those sacrifices, if the eventuality is to be a non-country without borders.
Or let’s talk about John Podesta’s emails that reveal joining the Catholic Church to infiltrate it and sow the seeds of revolution within the church, as well as denigration of Catholics and other religious practitioners. Now, I don’t know your beliefs, nor are they pertinent. But, others have a right, which you fought for and contrary to the progressive agenda, to believe and worship without political interference.
Or let’s take up the topic of our media and the abandonment of real/impartial journalism/investigative reporting in America. Does it not disturb you that we have a media that has become so partisan that facts are spun into whatever the media intends them to mean, to promote their own agenda, both Democrat and Republcan? How is it that Trump’s remarks came to be about “All Women”, instead of a few that are Groupies? And what is of greater dismay, is that we allow them to pander to our own agendas, rather than provide true and balanced insight, by providing interpretations for others thoughts and actions as fact or as a portrait of their whole character.
That my friend is not just an indictment of our media, but also an indictment of the degradation of our own thought processes.
So, my friend, I am sad that The Donald made those comments, although not all that surprised or appalled. We are all guilty of some indiscretion(s) that we would hope held secret and if found out would not become a total characterization of each of us. And yes, truth be told, we all do have our own secret perversions. So, it is pure hypocrisy, that when someone else’s is let out and made public, that we condemn them as though we are pure and above all that. And further, it is somewhat ludicrous that we expect politicians to be absent of our own frailties, as if they were to be above being human beings. Is it that we approve or consider worthy only those that are better at keeping their perversions secret? Even to the point of accepting actions and policies that are contrary to our own?
I say not. Mr. Trump, warts and all, is, or at least portrays himself a populist. I will give him that, unless he proves otherwise. The Clinton agenda, no matter how personally perfect she is (LOL!) , is contrary to beliefs I have held my entire life. I believe in America as a sovereign nation with borders. I respect the rights of others to practice their religion without interference or denigration. I believe the media should serve the populace, not the politically elite. I believe that we should be judged and recognized as people, not a demographic vote count as to race or
sexual preferences, which keep us divided. I believe that our two party system has metastasized into a single cancer to our society and that perhaps, as imperfect as Trump is, it is time for a citizen to assume power.
So you may, as is your right, choose to decide your political preference based on comments you feel are offensive to your sensibilities, but I will exercise my right to support the other, based on the agenda of Trump’s opponent.
If I understand the concept of groupies, they welcome contact with stars. Unwelcome groping is sexual assault.
Can you smell that smell?? Where were all these women accusers during the Republican Primary Campaign?
Some possible answers……
1.) Trump only is attracted to and gropes Democrat Hillary supporters?
2.) Republican Women don’t mind being groped?
3.) Trump was never attracted enough to Cruz, Bush, Kasich, Rubio female supporters to grope them?
4.) We have been treated to more Political BS?
What do ya think?? LOL!!
However sexual harassment (Bill Clinton) in the White House was considered alright by the left because it was on his personal time………………..Hard to have it both ways folks………………
Mr. Wilkins, no, it’s not hard at all if you are a Democrat and you have the media in your back pocket to defend you.
It is amazing to me that Bill and Hillary Clinton have that much influence over the Democrat Party, the media, and those in upper echelons of business and federal government when they have so many private and public transgressions against the American people. Their ideas and actions are so against the will of the people as a whole and they greatly benefit from the largess from speeches and outright graft, corruption, and pay to play for access to their circle of friends and influencers. They are educated Marxists, Bill – the ever redneck hillbilly skirt chaser, and Hillary the hanger-on to get to the top through Bill. She couldn’t be voted dogcatcher if it weren’t for Bill.