OPINION: Democrats Discuss — Rape culture runs rampant in public office positions

Megan Gale is a sophomore studying special education. She is a member of the Ohio University College Democrats. The following article reflects the opinions and views of the author and does not represent the thoughts of the Ohio University College Democrats.

This is a submitted column. Please note that these views and opinions do not reflect those of The New Political.

U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan from Ohio was awarded the presidential medal of freedom on Jan. 11, 2021, by former U.S. President Donald Trump. 

Jordan received this medal for his support in attempting to overturn a credible election and for standing by Trump during both of his impeachments. Jordan was quick to show his support for Trump, saying during the second impeachment hearing that Trump’s impeachment was simply a consequence of “cancel culture.”

Jordan has a history of supporting people who abuse their power. During his time as a wrestling coach at Ohio State University, Jordan allegedly knew of the abuse his wrestlers were enduring from the team doctor Richard Strauss. 

According to Adam DiSabato, brother of whistleblower Mike DiSabato, Jordan called him crying in July 2018 to beg him to dispute the claim his brother had made. The allegations against Jordan were never confirmed and OSU’s investigation was inconclusive. 

Jordan's alleged knowledge of the abuse should have been the end of his career in politics, but as we see time and time again, privileged white men are untouchable. 

Trump has countless rape and sexual assault allegations. A released video from 2005 catches him saying, “...when you’re a star they let you do it,” and, “grab them by the pussy.” Even after that video was released, Trump was still elected president with the support of the Republican party.

His presidency was riddled with scandal, and his supporters did not bat an eye. When elected officials have these allegations behind them and they still garner support in the political scene, it perpetuates rape culture. Trump and Jordan are merely cogs in the prestigious American machine that normalizes and desensitizes people to sexual assault and misconduct. 

Sexual misconduct and assault allegations are rarely taken seriously. Some people see them as a political ploy to ruin the career of the accused, not the testimony of a survivor. In reality, we see over and over that these individuals still get elected to public office despite the allegations. When we vote these people into office, it proves that their careers are not ruined, and it shows sexual assault survivors that their testimonies and experiences are not valid or taken seriously. 

People are quick to blame the victim with questions of what they were wearing, how much they had to drink and why they waited so long to come forward. But when victims see people like Trump elected president, how can we blame them for not coming forward? How can we blame them for not wanting to ruin their own lives by coming forward? 

These survivors' names are systematically dragged through the mud. Christine Blasey Ford accused now U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault during a public hearing. Ford was forced to leave her home for safety precautions and she received death threats for telling her story of assault. 

The only way to break this vicious cycle of pushing aside peoples’ stories and blaming victims is to believe these stories and hold abusers accountable. We can’t elect abusers into office. People that cover up abuse and aid abusers have no place in politics. People like Jordan and Trump are a stain on our nation's history and should not be allowed to hold office.