Bruce Alexander, 49, was recently arrested on charges of abusive sexual contact after a recent incident that occurred on a Southwest flight from Houston to Albuquerque.
Alexander was accused of repeatedly grabbing a woman’s breast while he was sitting behind her. The woman, who prefers to be left unnamed, felt her clothing move, and at first assumed it was an accident. However, as time passed she noticed the hand, which she described as having “hairy thick fingers” and “dirty fingernails” grabbing her more deliberately. Upon further inspection, Alexander’s hands matched the woman’s description.
After this particular incident, the woman involved brought Alexander’s actions to the attention of a flight attendant. The woman told Alexander that “she didn’t know why he thought it was ok [to touch her] and he needed to stop,” and was reseated.
According to the affidavit, neither Alexander nor the woman involved were under the influence of alcohol or sleeping aids during the flight. Alexander also claimed that he was asleep for the majority of the flight and did not recall touching her.
Upon the plane landing in Albuquerque, Alexander was promptly arrested, and will face up to two years in jail. As officers were handcuffing him, he stated that “the president of the United States says it’s OK to grab women by their private parts.”
Alexander’s references to the 2005 Access Hollywood tape, in which Donald Trump describes and brags about his methods of sexually pursuing women, clearly shows that the current President has been a negative influence on men around the country. Though tape surfaced a few years ago, Trump stating, “Grab ’em by the p****. You can do anything” remains a disturbing comment that sets an extremely negative precedent for men.
This isn’t the first time Trump’s influence has resulted in appalling actions around the country.
This past June, a woman was shown on video yelling at a Hispanic man and his mother who were doing yard work, calling them “animals” and “rapists.” Both terms have been used by Donald Trump to describe undocumented immigrants.
The men in power that Trump surrounds himself within the White House do not set a good precedent for American men, either. The recent appointment of Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court despite allegations of sexual assault sets the same example for men around the country. Kavanaugh’s nomination teaches men that they can still succeed, even if they’ve been accused of committing horrible acts against women.
While Alexander will be facing criminal charges for the act of sexual assault he committed on his recent flight, it is jarring to witness him cite Donald Trump as justification for his actions. Men in power have much control over the example they set for men across the United States, and it is disturbing to see our country’s president inspire such heinous acts towards women. Men in power must do better in setting a precedent for all men across America.
Featured Image by Gage Skidmore on Flickr
Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)
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