Do we really feel sorry for Melania Trump?
AS we all unfortunately know the inauguration has happened and President Trump has come to power. There aren’t enough lines in this column to talk about him so we will side- line him for the moment.
Instead I want to talk about his wife. I have to say it annoyed me a lot the coverage that was given to his treatment of her and that she was portrayed as something of a victim. It is not today or yesterday that he started walking on ahead of her or showing minimal gestures of affection in public.
Melania Trump was not sold into white slavery, it was not an arranged marriage and it did not happen last week. She has been married to him for the last ten years and they have a child together. She is even staying in New York in her palatial suite in Trump Towers while her husband goes through the White House like a Tasmanian devil, clearing anything or anyone that displeases him out of his way. She knew Donald Trump from 1998 and did not marry him until 2005 so you could hardly call it marrying in haste. He has described the couple as having never fought and being “very compatible”. Ivana Trump showed the world that you can live quite comfortably after a Donald Trump divorce. He even hosted her $ 3 million wedding to Rossano Rubicondi in 2008. So if Melania was as unhappy as ‘ facial experts’ would have us believe, she has had plenty of time to do something about it and would be more comfortable than any of us could ever dream of. So enough about her.
Leading on from that I want to speak about people who are not in the position to leave when there is a real problem. Be it financial or emotional, there are women and men who are trapped in marriages where domestic abuse plays a central role.
The recent ad campaign “What Would You Do” highlighted the issue of domestic abuse/ violence in this country. Abuse can cover a range of topics; it does not just mean physical abuse it can also involve the destruction of property, isolation from friends, family or other sources of support. It can mean threats to others, stalking, and control over access to money, personal items, food, transportation and the telephone.
Research has revealed that 213,000 women and 88,000 men have been severely abused by a partner. I was shocked when I first heard about men being abused by women, I knew a man who was suffering in silence. Although a big man, he refused to defend himself when his partner attacked him. One night with a few drinks he confided in a friend about the situation. I’m not sure how or if it resolved itself, as they are still together, but I hope for his sake it did.
There are many sources of support and advice for those experiencing or witnessing domestic abuse on www. whatwouldyoudo. ie. The site can be exited safely and securely. I think it is important to help those who are really suffering and in need of help rather than focusing on a billionaire’s wife.