When I worked for a global manufacturing concern, I was one of five local executive staff members, and the only woman. My position was ranked higher than three of my male colleagues, and yet I made considerably less.

When I questioned this unfair decision on the part of my boss, I was told that because I was a woman and had a husband who was employed, it was only fair to my male counterparts (whose wives didn’t work) that they be paid a “little more.” It was more than a little more. Their salaries were 10 percent to 15 percent higher than mine, as were their annual bonuses. Things are not much different today.

When Donald Trump raises his voice and yells across crowded auditoriums about the wall, defeating ISIS, and keeping Muslims out of the United States, he is seen as powerful. When he calls his opponents names, makes childish and rude comments about the appearances of women, he is “being impolite;” his facial distortions, hand waving and mocking mannerisms have become acceptable, he is seen as enthusiastic and entertaining. But I believe he has finally gone too far when it comes to playing the gender card; if Hillary is playing the “woman” card, then just what card is he playing?

When Trump began his campaign I was hopeful. I thought he might really be the answer that the Republican Party needed in order to take back the White House; I was wrong. Shortly after the start of his campaign the insults began. He was crude with his comments about Carly Fiorina’s face, Megyn Kelly’s menstrual cycle and putting photos of his model wife in a glamorous pose next to one of Heidi Cruz making an unflattering sneer. Now, he has accused Hillary Clinton of playing the “woman’s card” and saying if she were a man she wouldn’t get more than 5 percent of the vote. Trump has lost me!

Rhetoric is rhetoric, and campaign promises are too often not fulfilled, but Trump has now become nothing more than a bottom dweller, and has shown himself to be the schoolyard bully that many people have believed him to be all along. This cannot be good for the Republican Party, what a shame.

For too many years the Republican Party has fumbled their efforts to gain the votes of women, minorities, young people and the 47 percent. Mitt Romney had a chance, and would have been a very good president (in my opinion); but he blew it. Trump will set things back another half century if the Party’s platform is not changed to be more inclusive and inviting; talking about Hillary playing the woman card is not helping.

Ted Cruz gets it! He named Carly Fiorina as his running mate – and yet he doesn’t have a prayer of reaching the necessary number of delegates to win the nomination. But Cruz is smart! He knows that Fiorina can take on Hillary when he can’t; he can pit woman against woman and hope that we will all sit back and watch the mud wrestling begin; but I hope Hillary won’t bite. To quote John Boehner, “Ted Cruz is Lucifer in the flesh.” Why Carly Fiorina would team up with him is beyond me, but I fully understand Cruz’ reason for bringing her on board, Carly can hurl the insults and Cruz can take the high road.

However, the very idea that Republicans can turn things around is wishful thinking. There are far too many women who have had to deal with sexual discrimination to let Trump and the GOP get away with this latest mean-spirited tactic, albeit not a new one.

In Sunday’s New York Times there was a report of an experiment where 120 scientists were asked to evaluate job applications with half of the applications having the name of John and the other half Jennifer. The applications with the name of John were more highly recommended and were offered a 14 percent higher salary; and there are more stories like this one. But I don’t believe these actions to necessarily be misogyny, nor even discrimination in all cases. I believe much of what one does and says is based on who they are and how they were raised; in other words it is too often a matter of simply not thinking, maybe it is actually a patriarchal attitude that men grow up with, an unconscious bias, in other words. And, then again, maybe not, take Richard Nixon for instance.

When asked by an aide why Nixon wouldn’t appoint a woman to the Supreme Court, he said, “I’m not for women, frankly, in any job. I don’t want any of them around. Thank God we don’t have any in the cabinet.”

If a woman is competent, as Hillary is, they are perceived as being bossy, pushy or the “b” word. If a woman tries to soften her image in order to get things done, she is seen as a mother figure, a push over. If she is attractive, she is seen as a sex symbol. If she is passionate about her beliefs, speaks her mind, talks louder she is called shrill, emotional, and even borderline hysterical. If she stands her ground, she is referred to as “old iron pants” or as Margaret Thatcher was called, the “iron maiden.” A man with the same attributes is considered to be powerful, determined, competent, and someone who can get things done, a natural leader. It is no secret that many men are intimidated and feel threatened by a strong woman – such is the case with Trump.

Hillary Clinton is qualified to be the next president of the United States. She may not be the candidate of choice for many people, but Trump’s degradation of her looks, voice, and “playing the woman card” won’t win him any votes. Her knowledge, temperament, judgment and experience has nothing to do with the fact that she is a woman or that she is playing the “woman’s card.” If it were a gender card she needs, her experience would have told her to try the card that Trump seems to go by. You know, the card that allows for scheming, bullying, insulting, shouting, criticizing and blaming others when things don’t go your way. No, Hillary isn’t playing any card at all; she is just doing her homework and getting the job done. Isn’t that what we need in a president?

And by the way, I’m a Conservative Republican; I haven’t always been in Hillary’s corner; but right is right and Trump ain’t.

Have a great day.

Vicki Westling is a Dunkirk resident. Send comments to editorial@observertoday.com