I'm sitting here with a level of anger I haven't written with in a very long time. I'm scared I won't be able to put into words the rage coursing through my body...FYI, I needed to walk away from the keyboard and this post for a few days. Every word that came onto the page was too much. Too angry. Too intense. Too disappointed in the world we live. Too sad for those who are used for ridicule. Just "too." With 48 hours of clarity behind me, it's time to try again. Here goes...
Pete Hegseth, the person in charge of the approximately 2.1 million members of the US military and close to a million more civilians in support roles, used a picture of a female Canadian Cadet leader to try to embarrass both the woman in the photo and the entire country of Canada. To score some sort of petty political points. A man with almost unlimited power did this. Thinking I'm sure, that it would make him look smart, strong, and powerful.
Of the over three million people under his command, anywhere between 400 and 600 thousand are women. The vast majority of whom know what he posted, why he posted it, and the intended effect of the post. Their "boss" was attempting to belittle and degrade a fellow woman in uniform. A woman he did not know and who had not injured him in any way. All because of her body size. I should also note that he is very vocal that women should not be in combat roles, going so far as to disband the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services.
The US Secretary of "War" has been plagued by allegations of a drinking problem and erratic, manic confrontations. He has been accused of being confrontational and exhibiting manic outbursts. Former colleagues at Fox News have discussed his drinking to excess. To be fair, Hegseth has said repeatedly that he does not have a drinking problem. I should also add that most people with drinking problems say they don't have one. But he denies it, so we will leave it at that.
Mr. Hegseth is also the father of two girls, a teenager and one aged 9. He is twice divorced and currently married to a former producer at Fox News, where he was a commentator. His current wife is also the Chairwoman of the Military Spouse Commission. Media reports say she sits in on high-level Pentagon meetings and manages his public messaging. Considering the "message" he just released, I find that very disturbing if true.
In a leaked email from 2018, Pete's momma accused him of routinely mistreating women and criticized his character. She said he was an "abuser of women" and used them for his own ego. In an attempt to be fair to mother and son, she did say it was written in anger and that she apologized for the email to her son. Mrs. Hegseth also said the comments were not true and that her son is a good husband and father. What strikes me most about the email is how she took the side of her soon-to-be former daughter-in-law over her son. That doesn't happen often in my experience.
One last bit of background on Pete Hegseth. In 2017, he was accused of sexual assault by a woman in California. According to his lawyer, the encounter was consensual, and the woman was the aggressor in the encounter. Consensual or not, he did pay an undisclosed amount of money to her because he thought any accusation would terminate his job at Fox News. Believe what you will.
Let's recap...a husband, father, son, coworker, boss, and accused. It's safe to say he has a lot of interactions with women every single day. So why would he try to shame a woman? Or actively search for a photo that represents his beliefs while demeaning another human being? Then release it to his 2 million-plus followers on social media? All to what? Embarrass Canada or its military? To make a point about how strong the US military is in comparison?
All those things are probably true. He more than likely got a lot of pats on the back, a few "atta boy" comments from his bros. If asked in private, I'm sure he would say, "Yeah, I taught them a lesson not to mess with me". Schoolyard bravado from a bully. But is that the point he really made? Not even close!
What was meant as a "gotcha" became a moment of national pride. Canadians from all walks of life came to this leader's defence. This mentor. This shining example of service to our country. What was meant to be an insult became a chant of "thank you for your service" from a nation proud of this young woman's dedication to the uniform. What was supposed to show weakness produced support from millions of Canadians. One photograph from a foreign government official increased our strength as a nation.
This woman is without a doubt mortified. Not because she didn't know she was overweight, but because she had become the butt of a joke that was seen all over the world. A photo with a caption that, once on the internet, will never ever go away. Will be brought up repeatedly by news media. She must face her family, friends, and coworkers. She will question everyone's motives who look in her general direction. We have no idea what it will do to her confidence and self-worth. A cowardly piece of garbage changed her life, took some of her power, and for what?
I hope this Cadet Leader is able to get past this. I hope she knows she is a thousand times better than him. I hope those people in her life rally around and support her in the months to come. I hope people throughout the world say his name with the word asshole in the sentence. I hope we see this man lose his position and get to watch him slink away in disgrace. I hope most people wish the same thing.
I wonder what he would think if someone did this to one of his daughters?
Ang
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