As a woman who endured 13 years of sexual assault, I was shocked, saddened, sickened, confused and even outraged by the words of Donald Trump — words that he has repeatedly tried to passively dismiss as “locker room talk.”

His words hit me like a ton of bricks and caused tears to sting my eyes like a thousand bees. But they did nothing to break my spirit. I have a fire burning in my soul that not even a tsunami of obscene, lewd and unjust words can put out.

That fire will still be burning in November when I proudly exercise my 19th Amendment right to vote.

Trying to excuse his sexually predatory words as “locker room talk” will not work on Election Day, when men and women of this great nation unite to use their voices to vote and send a message that “love will always trump hate.”

Coleen Elias, Lewiston