Eleanor Roosevelt chaired the United Nations Human Rights Commission after she left the White House. Hillary Clinton addressed the United Nations by declaring that “women’s rights are human rights." Michelle Obama delivered a keynote address focusing on quality education.
Melania Trump, in her own address at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, focused on condemning bullying as she called on world leaders to take seriously their responsibility of guiding the next generation.
Anti-bullying campaign
Trump stated in her speech that adults must teach children to be “good stewards” and that they should lead by example.
She said that adults are not merely responsible for how children grow up – they are accountable. The first lady emphasized that no child should feel that he has nowhere to turn, and that the values that needed to be taught can only be done so by example.
Her stance raised eyebrows across social media, considering that her husband, President Donald Trump, has a different approach to his public life. The president is known to use unflattering nicknames for his opponents, make crude remarks to women, and even promote videos purporting violence via a golf ball strike to Hillary Clinton’s head.
In fact, the president draws criticism that he himself is a bully, yet The First Lady’s speech made no mention of this as she continued to urge the world to bring about a brighter future for children.
When asked how her stance compared with the actions of her husband, Stephanie Grisham -- the first lady’s communications director -- said that she will not avoid the topic just because others believe it to be a bad idea. According to Grisham, her stance is not about politics, it is about helping as many children as she possibly can.
The topic of bullying was explored by the first lady during her husband’s campaign last year. Back then, she stated that leaders should find better ways of honoring and supporting the basic goodness in children, especially over social media.
Lack of actionable plans
Trump’s speech lasted seven minutes, but it seems devoid of clear policy or even a push for any specific programs against bullying, however, she did mention plans of following up with social media leaders and educators to explore the topic.
Her theme, which focuses on children, is similar to those advanced by previous first ladies, who also had children in mind. Trump said that leaders must acknowledge that the weakest and the most innocent are the ones that suffer most from the challenges in society, and that adults should take responsibility for what they learn and what they are exposed to.
