Former First Lady Michelle Obama addressed men and women separately during a rally Saturday in Kalamazoo.
To men, she said: "Your rage does not exist in a vacuum. If we don't get this election right, your wife, your daughter, your mother -- we as women -- will become collateral damage to your rage."
To women, she said: "Our lives are worth more than their anger and disappointment, and we are more than just baby-making vessels."
"Remember that your vote is a private matter. Regardless of the political views of your partner, you get to choose," she said.
MICHELLE OBAMA: There are a lot of angry, disillusioned people out there upset with the slow pace of change, and I get it. It is reasonable to be frustrated. We all know we have a lot more work to do in this country. But to anyone out there thinking about sitting out this election or voting for Donald Trump or a third-party candidate in protest because you're fed up, let me warn you: your rage does not exist in a vacuum. If we don't get this election right, your wife, your daughter, your mother -- we as women -- will become collateral damage to your rage. So, are you as men prepared to look into the eyes of the women and children you love and tell them that you supported this assault on our safety?
And to the women listening, we have every right to demand that the men in our lives do better by us. We have to use our voices to make these choices clear to the men that we love. Our lives are worth more than their anger and disappointment, and we are more than just baby-making vessels. If you are a woman who lives in a household of men that don't listen to you or value your opinion, just remember that your vote is a private matter. Regardless of the political views of your partner, you get to choose. You get to use your judgment and cast your vote for yourself and the women in your life.
Remember, women standing up for what is best for us can make the difference in this election. So let us use our voices in these final days to make it plain to the men in our lives that we need to stand—not with Trump, but with us. We need them to vote for the only candidate in this race who will protect our lives. We need them to vote for Kamala Harris. She will fight to restore our reproductive freedoms and defend our health. Kamala will fight for our access to life-saving emergency care and maternal care in every state. Kamala will veto any abortion ban or bill that restricts access to contraception or IVF. Kamala will expand access to birth control and abortion pills, and she will do all of this not because she's a woman, but because she's a decent human being who cares about the lives of people other than herself.
And that's really what this election is about, Michigan. This isn't just about what we have an obligation to say no to; it's about what we have the opportunity to say yes to. We can elect someone who has the experience, the character, and the strength to look at all these challenges and still see a brighter day on the other side. Kamala Harris will see us—all of us. Kamala Harris will listen to us—all of us. She will protect our freedom. She'll stand up for all of our lives. She will have our backs, for the folks trying to get ahead and those just trying to get by, and in doing so, she will usher in a new generation of American leadership and send the ugliness of Donald Trump and his politics back where it belongs.
But Michigan, she cannot do any of this alone. So I'm asking you one last time: let us not just sit around and complain. If your brother or your son or boyfriend needs to hear your perspective, are you willing to talk to them? Are you willing to send a video of what I've just said? Are you willing to do something? If you have an aunt who's thinking about sitting this one out or voting for a third party, are you willing to have an uncomfortable conversation? Are you willing to do something? If you have an extra hour or extra weekend, are you willing to knock on doors and talk to your neighbors? Are you willing to use your voice?
Look, Michigan, we just got 10 more days to make it happen—10 more days to wave goodbye to the incompetence and hatred and division. Ten more days to welcome in a leader with the character and the heart and the strength worthy of the office she seeks and worthy of the country that we all love.
Michigan, let's give Kamala everything we've got. Can we get this done? Can we get this done, Michigan? We need you—every last one of you—to get this done. Get this done.
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