The Kavanaugh Confirmation: #IBelieveHer
An opinion piece by Annie Bennett '19
“I Like Beer.”
The Newest Supreme Court Justice of the United States of America
Kavanaugh should not have been confirmed to be on the Supreme Court due to the likelihood of Ford’s testimony being true, his poor interview behavior, and the pointlessness of continuing to support Kavanaugh over other contenders.
According the BBC, the rate of false accusations of sexual assault ranges from 2–10%. That means that at least 90% are true. Why don’t more victims come forward? Because they are often targets of “slut-shaming,” hate crimes, and discouragement from following through with allegations. Therefore, it is extremely unlikely that all of Kavanaugh’s accusers are lying. The death threats that Christine Blasey-Ford received for merely coming forward about a traumatic experience (that a polygraph confirmed) are proof that victims are discouraged from following through. Her testimony was consistent and showed great courage.
Meanwhile, Kavanaugh demonstrated a childish outburst, spoke rudely to those questioning him, and flat-out avoided answering questions. His entitled attitude is a keystone example of how the stereotypes of women as emotionally irrational force them to be unnecessarily stoic in order to receive any respect. What I mean is, if Ford had behaved the way Kavanaugh did, she would have been laughed off the stand.
As far as political gain goes, Ford insisted this was not her reasoning. If it was, it would have been pointless. There are thousands of other conservatives who could have taken his place if Kavanaugh could not be confirmed. There are a myriad of pro-life men who would defend Trump’s ideals. The President could have brought in another conservative that would support his agenda, but he chose to support a man, like himself, who has been accused by multiple women of sexual assault. This goes beyond partisanship. It is about humanity. I don’t think Brett Kavanaugh should go to jail or have his life ruined. However, he should not be on SCOTUS. Michael Che said it best when he commented, “I don’t know if Mr. Kavanaugh actually has a history of assault or if he actually has a drinking problem, but I do know that he might. And you shouldn’t be on the Supreme Court if you might.”
The Newest Supreme Court Justice of the United States of America
Kavanaugh should not have been confirmed to be on the Supreme Court due to the likelihood of Ford’s testimony being true, his poor interview behavior, and the pointlessness of continuing to support Kavanaugh over other contenders.
According the BBC, the rate of false accusations of sexual assault ranges from 2–10%. That means that at least 90% are true. Why don’t more victims come forward? Because they are often targets of “slut-shaming,” hate crimes, and discouragement from following through with allegations. Therefore, it is extremely unlikely that all of Kavanaugh’s accusers are lying. The death threats that Christine Blasey-Ford received for merely coming forward about a traumatic experience (that a polygraph confirmed) are proof that victims are discouraged from following through. Her testimony was consistent and showed great courage.
Meanwhile, Kavanaugh demonstrated a childish outburst, spoke rudely to those questioning him, and flat-out avoided answering questions. His entitled attitude is a keystone example of how the stereotypes of women as emotionally irrational force them to be unnecessarily stoic in order to receive any respect. What I mean is, if Ford had behaved the way Kavanaugh did, she would have been laughed off the stand.
As far as political gain goes, Ford insisted this was not her reasoning. If it was, it would have been pointless. There are thousands of other conservatives who could have taken his place if Kavanaugh could not be confirmed. There are a myriad of pro-life men who would defend Trump’s ideals. The President could have brought in another conservative that would support his agenda, but he chose to support a man, like himself, who has been accused by multiple women of sexual assault. This goes beyond partisanship. It is about humanity. I don’t think Brett Kavanaugh should go to jail or have his life ruined. However, he should not be on SCOTUS. Michael Che said it best when he commented, “I don’t know if Mr. Kavanaugh actually has a history of assault or if he actually has a drinking problem, but I do know that he might. And you shouldn’t be on the Supreme Court if you might.”