Kavanaugh’s confirmation should be a call to action
In the last few weeks, America has been watching the Senate as Dr. Christine Blasey Ford has courageously come forward with allegations that Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, had sexually assaulted her at a party in high school.
On Saturday, Judge Kavanaugh was confirmed into the U.S. Supreme Court.
Much like they did with sexual misconduct allegations against Donald Trump and Roy Moore, the Republican Party has refused to take these claims seriously and has instead chosen to look the opposite direction.
In the last few weeks, Blasey Ford has been subjected to the same responses from Republicans that Anita Hill experienced in 1991. Even President Trump made comments insinuating that the attack on Blasey Ford was not “as bad” as what she said it was. The President was not the only the only one who shared his thoughts on the situation, however.
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), went on national television suggesting that Blasey Ford was “mistaken” and “mixed up.”
It’s beyond me that someone can hear Blasey Ford’s testimony and question her credibility. She cooperated and answered every question she was asked, something Kavanaugh didn’t do.
Republican men in the Senate have even openly announced that nothing Blasey Ford says will change their mind, and that is both ignorant and repulsive.
Lindsey Graham told Fox News that he’s not “going to ruin Judge Kavanaugh’s life over this” and continued on to say that Blasey Ford’s testimony wouldn’t change anything for him.
Without having heard Blasey Ford’s testimony first, Graham had already made up his mind that she was lying, meaning that, for many Senators, Blasey Ford’s testimony would mean nothing.
Kavanaugh lied under oath numerous times, including things like his drinking habits and the people he hung out around. Kavanaugh claimed that his drinking habits were not as serious as they actually were, and also claimed that he didn’t hang out with the same crowd as Blasey Ford, which were both lies.
The New York Times reported that “nearly a dozen” of Kavanaugh’s classmates “said they recalled his indulging in heavy drinking, with some characterizing it as outside the norms of college life.”
Even after lying under oath, sneering at other senators, and his display of unhinged behavior as he yelled and cried during his questioning, Judge Kavanaugh was sworn into the U.S. Supreme Court.
For some reason, none of that was enough to sway Republicans to vote against Kavanaugh.
Kavanaugh’s confirmation has been a big slap in the face of the #MeToo movement, which has empowered women to speak out about sexual assault and harassment, especially by men in positions of power.
We have to start believing women. We have to start taking sexual assault more seriously, even with people in positions of power.
It’s pretty clear to me that the last thing the Senate Republicans are interested in is the truth or listening to women.
The fact that Kavanaugh was confirmed after not only the allegations made by Blasey Ford, but lying under oath, as well as angrily refusing to answer questions, is astonishing to me.
Senate Republicans have proved time and time again that they are just cowardly old men who couldn’t care less about women. If Senate Republicans were at all serious about sexual assault or sex crimes, Kavanaugh wouldn’t have been confirmed this weekend.
