The Issue of Brett Kavanaugh

The Issue of Brett Kavanaugh

Megan Curling and Katie Reynolds

Point: Katie Reynolds

Sex scandals have been a part of the United States government since 1776, when Alexander Hamilton allegedly had an affair. John F. Kennedy was rumored to have several extramarital affairs, including one with Marilyn Monroe. In the 1980s an abundance of senators and house representatives were accused of everything from relations with a minor to attempted sexual assault on colleagues and inferiors. Bill Clinton famously denied having relations with then-White House intern Monica Lewinsky. The standing President of the United States was accused by 13 women of sexual assault during the 2016 election.

   Judge Brett Kavanaugh was accused by three women of sexual assault during his school years. On Saturday, October 6, Judge Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court to replace former Justice Anthony Kennedy. Why do we continue to let men that have been accused of sexual assault hold power in our government?

   Kavanaugh was the White House’s pick to replace the retired Justice Kennedy, but the process was forced to a halt due to the sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh. The first accusation came from a private letter to Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, a high ranking democrat in the Judiciary Committee in the Senate. The letter was written by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, alleging to Sen. Feinstein that she had been sexually assaulted by Brett Kavanaugh when she was 15, while his friend Mark Judge watched the assault. Ford claimed that she believed that Kavanaugh would “inadvertently kill her” during the attack.

   The second accuser was Deborah Ramirez, a former Yale classmate of Kavanaugh. The third was Julie Swetnick, who accused both Kavanaugh and Judge of spiking her drink and attempting to ‘gang rape’ her. President Donald Trump called for an FBI investigation following the flood of allegations against the now Supreme Court Justice. The investigation was criticized, mainly due to the fact that the key witness was not even interviewed by the FBI and neither was Kavanaugh. In this case, the FBI did not draw any conclusions about the information they received, the report was simply sent back to the White House, with no action stemming from the investigation.  

   The confirmation of Kavanaugh onto the Supreme Court has angered many, especially victims of sexual assault and those who have advocated for the #MeToo movement, which was created following the accusations against former director Harvey Weinstein. The #MeToo movement seeks to bring light to the sheer number of women that are sexually assaulted, bringing special attention to men in power that take advantage of women.

   In the United States Justice System, anyone accused of a crime is innocent until proven guilty. For women who accuse men of assault, they are liars until proven truthful. There have been many claims that the sexual assault allegations against men can ‘ruin lives.’ Unfortunately for the truly innocent, this may reign true. But in the case of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and in the case of US President Donald Trump, allegations of sexual assault ruin no lives. They bring them more power.

Counterpoint: Megan Curling

First, as a woman in the American society and climate of 2018, I have no doubt in my mind that a woman should never be silenced in her attempts to report a valid sexual assault claim. In the so called, “Year of the Woman” we saw the #MeToo movement come alive, with more sexual assailants being accused and named than ever before. The spirit of female empowerment has arguably never been more prevalent than it is today.

   Given the widespread coverage, I see no need for any background information other than that on July 9, Judge Brett Kavanaugh of the Washington D.C. Court of Appeals was nominated by President Donald Trump to replace the retiring Anthony Kennedy’s place on the bench of the United States Supreme Court.

   Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, as well as several other women have come forward vividly accusing Kavanaugh of sexual assualting and/or harassing them in his high school and college days. And while I, as a woman, do agree that these women were attacked unlawfully and unapologetically by a monster, I do not agree that the conclusion can be made that it was Kavanaugh.

    The main reason being that, regardless of my political ideology, the media has spun the accusations beyond anything we have ever seen before.

   This partisan influenced reporting is nothing new. Its effects can be seen frequently in statements like, “I don’t listen to Fox News, it’s too conservative” or “I can’t find a source of news that is unbiased these days!,” revealing a massive problem in the news we receive.

   With that, the bigger problem than anything in the Kavanaugh hearings is the polarity within and the media circus of the legal proceedings.

    On July 30, Ford’s accusation, which notably she wished to keep confidential, reached California Senator Diane Feinstein. Yet it was not revealed to the public until September 16, well into the confirmation process, when Ford went on record with The Washington Post after realizing the potential for an unsupported leak.

    Since the story broke to the public, America has split along party lines, failing to take the blinders off and realize the polarized mess that the media has created. Unwilling to understand the illusion that there are  only two sides; that the ‘he said she said’ standstill that the hearings reached between the two parties, is not how our justice and legislative systems truly function.

   On top of the biased reporting and blatant partisan siding, comes the unbearable aspect of ignorance and unawareness.

   Around the Reynolds campus we hear things like, “YOUR candidate is a pig” when really, he is the president’s candidate and is supported by his party, but not necessarily by every person who supports that party.

   No matter your position on the matter or your opinion on Kavanaugh and the claims made against him, please, educate yourself. Listen to a podcast, get your news from multiple sources, take off your blinders and for the sake of everything good in the world, THEN form your own opinions.

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