“Speak like a survivor is listening,” says Jess Davidson, a DU alumna and the Executive Director of the End Rape on Campus organization, during a recent interview discussing the prominent case of Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford. This is one important piece of advice to remember with all the buzz circulating about the latest story— Brett Kavanaugh being accused of sexual assault by Christine Blasey Ford.
Some people are supporting Brett Kavanaugh, stating that these actions in his younger years should not affect his approval rate and his chances of becoming the next Supreme Court Justice. A few have even gone as far as to say things like “He was a teenager,” “It’s just something to expect from high school or college party life” or “It is in the past now.” However, it is likely that the accusation will have some sort of effect on his confirmation. Kavanaugh himself has actually allowed an unsigned order to affect a young woman who may have made some not-so-good decisions in her past, as well. This instance is known as the 2017 Garza vs. Hargan case in which a young woman was kept from getting an abortion because of her citizenship status without a sponsor. If Kavanaugh believes that she should face the consequences of her actions at a young age merely because of her status, then should he not be held accountable for the traumatic experience he put Ford through?
According to NBC News, Cristina King Miranda, a former schoolmate of the accuser, has come forth to admit that she had heard of the incident while in highschool and now believes that it could have been true all along. Along with that, Ed Whelan, current president of the conservative Ethics & Public Policy Center, recently tweeted with the initial intention of defending Kavanaugh, but he has actually only made things worse for him. Ford replied to the rumors these tweets brought up, confirming that she could not have gotten Kavanaugh and the citizen Whelan was accusing mixed up. Ford did not want to come out and tell her story originally until it began being warped by those who believed she only came forward anonymously to delay Kavanaugh’s confirmation. Nonetheless, notes from Ford’s therapist in 2012 and 2013 have been released, verifying that Ford had brought up the incident far before Kavanaugh’s nomination for the position.
Despite these additions to the case, Brett Kavanaugh’s approval has never been the highest to begin with (ranging from 32-34 percent over the years). As stated in the polling results from NWLC, 92 percent of voters feel as though sexual assault is a serious problem, 26 percent being survivors themselves and 51 percent claiming they know a survivor. There is no doubt that this will have a detrimental effect on Kavanaugh’s confirmation. As a result of these statistics, if Ford does come forth to the hearing, then the likelihood of Kavanaugh becoming the Supreme Court Justice will dwindle to close to no chance. As our society is growing more and more aware, we are becoming less tolerant of these types of occurances. Though, whatever Ford decides to do should be respected. As she may view going to the hearing and recalling those events as traumatic, it is up to Ford to decide what is best for herself. We have to ask ourselves, though, if putting someone like this in a position of power could have potentially drastic effects on our government.
