Kavanaugh Hearings Divide A Nation
By Megan Wallin
A Country Divided
More than anything, the hours we spent focusing on Judge Kavanaugh and Dr. Blasey Ford were a testament to how divided we are as a nation. It isn’t a matter of party lines; it’s a matter of narrative. The narratives are destructively short-sighted and cutthroat.
Democrats think you must believe every person who comes forth with a horrendous account of rape or assault, because possible disbelief of an honest person is too high of a risk to take. The Republican side thinks political motives are the only incentive behind an otherwise credible story due to the timing of the accusations and the accused’s position of power.
A Matter Of Inconvenience
It was inconvenient for Republicans to address the credibility of Blasey Ford’s testimony, and it was inconvenient for Democrats to concede that the timing did seem all but miraculously in tune with the changing of the tides. With #MeToo changing social dynamics, our job is to find the threads of reason within both perspectives and grasp that thread, using it to pull us closer to the truth and to each other.
More Scrutiny Is Needed
There is nothing wrong with questioning a person’s claim, especially when the alleged act is so heinous as sexual assault. In fact, the higher the gravity of the accusation, the more scrutiny is required. It’s not a sign that we don’t believe someone, but a sign that belief is not to be taken for granted simply due to our emotional response to the despicable behavior described. But here was where we failed. After the circus of testimonies and the drilling of both Blasey Ford and Kavanaugh, Republicans allowed almost no time for this information to be thoroughly investigated.
Lindsey Graham behaves Like An Emotional Buffoon
If both sides cared so much about the truth, then this would have played out differently. We would not have watched as the person simply coming forth with a story of sexual assault was questioned about why she remembered the incident itself but not the logistics of how she arrived or departed from said event. We would not seek to tear down her credentials, as many tried, claiming that she lied about her job title. We would not take her less seriously than Lindsey Graham, who behaved like an emotional buffoon. If both sides cared about the truth, then we would not watch as a judge dodged questions left and right rather than answer candidly.
Life Time Appointees Need To Be Above Reproach
If both sides cared about the truth, no one would be wondering why an accusation with the power to delay such an important political appointment resulted in such a brief investigation. There was no further questioning of the two key people involved. Furthermore, multiple people claimed the FBI refused to take statements from them. A thorough and complete investigation would be welcome. If a man is innocent, let his name be cleared. If he is not innocent, he should not be considered for a lifetime position in the United States government.
Trump Forever Partisan
Shortly following Blasey Ford’s testimony, our openly partisan president stated that he found her credible. That of course begs the question, “What are the defining traits of credibility?” And it is no easy task to decide what makes someone believable when the circumstances of the crime scene are no longer available for investigation. Of course, within a day Trump went from finding her credible to mocking Blasey Ford at his rallies.
Not A Fan But Willing To Listen
I began with an open mind, slightly leaning towards the possibility of this being a prime example of someone wanting to take down a right-wing judge who has a record of not supporting women’s rights—or people’s rights, for that matter. If we could just convince everyone that women are people too. Not knowing much about Kavanaugh other than his history of very partisan, very conservative beliefs, I was not a fan, but he was nowhere on my “potential fratboy rapist” list.
Unreported
Then I watched Blasey Ford’s testimony, and I watched his. I read the transcripts over a few times, to take in all the accounts without responding to the mannerisms and gestures. I pondered. I lost sleep. I relived some of my past experiences, and I wondered how honest I could really be when the testimony reminded me of how much anger I still harbor for my own lost innocence due to similar events—events I never reported.
A Political Take-Down
I stopped doubting myself long enough to think critically about the situation. For the life of me, I couldn’t think why Blasey Ford wouldn’t add lies to make herself sound more honest, especially if her story was made up to be a political take-down. It would end so many accusatory statements about her credibility. And if she were lying, why not just say he raped her? That would explain why she didn’t talk to her parents and her friends! Why not just say she remembered walking or taking the bus? That would clear up the further questions.
Why Not Just Lie?
Why not make the incident just about Kavanaugh, and say it was on a date and not at a party, so that no other potential key witnesses could be questioned? It would end the possibility of a more convoluted hearing. Why not just use a different tactic altogether, rather than this event tied to a story that paints you as vulnerable and a victim when you are living a fairly cushy life? She has what most people would want if they could snap their fingers. She hasn’t had any history of radical political involvement other than protesting Trumps cutbacks for science funding. If she’s lying, why didn’t it all add up to everyone’s satisfaction?
Mark Judge Hid Out During Hearing
The answer is that she was probably being 100% honest. She was so honest she went out of her way to note seemingly irrelevant details in her corrections, and admitted to lacking memories of information that related more to the logistics of how she came to be at that party, and when, and with whom, and for how long, while strikingly describing her events in factual but emotionally compelling language. This is consistent with multiple studies on trauma and recall. She also did not shy away from describing her fears, describing key details like the laughter of the perpetrator or the awkwardness of later running into Mark Judge, Brett Kavanaugh’s friend who had been a participant. These were the type of details from a trauma victim.
Kavanaugh Raises Eyebrows
According to supporters Kavanaugh’s bizarre behavior, from raising his voice and crying, to mockingly throwing questions about his alcohol use back at Senator Amy Klobuchar, were all symptoms of a man falsely accused. From my experience and studies, I would say otherwise. When questioned Kavanaugh’s narcissistic rage resulted in belligerent name-calling (“calculated…political hit”), blame shifting (“Have you [ever blacked out]?”), dodging questions (see previous example), repetition of meaningless phrases (I drank beer. I like beer. I still like beer.”), and touting one’s accolades (“I went to Yale!”). He also presented meaningless accounts of his own, such as calendars, while dismissing hers, which were details and words very grounded in a realistic experience of assault.
Optics Matter
Kavanaugh came across as emotionally unstable, unhinged, lacking in empathy for anyone but himself, and frankly unfit for his chosen career, much less an appointment to be an impartial Associate Justice on the Supreme Court. He also came across as misleading, denying very simple truths about who he was in high school according to yearbook quotes and references. How much of his testimony seemed politically motivated? He could have admitted to being guilty of partying hard, being belligerent when drunk, and writing and prompting explicit statements in his high school yearbook, while still denying his behavior never included sexual assault. His downplay of drinking and his outright lies about the nature of comments in the yearbook seemed to show the very real possibility of pathological traits.
An Abbreviated Investigation Draws Anger
This is why the abbreviated investigation intensified the anger of those of us who believe Christine Blasey Ford. Should we be more frightened of accidentally ruining a man’s chance at greater success than we are of accidentally letting an entitled criminal into the Supreme Court? Careful, America. Your true colors are showing
