Brett Kavanaugh

[Nearly Sane]

That there are people that think he should be out on the Supreme Court without any investigation, I find depressing.

That there are those who think even if the allegations are correct, he should still be put on as it's no big deal, I find sickening


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-45583248

This blog post gets it right for me.


https://www.simchafisher.com/2018/09/17/between-brock-turner-and-brett-kavanaugh-when-do-girls-matter/

[Rhiannon]

Yes.

When I read Christine Blasey Ford’s account I remembered the times that happened to me, to my friends, to most girls I knew, and far worse besides. If all the boys who did this lost their jobs, their university places and went to jail the system wouldn’t be able to cope.

I knew as a girl that I was for using, groping, raping. It seems to be different these days, but not by much.

[Nearly Sane]

You read some of the comments on this, and feel the need to scrub yourself.

[Roses]

I was inappropriately touched by three men when I was young, it was most unpleasant.

[Nearly Sane]

I was inappropriately touched by three men when I was young, it was most unpleasant.

You were assaulted. I think we can say that's a bit more than 'most unpleasant'. And yet there are those who would think that it was just normal for the male of the species, nothing to worry about.

[Aruntraveller]

I read this earlier on the internet elsewhere:

"Hello. I am an opportunistic woman. I make up decades old sexual assault allegations against rich and powerful men because my lifelong dream is to get death threats from strangers calling me a lying whore"

And they wonder why women don't report sexual assaults in the first place.

[SteveH]

You were assaulted. I think we can say that's a bit more than 'most unpleasant'. And yet there are those who would think that it was just normal for the male of the species, nothing to worry about.

It was LR that suffered it, so I think she gets to choose the words to describe it.

[Rhiannon]

It was LR that suffered it, so I think she gets to choose the words to describe it.

Indeed she does.

Most of us say it wasn’t much, doesn’t matter, move on. And we do. What choice do we have?

[Nearly Sane]

It was LR that suffered it, so I think she gets to choose the words to describe it.

In relation to her absolutely - but in relation to it being a crime it's not  just that.

[Nearly Sane]

Indeed she does.

Most of us say it wasn’t much, doesn’t matter, move on. And we do. What choice do we have?

And that choice is policed by the worst of us (see extreme example in link). My point about LR's phrasing is while it is her experience, it is part of what those who see it as just part of life use to minimise it, and question it. What happened to LR in addition her experience was a vile crime.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/opinions/arlington-texas/?utm_term=.97b614500dfc

[Nearly Sane]

If I were Kavanaugh and innocent, I would be begging for a full investigation

[jeremyp]

That there are those who think even if the allegations are correct, he should still be put on as it's no big deal, I find sickening

Then this is probably not the time to remind you that the current President of the USA has claimed on tape that he likes to “grab women’s pussies” and they let him get away with it because he is rich and on Telly. The fact that it did not end his presidential campaign there and then is pretty depressing by itself. Then he went on to win the election and, astonishingly, some women voted for him. American politics is so fucked up.

[Rhiannon]

Followed Dr Ford's testimony yesterday. Like many other women -and men too, I have no doubt -  I cried, and remembered why we seldom tell our stories.

[Harrowby Hall]

A couple of things which really disturb about this affair:

1   The general point that at its highest level, the judicial system of the USA is politicised - and thus open to possible corruption, and

2.  The readiness that Kavanaugh will jump on the religion bandwagon if he thinks that it will give him an advantage ... to the extent of reporting his 10 year old daughter's prayers.

[SteveH]

It is indeed outrageous that Supreme Court appointments are openly political: the responsibility for appointment should be taken out of the hands of politicians altogether.

[Rhiannon]

Agree with both of you. There is no way that justice will be seen to be done regardless of the outcome.

[Nearly Sane]

While the politicisation of the Supreme Court is an issue, it seems to me the most important thing currently is the message this sends to any woman who has been sexually assaulted. I struggle to comprehend quite how damaging this will be.

[Rhiannon]

While the politicisation of the Supreme Court is an issue, it seems to me the most important thing currently is the message this sends to any woman who has been sexually assaulted. I struggle to comprehend quite how damaging this will be.

I don't think you can separate the two. Not in this case.

But it does also give a glimpse of what happens in court. I wouldn't report sexual assault, domestic abuse. There's no point.

[Roses]

I don't think you can separate the two. Not in this case.

But it does also give a glimpse of what happens in court. I wouldn't report sexual assault, domestic abuse. There's no point.

But if it isn't reported the abuser gets away with it, and will carry on abusing their victims.

[Rhiannon]

But if it isn't reported the abuser gets away with it, and will carry on abusing their victims.

Nice idea that reporting it means justice and an end to the abuse. It rarely does. In a case like this,(and most of not all women have a story like this one) it isn't worth the re-abuse of the court process, assuming it even gets that far, which it probably won't.

[SteveH]

...most of not all women have a story like this one...

It's not just women, you know: I doubt if many men make it to adulthood without at least one unpleasant encounter with a d.o.m.

[Rhiannon]

It's not just women, you know: I doubt if many men make it to adulthood without at least one unpleasant encounter with a d.o.m.

Very true. Sadly.

[wigginhall]

Well, he did a great line in self-pity and bluster, a kind of Trump mini-me.    The reversal of roles was incredible, Ford was composed and dignified, Kavanaugh verged on hysteria.   But he guarantees the right wing a reversal on abortion, their great prize.   This is why the evangelicals voted Trump!

[Rhiannon]

As a woman in court you can't win. If you are composed, calm, then at best whatever happened didn't really matter, at worst you are lying. If you get upset you are hysterical, manipulative, unreliable, unstable.

[Nearly Sane]

I half hesitate to post this as what is happening seems so dangerous in terms of women feeling that they cannot come forward about sexual abuse that there can be nothing funny about it - but this from Marina Hyde makes both that point and is savagely funny.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/sep/28/brett-kavanaugh-testimony-nominee-supreme-court