Sexual abuse is a blight on humanity. If ever there is a time for supporters of the #Me Too movement to make their voices heard it's right now!
Republicans and Democrats alike know there is a short window to ensure Donald Trump gets his second Supreme Court nominee confirmed.
As the embattled President's former campaign manager plead guilty to a variety of charges and agreed to give testimony in special prosecutor Mueller hearings Trump's political clout became weaker yet again.
All the more reason Republicans want to confirm ultra conservative jurist Kavanaugh before anti-Republican fallout and the 2018 mid-term elections are held.
Supreme Court justices are appointed for life. At 53, Kavanaugh is likely so spend close to thirty years on the highest court in the land.
It's just come to light through Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) that she had previously been made aware of a charge against Kavanaugh. According to the statement,
"" the woman alleged that, during an encounter at a party, Kavanaugh held her down, and that he attempted to force himself on her. She claimed in the letter that Kavanaugh and a classmate of his, both of whom had been drinking, turned up music that was playing in the room to conceal the sound of her protests, and that Kavanaugh covered her mouth with his hand""
Arguably, the accusation is coming late in the confirmation process and depicts Kavanaugh's behavior while a high school student. Also, the woman wishes to remain anonymous. So what! That is her right. And if we've learned nothing else from the #Me Too movement it's that many women live decades and lifetimes in fear of revealing personal assaults.
Let's take it one step further. No one is immune from sexual abuse. Look at the similarity with decades old complaints about sexual abuse by Catholic priests in Pennsylvania. And this in just one state.
Republicans claim the anonymous woman's statement is simply a Democrat ploy to derail the appointment of a conservative jurist. Naturally, that's an expected political response.
Allegations of sexual abuse should never be treated politically. It's morally reprehensible.
At one level, for purposes of the Senate confirmation hearing it doesn't matter if Kavanaugh is guilty or not. What does matter is the lack of a moral compass that prevents Senators from looking into the accusation.
There may be a statute of limitation on prosecutions of sexual misconduct, but certainly not on the basic character of an individual. An abuser is an abuser, period.
Wouldn't it be great if Americans could look back with pride at the personal lives of all members of S.C.O.T.U.S. with unquestionable admiration!
We can't, just as it's not possible to do so with many great historic figures or current celebrities. Humankind is not perfect. But, we can always strive to be better, act more judiciously, appropriately and morally than we do. And, we can aggressively address wrongs!
If we want to drive change we must not forget the lessons of history. The Shakespearean saying "what's past is prologue," is critically important if we are to evolve as a nation. We mustn't ignore the legacy of sexual discrimination in America. We must learn and grow from it.
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