Truths emerge from Kavanaugh hearing
The Kavanaugh Senate confirmation hearing provided a rude awakening of who we are and what we stand for.
After a week last week of political whiplash, Republicans and President Trump finally agreed to an FBI investigation of the allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
It’s what his accuser, Palo Alto University Professor Christine Blasey Ford, and Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee had been seeking all along.
Even after Ford’s heartwrenching testimony that upset much of the nation, most of the Republican senators had been prepared to push forward with Kavanaugh’s nomination.
Only after GOP Sens. Jeff Flake and Lisa Murkowski threatened not to confirm him did Republican leaders capitulate to doing the right thing.
What an embarrassment — for the U.S. Senate and the Supreme Court confirmation process.
A situation that obviously demanded a thorough independent investigation turned into the worst kind of reality TV. Riveting, yes. Satisfying, no. Last week is one that will be remembered for decades — especially by women — as a painful reminder of how far we still have to go in confronting sexual harassment and abuse.
Amid all the political grandstanding, three lessons emerged:
• Blasey Ford’s agonizing testimony was not only credible but also believable. Her opening statement and the bravery she displayed in answering questions revealed to the nation the pain survivors face when they come forward.
• Kavanaugh’s angry attempt to marginalize Blasey Ford’s testimony as a partisan attack was the best evidence yet that he does not have the judicial temperament to serve on the Supreme Court, or as a judge at any level.
• Twenty-seven years after the Anita Hill-Clarence Thomas hearings, society has made virtually no progress in how we deal with cases of sexual harassment and assault. It’s unacceptable.
Anyone watching Blasey Ford’s testimony Thursday should have a clear understanding of why so many women are still reluctant to tell their stories. This must change. Because so many women are reluctant to report cases of sexual assault and rape, it’s impossible to know exactly how widespread the problem is. But the numbers that are available are alarming.
A study by the Association of American Universities found that one in four women attending universities in this country will be sexually assaulted by the time they are seniors.
These are heartbreaking numbers. No parents should feel comfortable sending their daughter off to college knowing that there is a 25 percent chance she will be sexually assaulted before graduation.
The workplace and social settings are equally dangerous. A survey released earlier this year by the non-profit organization Stop Street Harassment found that 81 percent of women said they had faced some form of sexual assault or harassment.
One in four said they had survived a sexual assault. More than 50 percent said they had been sexually groped or touched in an inappropriate manner.
It’s important that men and women work together to find solutions.
One proven method of fighting workplace harassment is encouraging bystanders to step up and stop inappropriate workplace behavior when they see it. This approach should become standard procedure in all walks of life.
We also need more women in elected office for they will raise awareness of the problem and push for solutions.
It should be an embarrassment to the Republican Party that it does not have a single woman representing the party on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Democrats have little reason to feel superior. Overall, women make up only 21 percent of the members of the U.S. Senate and 19 percent of the House of Representatives.
The Kavanaugh hearing provided a rude awakening of who we are and what we stand for. Far too little progress has been made since the last Supreme Court nominee faced accusations of sexual behavior.
It shouldn’t take another Anita Hill or Christine Blasey Ford for the Senate, Congress, the president and the nation to wake up — and stand up.