The Kavanaugh vs. Dr. Ford Dilemma

Unless you’ve had your head under a rock these last few weeks, you’ve probably heard some of the commotion surrounding Brett Kavanaugh becoming the next Justice on the Supreme Court. He has been accused of sexual assault by Dr. Blasey Ford, and there have been rallies and protests and demonstrations against him all over the country. And Kavanaugh isn’t the first white male to be accused of such heinous acts in the last few years—he is only the latest on a very long list.

Let me just say—there are so many angles to this issue which I feel desperately need to be addressed, I’m not sure where to even really begin.

First of all, accusing someone of sexual assault is a huge deal and not something we should take lightly. To announce publicly that someone has sexually assaulted you is to forever demonize that person in the public’s eye because, no matter whether that person is found innocent or guilty, he will always be associated with those accusations. If that person has actually sexually assaulted someone, he should be punished to the highest degree. However, will a lack of substantial evidence, how can that person be found guilty? In the case of Kavanaugh, there is no concrete proof he has assaulted anyone. Dr. Ford waited thirty years to even say anything, and when questioned she cannot remember any specific details about that night at all. Instead of proof, we only have her word against his and that is not enough.

Many people, including Jack Black and Rashida Jones, have come out in full support of Dr. Blasey Ford, and the slogan “We Support Women” is flying around social media platforms right now. But here is the problem with that: shouldn’t we support the truth, whatever that might be, and not simply “women”? To make such a blanket statement allows for serious error on all sides. Not all women are truthful, and not all men are monsters. Couldn’t it be even remotely possible that Dr. Ford isn’t telling the truth? I’m not saying she’s not telling the truth, I’m simply saying nobody really knows. And to condemn Kavanaugh and support Dr. Ford simply because she’s a woman—well, that’s a little bit absurd, isn’t it? We need to stand for truth and justice for men and women.

This whole ordeal has smacked of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. In that case, a group of young girls accused many members of the town of witchcraft based on nothing more than circumstantial evidence. They claimed they saw these people signing the Devil’s big black book and dancing naked around ritual fires at night. There was no concrete evidence whatsoever, and yet many prominent members of the town (who’d been well respected up until then) were hanged for being witches. One man, Giles Corey, was even pressed to death when he wouldn’t admit to being a witch. What ended up happening is that old scores were settled between feuding families by these witchcraft accusations. Anyone who was upset with anyone else could simply accuse that person of witchcraft and it was almost guaranteed they would hang for it.

There are striking similarities between what happened then and what is happening now. There is no evidence to prove Kavanaugh raped Dr. Ford, and in addition to that, Dr. Ford cannot remember any details and became easily confused when recounting her story. If Kavanaugh did rape this woman, he should be punished... but there is simply no evidence. And if he didn’t do it, then the years he has spent building his good name and reputation have just been destroyed by a leftist woman looking to keep a Republican from being nominated to the Supreme Court.

Don’t you see how terrifying that is? Don’t you see how easily someone’s life can be destroyed? If all someone has to do is simply accuse someone else of sexual assault to be believed and the other person condemned, we are all in danger. Our fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons are all in danger. What is to keep someone from accusing them of sexual assault?

My husband is a high school music teacher and all it would take is one young girl who is unhappy about something in his class (such as a grade or having to turn off her phone) to accuse him of sexual assault, and by these standards, he would be guilty. That terrifies me and it should also terrify you.

We cannot, cannot condemn people without proof. Sexual assault can destroy lives but false accusations can, too.