The nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court has spiked a lot of outrage among the people living in the United States, with many calling him a terribly unfit choice for the position due to the fact that he is under public scrutiny for being accused of sexual assault.
Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii recently gave a statement that gained a lot of attention from both supporters of Kavanaugh and those opposing him. Hirono spoke at a news conference and said, “I expect all of the enlightened men in our country, ‘cause there must be millions of men out there who are enlightened, who also will rise up to say we cannot continue the victimization and the smearing of someone like Dr. Ford.”
For too long, issues of sexual assault and harassment have simply been swept under the rug, with the perpetrator getting nothing but a slap on the wrist for their horrendous actions. It is time for the issue to become part of everyday discussion for both men and women alike.
The excuse, “Boys will be boys” or, “It’s just in a man’s nature” are not viable, and it is time that more men acknowledged that sexual harassment is a serious issue and not just a cry for attention. It is time that the United States gets rid of the negative stigma surrounding this situation, as victims of sexual assault are afraid to speak out against their abusers because of it.
Later on in the conference, Hirono said, “I just want to say to the men in this country: Just shut up and step up. Do the right thing, for a change.” Most of the Senate and House is male-dominated, and very little is being done to help victims of sexual assault in terms of legislation. People face so many obstacles when it comes to reporting sexual assault and when they finally have the courage to speak up, there is so much pushback against the victim.
Furthermore, Hirono has stated that with enough pushback after the November election from Democrats, the empty Supreme Court seat might remain vacant until the next election in 2020, unless Republicans nominate someone more moderate. The court has no defined number of seats that need to be filled at any given point in time, with the number of judges constantly changing over the last century.
Due to all the controversy surrounding the nomination, Kavanaugh should withdraw his own nomination, not only for his benefit, but also for the reputation of the court.
The position he was nominated to fill is a lifelong position, and many Americans hold chief justices to a higher standard. Even if he is innocent, the controversy will always stay with Kavanaugh, and if he is successfully appointed to the court, the United States will become even more polarized.
It is important that people wait until the investigation is over and push for action to be taken if the process slows down. Judging the situation before both parties have had a chance to tell their side of the story will lead to false accusations and fake news, whether it be against Kavanaugh or Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, the alleged victim.
The #MeToo movement has been quickly rising and has gained an enormous amount of support from both men and women throughout the United States.
If the accusation against Kavanaugh proves to be true, action will have to be taken against the judge, and it will give the movement more momentum to continue pushing for the rights that victims need.
If the accusation, however, proves to be false, it will drastically damage the integrity of the #MeToo movement and the Democratic Party. This would all be nothing more than an attempt to grab media attention and delay Kavanaugh’s appointment to the Supreme Court.
Republicans and Democrats are in an ongoing feud, with people on both sides shifting blame to the other side. A revelation about a delayed vote for a Supreme Court justice would hurt any party responsible for impeding the process, resulting in even more division within this country.
-Katarzyna Borkowska
International Business ’19
