As a man, and regarding rape and Dr Ford, I know one tiny fraction of what it’s like. I am 81 now. I was in my early forties or younger when it happened. I was a strong man and agile. I was canoeing down the Petaluma River in California with two or three of my students. They were older, thirties maybe. At least one was a woman. We had eaten a snack on shore. Out of the blue one or more held me down and the others tried to pull my swim shorts down and off. I fought back and threw them off. But the point is I felt the most horrified and panicked violation while it was happening, and I know it was a small event compared to what so many women have experienced. I have never spoken publicly about this. Why would I? There’s some sort of shame attached to it that I don’t understand. But this is a good occasion to bring it up. If I could sit in front of the old white (all) men senators, I would say, “You don’t know what you’re talking about. You have no idea what this is about and are unqualified to make any decision to seat this man for a lifetime appointment. You are criminally uninformed. And we will vote you out.”
It’s about asserting power in a situation where the victim is helpless. I think that is what your experience has in common with Dr. Ford’s. You were out there alone with people whom you trusted, and they turned on you, if only in fun.
I think that most of the men in congress who are voting to confirm have no concept of what it’s like to be in that situation. They might dismiss the whole Kavanaugh-Ford episode as a bit of prep school high-jinks. I expect that many of them may themselves have gotten out of hand at one time. But I think we need to hold our leaders, and certainly our Supreme Court justices, to a higher standard.
I am still astounded at how so much of the electorate seems willing to dismiss this kind of behavior in their leaders, including the one in the White House. Guess I need to re-read “The True Believer”.
Thanks for commenting! The thing is it doesn’t seem like jest in the moment.
Bravo, Maestro. The truth shall set us free…
And we will vote you out!! Thank you, Sterling Bennet.
You’re welcome!