Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, the first among three of Brett Kavanaugh’s accusers, may be the most talked about woman in American media in the past couple weeks. As of Thursday, September 27th, Dr. Ford has faced panels of senators, both Democrat and Republican, to give her testimony against Kavanaugh after she was sexually assaulted by him as a fifteen-year-old. Dr. Ford received support from politicians, celebrities, young people, older people, sexual assault survivors, and several other communities via social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook; however, she has also received a considerable amount of criticism from those who believe that Dr. Christine Blasey Ford – a woman whose accusation was solidified by other witnesses and her own testification – is a liar out to ruin the reputation of Brett Kavanaugh.
And therein lies the problem.
Last October, the #MeToo movement caught a lightspeed amount of momentum. For many of us, we remember the articles and articles being published hourly after the first Weinstein accuser went public with her statement. This year, we encountered a repeat of history. But despite this pivotal event, we still question the validity of survivors, specifically those who are identifying themselves as women, and even blame them for the actions of their attacker. “She shouldn’t have worn that outfit” or “What was she doing at a party anyway?” are the things we hear when a woman publicly says she’s been assaulted. And this is only the tip of the iceberg.
Why is America so obsessed with protecting the reputations and livelihoods of men, especially white men in positions of power? We take the confessions of survivors like Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and instead of trying to heal this broken system, we ask “But what will become of him? How will this affect his future?” Since the creation of our country, powerful men have had the upper hand in everything ranging from economics, politics, social status, jobs, finances, and property. It’s not a secret that America doesn’t respect, much less love, minorities as it does with white men like Brett Kavanaugh. And it’s that culture that is setting our country, our “land of the free and the home of the brave,” up for inevitable failure.
Those who identify as women are thrust in a society that tells them they are lesser. They are objects to be used and abused at the will of those who are valued more than them. Their worth can be chalked up to what they wear, who they know, or how physically attractive they are. If
you’re submissive, you’re “wife material”; if you’re strong and independent, you’re probably a few choice words and someone who is just “waiting to be broken” by the right guy.
It doesn’t come as a shock that Brett Kavanaugh is being defended and uplifted by Americans. But it should be. The treatment of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford should be something we’re all appalled at and take immediate action against. Because if you’re not angry about this case, at the reactions of some our own politicians, or the support a sexual assaulter is receiving, then you’re not paying attention.
(If you wish to speak to someone from the National Sexual Assault Hotline, or RAINN, call 800-565-HOPE (4673) or visit their website at www.rainn.org)