If you’ve been living under an apolitical rock, you might’ve missed the news that Brett Kavanaugh, Supreme Justice nominee, is being questioned by a panel of legislators in the Senate. Amidst these lines of questioning (California Senator Kamala Harris bringing some of the most intense “yes” or “no” questions I have ever heard), a letter detailing an alleged sexual assault from three and a half decades ago was published via The Washington Post. Some might ask, why is this relevant? So what if a Supreme Court justice has a history of nonconsensually overpowering a woman’s body? Can you feel the sarcasm yet?
We’re existing in a period of pure political chaos; watching the news is nearly impossible if you want to avoid sensationalized opinions on Donald Trump’s every decision, as if he’s the only problem with our government. In the (fading) wake of #MeToo, sexual misconduct has been at the forefront of our headlines and it seemed, at least for a second, that survivors would find some semblance of justice for the years they’d been shamed and ignored. I’ve always had the looming feeling that this train of thought was impermanent; how could it prevail when we have a president who is the poster boy for misogynistic “locker room talk?” Also, the general consensus with #MeToo is that it’s a movement for wealthy, mostly white women, it’s apathy for other types of social change sadly obvious. I must’ve been onto something because several months prior, Judge Brett Kavanaugh was nominated to become the next Supreme Court Justice.
Let’s review some high school civics in order to refresh our memory on the purpose of a Supreme Court justice. The Supreme Court is the third branch of the government, besides the legislative (congress) and executive (president and subsequent administration) branches. They’re supposed to be able to check the power of the other two branches, justices should be neutral and consider the true interpretation of whether something is or isn’t constitutional. Not to mention, once nominated, most justices serve the court for life. There are no term limits. So, the appointment of a new judge is important, to say the least.
Back to Brett, this accusation is not surprising. A well-off white boy at an elite private school attempts to force himself onto another student? We’ve all heard the cliches of Washington. However, the relevance to the job position he is seeking is uncanny. If nominated, Kavanaugh holds so much power that he could effectively reverse benchmark reproductive decisions, such as Roe V. Wade. Even though it’s unlikely that the Supreme Court would attempt to reverse the decision, it’s not impossible. With the current discourse surrounding reproductive rights, specifically abortion, in many conservative states (will Texas give it a rest?), it’s worrying for the people who need access to birth control, abortion, and reproductive health care. The conservative agenda in favor of defunding Planned Parenthood for their apparent encouragement of abortions has been circulating for years. Even though we might be freaking out about this guy for no reason, the United States does feel like it’s coming to an Atwood-like dystopian close.
Regardless, the people are watching. Kavanaugh, who actually created the super PAC (and allowed unlimited campaign contributions from corporations to legislators), is not an ethical choice for the Supreme Court. At this point in the hearings, it’s too close of a call to know whether or not he’ll be confirmed. Only eleven senators have yet to announce their intention; two are Republican. At least one Republican will have to vote against Kavanaugh to sink his nomination. Though few of my Facebook friends are posting about this, I have yet to hear any citizen who is enthusiastically in favor of his confirmation.
It seems as though Republicans are grasping at straws for a “win,” despite their majority in both the house and senate and their administration. Frankly, it’s kind of pathetic. Mostly, though, it’s dangerous for the regular citizen.
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