Daniela Detore
@Danieladetore
I believe her.
Dr. Christine Blassy Ford, I believe you.
I write with a heavy heart.
I hope I never have to reread the words I am about to write. I hope that if I ever reread these words, that it will be a figment of my past. Our nation has come a far way from the lump that is sitting in the back of my throat.
I am hellbent for everyone to understand that Brett Kavanaugh, who was accused of sexual assault by Christine Blassy Ford, and two other women, will sit on a lifetime position on the Supreme Court. He will spend the rest of his days making decisions in regards to women’s rights.
It will impact generations to come.
How do you believe that makes women feel?
Women, if you have been elated in his confirmation, I yearn for you to understand that Kavanaugh’s confirmation is a step back in the progress we have made in the fight for equality. This will hinder the strides that have been made in support of women’s rights.
It hasn’t even been 100 years since women earned the right to vote.
We had so much further to travel and to grow before something along these lines took place.
Kavanaugh’s confirmation is verification that your vote, your opinion, your words, they never meant anything.
This opens up every closet door for all the skeletons to show. Our rights are being attacked.
I am not just referring to women’s rights, what about rights as an immigrant?
Gay rights?
Black rights?
Sit on your hands, hold down that lefty and righty.
Hundreds of people fought and died on American soil because they felt compelled to give their lives for freedom and equal rights. This is a concept that is far greater than who sits on that chair today. This is a concept that the United States of America was built upon.
Does that mean anything to anyone anymore?
How far have we come to have our President nominate someone who was accused of sexually assaulting three women to the highest judiciary system in the nation? How far have we come to have that same President mock the courageous woman of her own assault on national television.
Was there no one else qualified enough to sit on that final seat in the Supreme Court? Was it life or death? Was this a ploy from the inside to overthrow policies from Roe vs Wade? Taylor vs Louisiana? Title IX?
Is my right to govern my own body at risk?
Was “I believe you,” too much to say?
It has been just over 20 years since the Violence Against Women Act funded services for victims of rape and domestic violence, also allowing women to seek civil rights remedies for gender-related crimes. They also employed a funded 24-hour hotline for battered women.
As well as providing training to increase police and court officials’ sensitivity.
Brett Kavanaugh, where is your sensitivity?
Kavanaugh knows the law better than anyone and ironically, he was accused of breaking it.
I’m appalled that after 100 years of effort towards equality this is the type of conduct we are accepting in the highest honor the judicial system has to offer.
Freedom, the right to vote, citizenship, the right to same sex marriage, the right to peaceful protest. We march for equality, to be heard.
I march to be treated kindly by my neighbors not based off of how short my skirt is, the color of my skin or where my blood links me back to.
What Kavanaugh’s confirmation has told me is that we march so we are comforted by the people who are suppressed with us.
I write to exercise my right to peaceful protest.
But today, my pen, my fingers they feel awfully heavy.
When years of empowerment, laws, and equality start unraveling at the very seams where they were sewn, I am left mourning the loss of yesterday and in fear for tomorrow.
The confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court on Oct. 6, sent the court down years of heavy dispute on whether Kavanaugh is fit to sit in on decisions involving sexual violence and party-political partisanship. This dispute is also not limited to current cases working their way up through the judicial system. It applies to many other groups of people who have faced discrimination; gay and lesbian people, immigrants, etc.
Unresolved sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh will alter his ruling ability in upcoming cases and policies in regards to women’s right.
What does this say to those who are courageous enough to speak out?
This tells them that they will be mocked.
They will not be believed
And it doesn’t matter anyways.
This is a decision that will affect generations to come. It has belittled the #MeToo movement which became the face of all award ceremonies, sporting events and performances. It was a bigger than life movement. For the first time in history, it felt like women had turned the corner of suppression.
The movement has brought light upon cases like Bill Cosby, Larry Nassar, John Conyers, Harvey Weinstein, and Matt Lauer. Even Donald Trump has answered allegations.
Only to be halted by Kavanaugh’s confirmation.
What are we supposed to think? What does our future hold for us?
It’s a part of the Senate.
It’s in the Oval Office.
It’s now sitting on the Supreme Court.
To men and women of color, in your desperation to be more than a color in the fight for equality; to women, in your uphill battle to be more than a body, more than something so easily victimized–pray for the years to come.
The ones in power have lost empathy and humanity.
Let’s hold hands and aim for resolve.