I am so sick about hearing that Kavanaugh wasn't treated fairly. Why does he deserve fairness when us regular people aren't treated fairly? He acted like a crazy person at the hearing and was appointed anyway. I'm over 60, out of work, and can't even get an interview for jobs I'm well qualified for. And when I was working, I got the stink eye for daring to disagree with my boss or anyone else. I spoke up a lot more when I was young with no blow back.
Any why the hysterics over possible false accusations? There are some false accusations about every type of crime there is. Maybe we shouldn't ever prosecute burglary or threats of violence because occasionally feuding neighbors falsely accuse each other.
I've read recently that 1/3 of women and 1/6 of men have been sexually assaulted. It's OK for millions of people to suffer from their assault and the after effects and it's OK for the perpetrators to get away with their crimes? Just to make sure a very few people don't have to face false accusations?
Yes, he said/she said can make prosecution difficult. But I've also read about the gazillion rape kits that have never been analyzed. Calling the police right after a rape so physical evidence can be gathered doesn't do any good.
It's the responsibility of all of us to speak up when we witness a sexual assault or hear misogynistic speech. Social pressure and public shaming can work wonders. If we can shame smokers, we can shame misogynists and their enablers.
3
@DL The Kavanaugh hearing was not "just a job interview." The man stood to lose his entire career because three individuals made allegations with
absolutely no corroborating evidence whatsoever to back up their stories. Additionally, there was no way to disprove their allegations given that none involved a specific time, date, or location (ie, Kavanaugh couldn't even give an alibi). No criminal prosecutor would try a case with such little evidence. And while there is no clear-cut legal standard regarding the confirmation process for the few highly educated and distinguished individuals nominated to the Supreme Court, the allegations made don't even meet the common-sense standard to warrant further investigation by any public entity.
1
@Raya Cook
You missed the point. My entire career is ruined, and no one made any allegations against me, false or otherwise, and no one ever has. No one is cryng crocodile tears about that.
What makes Kavanaugh so precious? What makes you think his entire career would have been ruined? He already was a judge, and he would have remained a judge. Boo hoo.
All your verbiage about criminal prosecution is irrelevent.
The right mostly marches in lockstep. I'm sure a bunch of Kavanaugh Federalist Society clones are ready, willing, and able to accept a nomination to the supreme court. I assume (maybe wrongly) that none of them would make my skin crawl like Kavanaugh did.
Why are we all pretending that Christine Ford's testimony was "credible"? She presented herself as a regressed teenager and didn't recall important details about the alleged event. As a woman, I am offended that she is being treated preferentially based on her gender.
1
It is astonishing how many men defend Kavanaugh, shouting loudly for 'evidence' while we know very few sexual predators leave behind evidence or witnesses. It is also astonishing how many men don't understand rape culture, they don't understand a grope, intimidation and making every excuse for male privilege is every bit part of rape culture. Studies have shown 2% of women may make false accusations, far less the 1 in 4 women who will be victims of sexual assault. I'd be interested if any of the men defending Kavanaugh have ever asked their mothers/wives/daughters if they have been victims and what matters to them?
3
For anyone interested in debunking the "Ford was assaulted but must have mis-remembered who it was" argument, read this article, one of which's authors wrote a book about mis-identifying her rapist.
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/10/brett-kavanaugh-christine-bl...
Basically, almost all victim mis-identifications of sexual assaulters are when the perpetrator is (a) a stranger, and (b) of a different race. But when it's someone known to you, the identification error rate drops to basically zero.
5
How did it happen that an incident involving one woman and one man has turned into a referendum on the treatment of all victims of sexual abuse ?
I have two daughters, and, believe me, I would show no mercy for anyone they might accuse of assaulting them. My emotions would overpower any thought of reserving judgment until all the facts were in. I am the strongest supporter of the victimized, and have been involved in establishing a shelter for battered women. My commitment to that cause is unwavering.
Yet, I have been vilified, even viciously so, because in the Ford-Kavanaugh case, I concluded that I didn't know what happened. I listened to everything, even did my own research and, in the end, I decided that I just didn't know.
Don't get me wrong, my inclination was to believe Dr. Ford, but my inclination does not mean it is factually true.
Simply because of that, my commitment to all victims of sexual abuse has been attacked. Just because I have, in this one case, been unable to conclude one way or another, I have been ridiculed, called the worst names, and have been accused of siding with sexual offenders.
Is it no longer possible to have a sincere opinion in one instance without that becoming a litmus test for a person's entire moral fiber ? Such a reaction can serve only to drive away decent people who might be the strongest allies to a cause, simply because they had honest, good faith doubts about a single situation.
Have we become that intolerant?
11
Exactly. This was very unclear but manipulation on both sides was clear. The supporters on this page are so sure it makes me question their judgement. To me the whole thing was flimsy and not a shinning example of bias or unfairness.
2
The slightest indication of even the most minor transgression should be enough to stop a nominee to any appointed or elected government post from dog catcher to sewer commissioner to Supreme Court Justice. None of those posts are Constitutionally guaranteed.
2
"I cried in the bathroom at work, I cried at home, I cried in the car, the whole time knowing that Brett Kavanaugh would inevitably end up on the Supreme Court," so wrote a very distraught Katelyn Sullivan.
This helplessness is sad. We all should empathize with such sentiments. In 3 weeks, we will know whether the whole fiasco of Kavanaugh hearing helped or further hurt Ms. Sullivan.
As expected the House will likely flip, which could be a huge relief. The fate of the Senate is up in the air. It is possible that if enough people vote, the Senate also would flip, which would put an end to further packing of the courts with radical judges like Kavanaugh.
Whether it happens or not, Kavanaugh is unfit to remain as a Justice of the US Supreme Court. He should be impeached & ousted.
11
Women should be "resigned" and "determined" to obey the rule of law and not make false sworn statements to the police accusing men of crimes that never occurred in order to get leverage in personal disputes or make strategic political statements. And prosecutors across this nation should start to prosecute women and jail them for routinely making false accusations, because there is presently almost no punishment for this crime of misandry, a license to kill that has been handed out to women by our political class in exchange votes. Women are insulted, demeaned and discredited by the allowance of this Marxist like "scare them all" Stalinist terror tactic, and a continuance of this license to kill a man via false accusation is going to gradually kill any one's belief that women in American society are telling the truth. Regarding the 'get Kavanaugh' farce, repressed memories were determined to be unreliable decades ago. Because their 'recovery' is subject to all manner of wishful thinking on the part of those in therapy who are looking for some excuse or something/someone to blame for their own disfunction, psychosis or neurosis. Its an insult to the intelligence of Americans, and makes this nation the world's laughing stock, that Ford's precisely timed, selectively just vague enough accusations colored by her border-line insanity so that she could not be held accountable if they were found to be false were pretended to be taken seriously by our media and political class.
7
@winthrop staples
Dear Winthrop: It’s not credible to say Dr Ford was lying and Kavanaugh was truthful given the following FACTS:
1. She passed a lie detector test; he refused to take one.
2. She answered ALL the questions the prosecutor hired by the GOP asked; he evaded most questions. Maybe you didn’t watch the testimony.
3. The Calendar produced by Judge Kavanaugh supported her testimony by showing a get together on July 1 with people Dr Ford said were present and confirmed beer was consumed that night as Dr Ford testified.
4. Judge Kavanaugh tried to misdirect attention from the get together on July 1 by testifying that any such party must have been on the weekend. Why?
5. The GOP pulled the prosecutor from questioning Judge Kavanaugh. The questions were just getting to the point when they did.
To say none of the facts could be verified is simply false. This was not a trial. Proof beyond a reasonable doubt was not required. We were not able to see the results of the 45 page investigation report that was done. What is clear is that it was a limited investigation - and intentionally so - evidencing lack of good faith in getting to the truth and pretext in the decision making per the CA Supreme Court in Cotran v Rollins Hudig Hall. Yes, women sometimes lie. However, 1 in 6 women in this Country is raped in their lives and more are sexually assaulted or sexually harassed. How many men are wrongfully accused? Women are also often wrongfully accused of lying.
2
@winthrop staples when any woman related to you comes to you with their dysfunctional / neurotic - (you forgot hysterical) accusations of sexual assault, be sure to let them know they are just blaming the man for attention. You see borderline insanity while the rest of us see a man who was given a lifetime appointment to SCOTUS after breaking down in tears within 20 seconds of testifying. His demeanor was pathetic, weak, furious, and absolutely unfit for holding any office beyond dormroom alcoholic-in-training. We agree on this one point: America is a laughing stock.
3
I'm a man, so I admit to seeing this from a man's point of view. I'm aware, of course, that men can behave badly and that some men habitually do so. I can imagine that it must be deeply frustrating to be a woman who has been subject to abusive behavior and is unable to achieve any sort of justice. What I can't see, though, is how it makes sense to structure our society such that we agree to shame, shun & even punish a man based entirely on an accusation by a single woman, without any corroborating evidence. Women are humans, not saints, and are just as capable of lying as are men. Addressing the issue of sexual abuse is important, but tossing out our social & legal traditions in doing so would be a short-sighted mistake.
13
@Charles Woods. You’re missing the fact that the Rs had vowed to push this through after the testimony. They had decided beforehand. When pressed on an investigation, the WH limited it severely. Even in trials — which this was not — a pattern of behavior would be evidence, but the other accusations and others who had information to share, were ignored. And I would wonder how anyone could think he didn’t lie about the degree of his drinking (falling down drunk, passing out) when several drinking buddies were saying it happened.
So yes, there is a small percentage of false accusations. Small. And I personally do think sometimes people overreact or their memories are confused by other circumstances. But... he has a real credibility issue — and observable lack of self control, including being threatening. Enough of a reason to look for someone better for the position.
So it wasnt just one woman.
It wasn’t just sexual assault.
It wasn’t that there weren’t others to speak up.
It wasn’t a court; it was to determine fitness.
It did not depend on the assumption that women are perfect.
3
@Charles Woods Kavanagh was not shamed, shunned or punished. He was appointed to the SCOTUS, a lifetime position. Most men who rape, molest and sexually assault women suffer no consequences at all, since it is such an under reported crime. Every study that's been done shows that false rape accusations are quite rare. Your concern seems to be misplaced.
3
@Charles Woods
Except that there have been no accusations from “a single woman” in any of the high profile cases that actually gained traction. Weinstein, Cosby, Trump, Kavanaugh, Rose, Lauer, even Franken all had multiple women coming forward. The “false accusation ruining a man’s career” narrative just isn’t a thing.
4
Courtesy of the WaPost. This post is dedicated to all the Christian evangelicals who flock to the Republican Party, one assumes because the GOP represents their values. Please note the guest list. It doesn't get any better.
--
Dennis Hof, the Nevada brothel owner and Republican candidate for state Assembly, died Tuesday after a birthday party, his campaign manager said. He was 72.
Hof, a candidate for the state Assembly in a district in southern Nevada, died in the hours after a celebration that featured pornography star Ron Jeremy, former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio and anti-tax activist Grover Norquist.
2
I would be ashamed and disappointed if my daughter acted as weak as these women/girls.
4
Heard? Women never stop talking.
What can the disappointed and offended women do, short of resorting to either indiscriminate, or targeted viricide?
1
When the Democrats take over we need to reinvestigate Kavanaugh and when all the women he sexually abused have spoken remove him from office. The Republicans did a poor job investigating and were rushing just to please their culture of corruption catholics and evangelicals who accepted this immoral man. We will have a chance to do it right.
5
@D.j.j.k.: Your investigative concern is misplaced. The Democrats and the Media did the poor job of investigating. They are the ones making the accusations and are therefore responsible for proving their accusations.
As a quickie, the Democrats had the resources such as lawyers and investigators who could have vetted Ford before putting her on the "stand". Apparently they did nothing to vet her and simply believed that the her unsupported testimony would inflame the mob resulting in Kavanaugh nomination being withdrawn. That didn't work.
1
Before we get too exercised about things, let's keep three things in mind. First, this is a puff piece. It's not opinion, nor journalism. It's a bunch of quotes, not essentially different from the moronic rants of Trump supporters interviewed by the Times. It's entertainment.
Second, if you want to make a difference, pick your fights more carefully. There was never any hope of defeating Kavanaugh, and if you were counting on Susan Collins, then you don't read the news very often. Don't waste your tears on this one.
Third, if you think that a 35 year old grievance, completely without corroboration, should be enough to defeat a nominee, then you'll have to accept that it will happen to nominees you support as well. This is a big country, and there will always be a woman willing to smear somebody, for the 15 minutes of fame, if nothing else. And if your position is, as it seems to be, that due process has no place in our society so long as the accuser is a woman, you're going to lose a lot of support all across the political spectrum, as well as stirring up the men who now think that THEY are the victims. And that is exactly what happened, and it will hurt at election time.
Men's fear of false accusation is not without foundation. Unfortunately, women do sometimes lie, just like men. Back in June, one Nikki Yovino pleaded guilty to falsely accusing two men of raping her. She was sent to jail, but not before ruining the lives of two innocent men.
4
When it has been documented that false accusations of rape are probably around 2%, it effectively IS without foundation.
3
After the Women's Marches, the NYT had a front page article suggesting that this energy would not amount to much. Almost two years later we see women leading grass roots resistance and running for office all over the country. Maybe it's time to stop underestimating women's determination. Sad about Kavanaugh? Maybe even distraught? Sure, but we'll dust ourselves off and get back in the fight, however long it lasts. What other choice do we have?
1
Must women be a herd?
2
"Will the main result be resignation and withdrawal, or will it redouble activism and engagement?"
Or will the main result be a recognition that the presumption of innocence is even more sacrosanct than the blanket axiom that "women must be believed?"
Or will the main result be that women will fear the mob who would disbelieve their sons, brothers, fathers and male relations just because they are male?
Or will the main result be that women will realize that there is no monolith with a uni-dimensional world view called "women"?
Or will the main result be that women will teach their children that the NYT will engage in dogmatic identity politics, just as will any right-wing media outlet , and that the greatest responsibility comes in thinking for themselves?
3
Tears of rage. Aside from 9/11 and the election of Donald Trump, I can’t think of a worse feeling as an American. The Republicans are so oblivious to the terrible damage they are causing this nation. I hope they lose in November and every election thereafter.
6
Dr Ford should not have put herself at risk is one argument to be used. Boys will be boys... is another. Women are exploited. Why? Because they CAN be! This is not going to change until the bots take over or aliens arrive and enslave us all.
1
@chairmanj
My argument is that Ms. Ford should not have lied.
4
@jaco
How do you know she lied?
No evidence of that whatsoever. The fact that Kavano’s drinking buddies lied is a far greater probability. Mark Judge wrote a book about these shenanigans and the white male supremist senators chose to ignore what he wrote
1
On "Sixty Minutes", Trump actually said that it didn't matter whether or not Kavanaugh's accuser was telling the truth because "we won". That is in my book the most disgraceful sentence to ever come out of a president's mouth.
Now we, the people, get to decide if Trump and his side won. If the Democrats take the House, I will expect Kavanaugh to be investigated thoroughly, in a way that follows the evidence wherever it leads. And if it is found that Kavanaugh lied under oath about anything - anything at all - then I expect him to be impeached.
If that happens, the United States of America will have won.
23
The most depressing comment I read in this article was the woman in Minnesota who felt like her vote wouldn’t count because of the Electoral College.
One, the Electoral College Is not a factor in mid-term elections.
Two, with the Electoral College, turnout is even a bigger factor than in the mid-term elections. In 2016, more people didn’t even vote than voted for either candidate. In 2000, Ralph Nader didn’t give the election to Bush. His few thousand votes were dwarfed by the tens of thousands that stayed away in Florida.
Put on your calendar for Election Day, the only way you throw your vote away is to stay way.
If you have a problem showing up on Election Day, check if you can vote early, either in person or by mail. My wife, Minnesota precinct election judge always votes by mail. She can’t vote on Election Day because she is generally assigned to a precinct other than our own.
Mathematically, the Electoral College only functions properly when the turnout is high. It has been documented repeatedly that when turnout is low, in any election, for any reason (rain, voter confusion, apathy) the hard core who make their way to the polls are over represented and the results are skewed.
2
This whole Presidency has triggered my PTSD issues, starting with his brilliant impersonation of an abusive husband about to smash his wife's face in while he was debating Hillary during the campaign.
It's been a rough time. I've had the full menu an American girl can suffer. Domestic violence in the home growing up, assaulted three times by the age of 21.
This man is just a nightmare to me. He enjoys triggering trauma in women . He's practiced at it.
I have redoubled and retripled my engagement. Donating money to Democrats helps a lot.
This has brought to my attention that I am not as happily healed from my bad life experiences as I believed before President Woman Abuser was elected.
But there is healing in activism. That has been measured scientifically I believe.
4
Women may have lost the Battle of Brett Kavanaugh, but it exposed the cruel misogyny of the Republican Party's white male patriarchy and Donald Trump's dark, death-wish like mockery of Dr, Christine Blasey Ford. The next battle is just a few weeks away with the November 6 midterm elections. The election is about human decency and respect for women--their right to equal respect, control over their bodies, and the end of victimization of sexual assault. The forces of masculine darkness and it's perversion to death is confronting the life force representing the feminine. The Prince of Darkness may mock Dr. Ford, call out Sen. Elizabeth Warren as Pocahontas, and Stormy Daniels as "Horseface." but women have the vote thanks to their suffragette progenitors and now they can demand equality, respect, decency, and the nurturing, compassionate life-force they embrace and represent. It's another battle, like the Civil War, for their emancipation from male bondage. Now it the time to brush aside "despair, rage, fear, and hopelessness" and vote for hope, love, compassion, and respect.
5
Anyone who demands that due process be dismissed in the course of “being heard” is suspect. No one should be able to demand that their accusations be taken as fact without corroboration. Anyone who does should be required to explain how they differ from those who conducted the Salem Witch Trials. Trials that had nothing to do with witches and everything to do with acquiring wealth and power.
4
Due process only exists as a right in criminal proceedings. As long as I’m not a member of a protected group carrying out protected activities, anything I do can cause me to not be hired, promoted or retained by any employer. This includes nominees for Associate Justice of the SCOTUS.
1
The fight will never be completely over. That doesn't mean those of us committed to the fight should quit, or even take a breather. Kavanaugh and his ilk are not going stop trying to dismantle any and all of the progress women have made. All the Kavanaugh hearings have done is clearly identify the opposition, and delineate the scope of the work that needs to be done. RBG has committed to work until she is 90. How can we commit to less?
5
"Laura Stahl, of Los Angeles, said she is resolved to vote. 'But I am so afraid that my voice does not matter.'"
Trying be a conservative in winner--Hillary--take-all California. If there is unfairness, it lies in Lenin's Bay Area with Feinstein and Harris and Moonbeam's Sacramento.
2
Similar to democracy, women's rights must be constantly fought for or lost. You young ones out there, don't ever take any of your female rights for granted, ever. Think of those who came before you, who fought hard to get where women are at today. And there's still a lot of work to be done. Don't give up.
2
Stay engaged. Work at the state and local level to elect candidates who represent humane, progressive values. Vote.
3
I wonder what men think.
The words of President Trump are a form of psychological warfare, in my opinion. Their intended effect upon those who don't support him is fear and demoralization. Liberals and conservatives (or really, pro-and anti-Trumpers) are actively engaged in psychological combat over our national reality. So we anti-Trumpers can't let ourselves be gaslit into believing the President's version of events is the way things really are, or even that the majority in this country believe the President's version of events. Neither is true. It's all psy-ops.
1
1944:
17, 18 and 19 year olds jump off landing vehicles into German machine gun fire on the beaches of Normandy.
2018:
"I cried in the bathroom at work, I cried at home, I cried in the car, the whole time knowing that Brett Kavanaugh would inevitably end up on the Supreme Court,” wrote Katelyn Sullivan, a 27-year-old.
and so you have witnessed the death of the spirit that once made America the greatest country in the world
3
@bored critic
Apples and oranges.
@bored critic
You give an interesting example here. And you've reminded me that Kavanaugh is a grown man safe from the perils of war in his protected world.
How dare he yell and cry about being victimized by verbal criticism from Democrats when those soldiers did risk their lives in Normandy!
Talk about the American spirit...
2
I let my 6 year old daughter watch Dr. Ford’s testimony and we listened on the radio as well on the way to school.
When all this was over with, I told her how the senate responded. I said Dr. Ford said he did it, but that Kavanaugh said he didn’t. What did she think?
“She went all the way to the Supreme Court to tell her story about Brett Karble. She was there. She knows what happened. They didn’t listen to her this time, but a lot of people did, and next time more people will listen to her story. She persisted and that’s what I have to do.”
I kid you not, these were her words. The frothing Lindsey Graham’s of this world will not win. Not in the end. Someday the grown men in this country will grow up.
11
@Theo Baker
A six year old said THAT?
Sounds like parental projection.
If not, have you considered applying to Harvard next year for her?
1
the media fanned the flames of outrage the entire time. awful. Meanwhile the accusations were from his childhood. Let's have Feinstein and the media at least share part of the blame for this suffering?
3
I wonder if we are to judge people by objective standards of their judicial records or not. Are we going to evaluate individuals by what might have happened in High School, or decades of different actions? I oppose anybody who abuses people, especially children because they are at great risk. Those who abuse women are a close second in my disgust, especially if they use their position in doing so. Women need to report such immediately, and if possible take very strong actions against abuse immediately as well.
2
@vulcanalex
" Women need to report such immediately, and if possible take very strong actions against abuse immediately as well."
After this much time on this topic, you really ought to know how low the conviction rate is for sexual assault in this country.
Strong actions require a prosecutor who believes you. Women cannot take strong actions on our own, unless you're recommending that we become vigilantes and patrol the streets in Batmobiles like Batman.
2
@vulcanalex Not 36 years later without any place or any witness or any reports or anything like a time, a date, a place???
The left isn't sick - they're insane!
2
When the position is of such an elevated nature the mere presence of a cloud should be enough to derail the nomination. Kavanaugh’s reputation alone should be enough to keep him out of the running to manage a big box store much less find himself in a judicial role. Don’t we have enough untarnished men and women who have the education, experience and temperament for SCOTUS?
1
We do not live in an "entrenched political structure still controlled by older white men." We live in an entrenched political structure controlled by Trump and his many supporters of both genders. Calling Congress to discourage confirmation of Kavanaugh would have been the ultimate hail Mary. The time when we had real influence to improve the situation for women was in 2016, but most White women chose Trump instead. Women are not minor players in politics. They are a majority and they have the vote, which by force of logic means they determine the outcome of every election, either by voting or staying home. I can see why older White men make an attractive target for frustration right now, but the fact is that things are the way they are because of the choices White women, in the aggregate, have made.
5
What I take from the Kavanaugh hearings is secret keeping needs to stop and documenting unwanted sexual experiences needs to start NOW. Perpetrators will deny, deny, deny. Silence is their friend.
Denial can be overcome by documentation. Time is of the essence when credibility is at issue. Girls/women should be prepared to have a buddy they can confide in immediately after the unwanted sexual event. Waiting to find this buddy after the event is too late.
Girls/women should have materials ready to record the who, what, where and when of their unwanted sexual experience. Be like James Comey and write your memorandum. Also, take pictures of any injuries, torn clothes, bruises.
What we have learned from #MeToo is that if female you are at risk. It is not enough to avoid “situations”. They will occur regardless, and when they do silence is not an alternative.
The denials made by perpetrators rely on silence and lack of record. Maybe, just maybe, the breach of silence can be a deterrent.
1
Kav has 2 daughters and a wife. What really bad things are you expecting from that person?
9
@leaningleft
I expect as a Roman Catholic he will inculcate the anti abortion ethos in all three. Not that is bad in itself but the worry is that he will try to press his religious beliefs into law which might affect my females.
@leaningleft Serial sexual predators like Kavanaugh do not assault every female they encounter. They assault selectively, while living a deliberate double life to create a set of people who don't believe they could possibly be violent criminals. Based on research on many sexual predators and their descriptions of their conduct, I expect Kavanaugh to continue his sexual predation, and to abuse his position on the Court to harm the majority of our population in any way he can. He will enjoy that.
3
@leaningleft Undoing of Roe v. Wade, i.e. forced pregnancy in a country that penalizes people for being poor.
Dear NYT:
The Times' obvious desire to whip up an angry anti-Trump, neo-fem movement in the aftermath of the Kavanaugh loss (yes, the Left lost this) is evidenced in this transparently unscientific, "personalized" and emotion-driven followup.
It is all about ginning up raw feelings of personal despair and victimhood and blaming Republicans for how bad we all feel, or should feel , if us men would only heed Sen. Hirono and just shut up and stand up, or is it sit up and shut down our rational selves?
The Times' appeals to anger and hatred seem to work. Readers bemoan that the "Party of White Privilege" is all about maintaining the patriarchy, assisted by sell-out white women.
Is this hatred really what The Times wants to build into a movement?
Shame on you.
18
@Jorge
I don't hate you. I'm just trying to keep myself safe from that horrible man you put in office.
Watch the debate with Hillary. He looks like an abuser winding up with rage to attack his wife with violence. I know what that rage-face, vocal tone and balled up fists mean, because I grew up with that.
The New York Times didn't create that image. Trump created it when he chose to put that rage-face and those balled-up fists on TV.
There is nothing you could ever do or say to change my opinion about him after watching him act out like that. This is not hatred. This is a determination to reject that way of treating women 100%.
He can go off and have his own happy life once he's out of office and stops foisting his disdain for women on the American public every single day.
And I cannot even think of a Republican President who'd be embroiled with a porn star, to subject the American people to that, and to the awful spectacle of watching him lash out at her with childish insults online.
He can accuse her of having cooties next. And maybe she even picks her nose and eats it. We might be hearing about that one soon.
Is that what you really want in a leader? He's supposed to serve the WHOLE country, not just the people who show up at his rallies, you know.
3
@jorge
This has nothing to do with hate and everything to do with anger and justice. Those are two very different things. Women don’t hate men but they are very tired of men not listening or belittling their situations. That was what Senator Hirono was referring to when she made her comment. Men often misunderstand just like you did. So it is time for women to make themselves heard and understood loud and clear.
4
This is not reporting--it is an opinion pieced dressed up as reporting. Susan Chira routinely does this. A couple of conflicted perspectives thrown in for appearances only but the agenda is obvious. This article doesn't even begin to get close to the truth of what the broad swath of women think and feel. The people that were interviewed were cherry picked. I'd like to see all the primary notes the author and contributors took and how they shaped the article to be a piece of advocacy. Bottom line: rage is a fleeting emotion--its hard to keep it up and it rarely accomplishes enduring change.Women are smart--they know this is true which is why they are especially frustrated by the pointlessness of their rage....
10
rally as many women as possible and vote. no easier way out of this mess.
4
Strange.
These women act as though Kavanaugh assaulted them.
Same thing happened with Thomas.
Instead of going after the person who assaulted them, they took it out on Kavanaugh and Thomas.
They don't even comprehend the injustice of it.
13
Another article based on feeling over facts. If we allow this feelings driven narrative to propel our politics we can just give up on democracy, meritocracy, and freedom in general.
12
@Mystery Lits Rape is not a "feeling." Rape is a violent crime. Currently, the majority of American men, women, and children are victims of this violent crime (24% of children, 40-50% of adult women, and an unknown percent of adult men). Not feelings: A violent criminal epidemic. Having a serial sexual predator on our highest court means that one branch of our government has lost all credibility. That is not "feelings." It is fact.
2
What can angry people do when a case has not been made? Remember that taking an alleged victim at her unquestioned word is what got Emmet Till lynched.
9
I believe what got him lynched was racism...
1
THIS is why lots of conservatives held their noses and voted for DT: to keep the judiciary out of the hands of the people profiled here. People for whom the phrase “older white men” is fightin’ words.
Can you imagine the horror if the “believe women” crowd ever took power? Last week, the story broke of an innocent man sprung from prison after 45 years, all based on the testimony of a victim. She was sure at trial; she was wrong. THIS is the model these “believe women” folks would emulate!! If you’re not terrified that they might win, you should be.
Do you want people who regard dissent by other women – not so crazy, who vote on actual evidence – as “betrayal”? It’s not that they chose him over her; it’s that the charges were spectacularly weak and utterly unsupported. We KNOW people lie. We KNOW memory is fallible, especially when infected with trauma and alcohol. That’s why people who aren’t “screaming into the void” supported Kavanaugh. His was, logically, the more compelling case. By far.
Remember, the overwhelming majority of #Metoo perps have been deep blue, pro-abortion, Planned-Parenthood-supporting, Democratic-donating men. And far too many leftist women excuse execrable behavior by men like WJC and Schneiderman because they’re progressives.
Far too much of this rhetoric is “us vs. them”. There is far too much screaming, shrieking, chanting, shouting, and marching. If the folks profiled her led with logic and not emotion, they’d make much better arguments.
13
Did you listen to their testimony? Who in their right mind would ever put themselves through this kind of a public nightmare if she weren’t actually telling the truth? She had absolutely nothing to gain and everything to lose by coming forward. That’s why I believe her. It’s quite logical, really. Also, he was a raging maniac that Thursday. Thanks and have a nice day. :-)
1
The day of arrogant white men calling all shots is almost over and good riddance. Women have the ability to make it happen sooner by your activism, voting and expectations of the men in your lives, particularly your sons.
5
Keep pushing and organizing. Get your your kids to practice yelling NO at the top of their lungs and teach them the importance of voting. Vote for Gods sake. Many thousands have fought and died for this right.
There are thousands living in tents in Texas who would gladly take your place.
Do it for them!
5
@Bob
Please don't encourage your children to be part of the mob.
3
@jaco
I think yelling no at the top of your lungs means a response to sexual assault not mob behavior.
@Bob Don't vote for God's sake, vote for Women's sake!
Why did this article include the voices of Rape Apologist Trump voters? Chira already did an article about those pathetic enablers. Why are they getting more space than the women with backbones who are determined to fight even HARDER after the Kavanaugh debacle? If anything, it proved how important it is that more women take power. The NYT is as male dominated as any other institution, and it sure does show. Do better, Times, or you WILL be failing.
8
@Penny White
Outrageous. There are exactly no rape apologists among Trump voters. Period.
There are, however, people who heard both Dr Blasey Ford and Judge Kavanaugh and decided in the absense of no direct or circumstantial evidence whatsoever that we simply cannot destroy a man without corroboration. Well, some of us at least are unwilling to do so.
16
@Penny White
As a male boomer, I am proud of all we achieved in bringing about civil rights and de jure gender equity.
There is much left to do, but it mostly involves education, attitude, and mutual respect. I don't want my wonderful daughters poisoned with a toxic gender hatred. It is a disease, not an ideology.
The next successes will likely come about not through litigation or angry agit-prop street theater from celebrity pussy-hat wearing Trump haters, but because men and women take the time to better understand and love one another, as well as those whose gender is not so traditional. Gender is a spectrum, like race, and it is time to stop pretending otherwise.
Men are not holding you down, not even figuratively. There is no no law or work norm holding down women from creating this brave new world, except hatred and blindness to our shared human condition., which transcends gender, race and class.
2
It is difficult to get corroboration when the FBI was prohibited from doing a proper background investigation.
1
The only satisfying resolution to this narrative is for a woman to be elected President in 2020. A reachable goal.
6
@Ms. Boyer
Indeed.
I’m looking forward to President Nikki Haley in the near future!
9
Why aren't he women accusing Keith Ellison of sexual misconduct being featured? Hillary claimed that all women who are the victim of sexual misconduct have a right to be heard. With that in mind, the Times should have their stories on the front page.
13
@Steve R., not just Keith Ellison. Also Democrat Gil Cisneros, running in a Congressional District in California critical to Democratic Party's hopes of flipping the House. For 5 or 6 months, a woman who is active in the California Democratic Party and who was running for state level position alleged Cisneros had sexually harassed her, via quid pro quo offer/demand of sex for campaign financing and logistical support/advice for her own political aspirations. Suddenly, with the Kavanaugh matter in the news & the Cisneros harassment an awkward contrast, similar to Keith Ellison, the California Democratic Party staged an "intervention" and mediation with the woman. Who then, after this private intervention meeting, decided that she had made a mistake and it was just a big misunderstanding on her part.
Aha. Wonder what was said, offered, promised, etc. by the people involved in the intervention and mediation.
4
@Steve R.
Simple answer. He’s a Democrat.
5
The Democrats - Not Dr. Ford, engaged in a ham handed attempt to weaponize the #metoo movement and it blew up in women's faces. The Democrats did it because they were impotent to do anything about Kavanaugh sailing onto the court in a mid-term election year. Democrats threw Dr. Ford into the maelstrom knowing full well her story had serious problems with substantiation. It spun wildly out of control when opportunist like Michael Avenatti piled on spewing allegations of 10 gang rapes. It only got worse when US Senators went on TV before the nation and parsed out the meaning of words adolescent boys wrote in their year books 35 years ago. Senator Collins got it right in her summation and I agree with her Vote.
17
@mkm You certainly have the right to agree with the Senate Republicans. Of that there is no question. But there is plenty to debate beyond your right to approve or disapprove. Substantiation? How is such a thing possible when the very people who could provide substantive evidence were not allowed to do so? Guilty people hide evidence. Where you see Democrats running around with their hair on fire, I see Republicans so utterly terrified that the truth would become known that they allowed just ONE copy of what we all know was a farce of an FBI report to begin with. It's also hard to swallow the usage of the term "ham handed." Most of us can think of no better term to describe the way the Republicans rammed this confirmation down the throat of our nation. What's the hurry fellas? Callously abolishing aside norm after norm to win? That's not what truly powerful people do. That's a group of dinosaurs who have become so irrelevant, so dis-empowered by avarice and amorality that they have no choice but to cheat if they stand a chance of winning. I saw women huddled around phones crying as this farce played out. This touched the most terrified and wounded place within many of them. They will not forget the way men treated women, the way Grassley feigned righteousness. They will vote accordingly.
3
"“I cried in the bathroom at work, I cried at home, I cried in the car. . . ."
And the stereotype lives on.
16
About half of white women support Trump, the Republican Party, and Kavanaugh. This split has not only validated sexual assault, it’s likely abortion will be legal only on the coasts and Northeast. Most rural white women believe women’s equality, feminism, and the right to abortion are threats to the traditional Christian family, supporting Trump and the Republican Party. After the grassroots militant feminist movement of the ‘70s ebbed, organizations like Planned Parenthood slipped into dependence on the Democratic Party. While Trump is militant in defense of his base, the Democrats are weak and ineffective in defending women’s rights, in my opinion permanently. Organize in neighborhoods and workplaces for women’s rights, including for family issues like affordable daycare, rural health clinics, unions, a job guarantee, and defend public schools.
2
Like many I swing between cautious hope and despair. Ms. Ford's experience - shared so vulnerably and publicly - brought to the fore my own experience of sexual assault. That hand on the mouth thing was visceral for me, like a physical jolt that wouldn't let me keep that memory shoved to the back of my mind. I'm still reeling from it, and so scared for the world my daughters face - one that I expected to be somehow more evolved, with more justice for women and people of color. It's entirely realistic to acknowledge our rights could be significantly eroded over the foreseeable future. But I will keep on voting and speaking out for my values.
7
It's hard to make predictions, especially about the future. Nevertheless I predict that next month over 50% of non graduate women in the central United States will vote Republican. Not New Yorkers for sure, but even now they don't understand the disregard in which they are held elsewhere in the USA.
The Stop Kavanaugh enterprise has been defeated. There are other battles to fight. Move on.
At least you still have a country. In my children's lifetime the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will cease to exist. Most English people say 'bring it on'. I will probably not be here to see it, so I don't know if they will live to regret it.
@Michael Gover Probably more like 75% and they are not doing so because of their husbands either.
Hillary doesn’t help, does she? She makes it sound as if it’s all just about politics. So Kavanaugh should be impeached, but Bill is beyond reproach. It’s pretty hard to swallow.
3
I have a very simple solution for these disillusioned women - vote. More specifically, vote for the Democrat, no matter who it is.
In November of 2016, 80,000 votes for Hillary Clinton would have prevented our national demeaning.
Yet a majority of these disillusioned women's white sisters voted for a man who admitted to grabbing women without their consent in a venerable spot over another women who President Obama said was the most qualified person to ever run for the office. I would have thought the grabbing women without their concent would have been a deal breaker even if the opponent wasn't as intelligent and celebrated as Hillary Clinton.
Thought I am loath to call anything the Reality Show Con Artist does a "policy", all knew his Supreme Court pick was going to go to placate his evangelist supporters and more than likely that pick was going to vote to restrict a women's right to choose, sending their sisters and their daughter to back alleys to get an abortion even in cases of incest and rape.
If these women want to make a real difference instead of empty gestures and meaningless platitudes, they don't need to march in the streets, only door to door to get other women registered and voting for the Democratic Candidate.
It may not be as sexy, exciting and congenial as "marching" or "protesting" but it is much more effective.
16
Some things in our life experience are so horrible, they shake our sense of life's standards so completely, that we awaken to a truth we wouldn't have known otherwise. For millions of decent American women (and men), watching the Kavanaugh confirmation (amid the GOP effectively supporting sexual assault) was that horrible moment of awakening to the truth that was already surrounding them: there is a devastating epidemic of misogyny in our country.
I had my awakening to the omnipresence of misogyny 2 years ago, and let me tell you - it hurt. Suddenly, I could see it EVERYWHERE. I even saw it in me, in the subtle ways I devalued myself and other women based simply on our gender. How could I have avoided it? It was present throughout my upbringing, in most song lyrics, movies, in books, in all the major religions, in discussions at work and among friends. There were very few places that offered sanctuary from anti-female sentiment. But through the pain of this realization came something powerful and unshakable: I had had enough. My tolerance for misogyny was nil. I now knew my worth and was NEVER going back to tolerating misogynistic behavior.
So awakening women and men of America: you will make it through this trying time. And when you do, you will become an unstoppable force for human rights. I welcome you with open arms.
Once awakened, you will never back down again.
8
The clear signal for women is that they ought not entrust Republican men, bosses, attorneys, judges, senators or presidents with any real authority over any vulnerable aspects of their lives. The Republican extremists who run the USA proved that they really didn't care what women had to say about Kavanaugh, they didn't care to really investigate the charges, their main response was to play political games as they denied women like Ms. Blasey Ford her right to equal protection of the law. There is no equal protection of the law for women so long as the Republicans are running the government. Something beautiful was lost when the Senate confirmed Kavanaugh, it was the trust of millions of women in the current government of the USA. If women are to be respected then Republicans must be voted out of leadership.
5
Women of America: DON'T GIVE UP! We may have lost this battle, but we will prevail in the end. Remember what Dr. King said about the arc of history and justice. The American power structures (disproportionately male, white, straight, etc.) will not share its power easily. But in the end it will have to accommodate us. You are doing your country a great service by speaking up for yourselves. Keep doing it. Your daughters will be grateful. So will your sons.
11
If this battle was too "bruising" to keep fighting/organizing- please don't tell them about the piles of untested rape kits- mostly provided by poor women, with allegations of far more violent sexual assaults.
It is upsetting that anyone would frame the result of the Kavanaugh hearings as "reason to withdraw" from political engagement. It is supposed to work the other way around.
1
The outrage because an accuser, who failed to present one shred of evidence to support her specious allegation, has now become the new threshold for proof? If this is the level of proof that the Dems and the supporters of Ford want to establish as the law of the land, I can only thank the wisdom of the Founding Fathers to have written the US Constitution that afforded safeguards and standards to protect the accused.
12
This was not a trial, it was a job interview. I have the opportunity to interview and make hiring decisions in my work, and I would not hire someone who threw a tantrum, and was clearly dishonest during an interview, to clean toilets, let alone be appointed to the Supreme Court. You might not believe Dr Blasey Ford, but you saw evidence of an explosive temperament in the judge in front of all of America. For me, that was more than enough to say this person is not qualified.
30
@Serra Toney: Ok. How many job interviews begin with the hiring official making aggressive unfounded accusations aimed at character assassination?
Women's directionless rage highlights the dire need for loud and contemporary leaders in this feminist movement, especially as it relates to politics. #MeToo of 2017 had several famous women with assault stories, a coalition that created Time's Up and a group of seasoned activists to coordinate large protests. We need a leader for #MeToo 2018 and 2019.
1
How about learning from it, in regards to corroboration, memory, and due process instead of framing it terms of (all) women winning or losing? Sexual harassment is not somehow exempt from American traditions of presumption of innocence, due process, statute of limitations, and reasonable judgement. Nor is it a universal thing, to be judged by today's standards without regard for the actual milleau of occurance. Perhaps even acknowledge that good people can disagree without being defilers of all women. This is only a zero sum if it is made so by radicals on one side or the other.
9
A man with an impeccable record both professionally and privately as an adult gets accused of something 36 years ago and there is no evidence whatsoever that it happened and these women are distraught? What? Really? What does this say about these women?
26
@JP How do you know there was no evidence? Plenty of people were volunteering to talk to the FBI but the FBI's hands were tied and it was a sham "investigation." Neither the conservatives nor the President were interested in finding out the truth. Just move along ladies...
And what does 36 years have to do with uncovering the truth?! Is the Catholic Church to be let off the hook because so many of the children that were abused by priests are only speaking up now decades later?
Also, his record on the bench is hardly stellar or even professional. Look into the case where he was trying to force an immigrant to have an abortion by continually asking her to return to his court for bureaucratic reasons. Fortunately another court stepped in an allowed her to have the abortion before TX laws outlawed it.
@JP
I was wondering the same, though less generously.
1
It’s been a long time since he tried to rape girls. All should be forgiven! Lets hire him!
1
Maybe folks should try bringing credible claims and evidence instead of smears and innuendo. There is a difference between being heard and being believed. If accusers were heard and then believed w/o evidence the Duke Lacrosse team would be in jail for nothing.
9
“The words they choose: Despair. Rage. Fear. Hopelessness. Determination.”
Why weren’t these words chosen when Bill Clinton’s numerous credible accusers tried to tell their story? Why weren’t they chosen when Hillary dragged them all through the mud in order to preserve her political future? Seriously? Didn’t fit the narrative back then? Or are those words chosen only when a Republican is accused?
19
Some of these women weren't old enough to vote back then. Things are changing. - Thank goodness for the millennials. I am disgusted with the behavior of this gaggle of old white men.
- I am a middle aged person who can't wait to see the changing demographic give these old guys the fight of their lives. It will happen.
3
The desperation and hopelessness these women express is what the democratic party calls victory.
The constant bombardment from the media, hollywood and the left on the evils of the American male and the harm he does to women and the country are a gift from heaven for conservatives.
14
Each day the Justices appear for a Supreme Court session to which the public is invited, a lone protester needs to be led away from the visitor gallery shouting "Thomas and Kavanaugh: Perjury is a Crime!" or similar.
Just one protester per day.
Then another lone protester, then another, a new person each time. It would only take maybe 100 people per year.
It could be a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage situation, like a haj.
5
@Doug McKenna Great idea if you want the public banned forever.
1
I know so many women that will not say they are republicans if asked. I have two girls in college that are afraid their grades will be effected if it is know they are conservative. They will never say that they support Trump or Kavanaugh. The Democratic Party and the left has silenced them. The left has become something to be afraid of now. Congratulations.
7
Our despair was brief but our call to action will endure. We will vote, rally, march and continue to use our first amendment rights to get in the faces of the our representatives to make our voices heard. I have marched locally but am planning for the first time to attend the Women's March in DC in January.
5
One of the worst days of my life was the morning I awoke to find that our country had elected Donald Trump. I literally could not get out of bed that morning. Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court was just as soul crushing.
From an evolutionary standpoint, humans have a need to feel in control of their environment, their world, in order to better their chances of survival.
The first thing I did after Kavanaugh was sworn in as justice to the Supreme Court was make an on-line donation to moveon.org. I followed this up with a donation to the political campaign of a 29-year-old Democrat, Ammar Campa-Najjar, running against a flagrantly corrupt and entitled California Republican congressman, Duncan Hunter.
I cannot sit idle against the growing forces of tyranny actively undermining our once great nation. And I fervently hope that other civic-minded citizens who still believe in the ideals of democracy and the rule of law won't let up, either.
12
We are living in a time of brutal honesty. The racism and mysogeny which seem so visible in the public discourse have been with us for a long time. The difference is that now there are a lot of people motivated to counteract these destructive behaviors. It's ok to get tired. It's not ok to give up. Gaining awareness of the problem is the first step towards solving it.
4
What do you do when you get knocked down? Get up and work harder. That may sound like a male approach, but I suggest that it's a human approach. No one ever promised that the fight would be an easy one.
6
@JJM Why should women even have to fight for basic human rights? Why can't men just give it a rest and grow up?!!! I'm so sick of male entitlement.
2
@Kathy
I live in Pasadena, California. We still have our Hilary lawn signs up. I want that creep impeached.
These are the people who didn’t think their was anything wrong with Roy More. Susan Collins will lose in 2020.
1
@Kathy
Who said women should have to fight? But the world is what it is--there's lots of injustice out there. We can oppose it or try to live with it.
Male power didn't rule the day, human logical reasoning ruled the day.
9
The Party of White Privilege is all about maintaining the patriarchy which extends to their female counterparts. I’ve seen it all across the country. The Trump enthusiasts are all about keeping ‘em barefoot and pregnant. Literally and figuratively.
8
What white privilege has to do about a non event that did not happened 35 years ago. Those who decry the appointment of now Justice Kavanaugh should head the warning uttered by many: the burden of proof rests on the accuser. The presumption of innocence guides everything in our society.
Personally, I did not believe her. She tried the lost little lamb in her looks, in her demeanor and in her voice. Her memory is atrocious. She can't remember things that happened a few weeks/months ago.
Women deserve credibility when they are credible. A number like the aforementioned lessens the credibility of all women. When I read that women cried and cried about it gave me pause. If I had cried then it would have been for Justice Kavanaugh. A good man was unjustly accused and many condemned him without a second thought. Now that's worth crying over.
5
@Danielle Davidson
Interesting that following her testimony the President said he found Dr. Ford credible. That is precisely the word he used. Those are facts.
You didn’t share the President’s view which he held until he could no longer contain his infantile behavior. You have decided that it was her voice and her demeanor that unearthed the core truth to you.
Well done! Your a psychic.
My daughter, wearing the jean jacket, is in the picture for this article. I can assured you she and her college-age peers are VERY determined. They will not forget this moment.
82
Of course I meant to say, "I can assure you..."
@Jordan She may not forget but she may get discouraged if the powers that be and those that twisted the reality and logic of those caught in the #metoo movement realize they've been scammed by the left.
2
From your lips to God’s ears! Fight! Resist!
The GOP has the majority of dems right where they want them: along the coasts where they can limit Dem Damage during elections. More dems have to move inland where their votes are worth more, to balance the effect on the Electoral College. I live in St Louis - housing is cheap and the seasons are nice. It's not so bad! I feel like, by living here and voting in every election, I am doing what I can to help.
34
Maybe we could work to make one person one vote for the presidency, the only person who represents all Americans. And extend the vote to Puerto Rico, the USVI, Guam and other overseas territories and possessions. Those folks are Americans too.
3
I’d be one of those who feel resigned to the Kavanaugh appointment. Unfortunately most women are at the “think global act local” stage when dealing with sexual assault and harassment. We work for or socialize with entitled men of all descriptions, ages, classes, and ethnicities who still think it’s okay to discriminate, touch, harass, hug, pinch, poke or just outright assault us under any set of circumstances. The modern woman must constantly be on her guard. It’s the rare few who have never been assaulted in some way.
11
"WOMEN MUST BE HEARD," the protester's sign says.
Was Christine Blasey Ford not heard?
30
@Edwin. They listened...they didn't hear.
@Edwin, No, in the end she was not heard. In the end, she was ignored, dismissed and rejected by the Republican members of the Senate.
5
@Edwin: Apparently not. And nor were any of the many witnesses who asked to be interviewed, but who were ignored by the FBI and the Senate Judiciary Committee.
2
Despair, rage, fear, and hopelessness are strong emotions to experience over a judicial nomination. Had things gone the other way presumably ecstasy, confidence, faith, hope, and charity would have replaced these dark feelings. May I suggest, before being shouted down, perhaps taking politics a bit less seriously? Or at least filtering all that intense darkness through a little historical perspective? Things really aren't so dire. And they may even get better.
20
@Frunobulax excuse me, but this so called "politics" to you are the rights of women. The right to not be sexually assaulted, the right over our own bodies and the right to speak about this as we wish and to be taken seriously. So this is serious to women. It isn't you that may have more rights stripped away based solely on your gender.
7
@Frunobulax
Taking politics less seriously is definitely a good idea. (So I watch the late night comedy shows and limit the amount of time I spend on the news). But here is where I stand. Likewise, taking the concerns of women more seriously is a good idea. At some point, a civilized country needs to understand that sexual assault is not acceptable. To have 40% of the voters thinking that it is acceptable to have a sexual predator elected as President is a clear message that those same voters think sexual assault is OK. As a victim of sexual assault and violence I simply have to say NO. IT IS NOT OK. TAKE A STAND. And yet many of our GOP elected officials believe the reputations of their brothers are more important than the ruined lives of assault victims. Both have value - this isn't an either/or situation. But it is a situation where moral courage is needed.
6
@Frunobulax Do you always condescendingly tell the Little Ladies - especially those who've been raped - not to worry their little heads so much about politics? Tone Deaf Mansplaining.
5
Women will be in power one day--I can't wait, and I just hope the planet and I are alive to see it.
5
@Michael When men decide its ok they will.
@Michael The planet will not continue to sustain human life if male supremacy continues. Male dominance has brought us to the brink of extinction.
4
Very understandable feelings. But no body gives up their privileges easily. These defeats should only strengthen the resolve of all the concerned people of all genders. Success will ultimately come but only after sustained efforts.
The Republican male establishment will go to any lengths to keep their hold on power as Senator McConnel has demonstrated. They will support a President who openly boasted of sexually assaulting women. They will look the other way when an antagonistic foreign government hacks the election in their favor.
16
Whatever happens to rulings on the law of the land and how those rulings are enforced, I, for one, do not consider either Neil Gorsuch or Brett Kavanaugh to be legitimate members of the Supreme Court. Gorsuch defended torture for the Bush administration and was picked to fill a seat held open by Mitch McConnell, one of the leaders in the destruction of our national legislature. Kavanaugh gets on the Court with his own torture papers concealed, and cleared by a phony investigation into very credible accusations of felony wrongdoing.
That isn't Supreme Court material, this wasn't credible Advice and Consent process for either of them, and as far as I am concerned, they are illegitimate and will remain illegitimate for their entire tenures. They join Clarence Thomas, who also joined the court questionably.
The media, including the NYTimes, has speculated almost endlessly on whether this would change the public's respect and opinion of the Court. To have a full third of the Court be people who shouldn't be there? If a Bush v. Gore like case were ever to come before a court with these three on it, and go to a 5-4 decision, I think the answer would be in the streets, not pretty, and would beggar the words "Constitutional crisis" the press has had such fun with over the last two years.
36
@ondelette Where do you get your information? Attempted rape in 1982 was a misdemeanor. IT is unlikely the charge that would have been charged. Kavanaugh was a minor. It would have been sealed if he was tried and found guilty. As for not voting on Garland, would you have felt better if Republicans voted as a block, and he didn't get the 50 needed votes? That is what some democrats have promised until Trump is gone, if they win the senate. As for the Bush Gore case, there was nothing the Florida or US Supreme Courts could have done to stop Bush from winning. Even if Gore won a recount, the state legislature was going to elect an alternate slate based on safe haven law. Congress, controlled by Republicans, get to vote on which electors are allowed to vote. Bush wins. By the way, The Supremes voted 7-2 that the recount being reviewed violated the constitution, which means the recount was il
legal.
3
@ondelette
Could not agree more! Well said!
@ondelette Yet you feel goofball Kagen is a real member? Bro please...
1
It's not that deep. Get up off the couch and vote.
7
What makes a woman believe Dr. Ford's accusation was credible? Yes, her testimony was certainly emotional and courageous but not credible. Dr. Ford did not present even one fact that could be substantiated by any other person, female or male. She couldn't even name the year it happened.
Further, what makes any woman want to place blame for all sexual assaults on one man essentially making him the scapegoat for the failure of the judicial systems' reaction to other cases? These same women would be abhorred if these same accusations made against Judge Kavanaugh were made against their fathers, brothers or sons without any type of proof.
Where is the outrage against Bill Clinton for his rape? Where is the outrage against Hillary Clinton for her defense of him?
The women who protested Judge Kavanaugh's appointment need to spread their outrage and demand solutions.
29
@CM 1) It's credible because her experience and memory of it resonate with countless women who've experienced similar assaults with nobody around who could/would willingly substantiate. This doesn't require your agreement, it's just a fact. 2) One man, a very powerful man, was being considered for a job that requires a vast supply of personal integrity, and many women didn't think he was suitable for that job. 3) Bill Clinton was impeached for his lies and assault. Probably more should have happened, but at least in some sense he was held accountable. Kavanaugh got off with one short hearing and a four day investigation. Hardly a good comparison.
How many foolish, ignorant statements can be in a single article post?
Bill Clinton didn’t rape anyone
People also tend not to forget people who assault them. Bystanders don’t have the same level of intense memory, BECAUSE THEY WEREN’T ASSAULTED.
1
Women, have courage through this admittedly awful time of open sexism and discrimination on the part of one of our major political parties.
Many millions of you are determined, engaged and effective, with more joining in every day. And many millions of men will be fighting by your side.
The misogynistic disgrace of today's GOP has created an entrenched, energized and permanent opposition that will only grow in strength as time goes by.
14
@David
Women, have courage through this admittedly awful time of open sexism and discrimination on the part of one of our major political parties.
David, Since every Hollywood exec and actor and anchor re democrats I assume that's who you mean?
1
@David
I’m guessing you didn’t hear Hillary on Bill Clinton/Monica being consensal despite power difference recently. Truth and political party emphases are separate realms in this area of sex.
@Charles in service
Lol.
Who are we kidding?! A man's word is as good as a woman's.
10
@victor Better! Apparently.
3
I fear the Kavanaugh confirmation process became, as far as sexual assault is concerned, more symbolic than just. Dr. Ford's allegations, while compelling and heart-wrenching, were, in a practical sense, inconsistent, unverifiable and uncorroborated. I fear Sen Feinstein weaponized the #metoo movement for political gain in an attempt to derail Justice Kavanaugh. The confirmation debacle was never really about sexual assault, it was about keeping the Supreme Court from a solid conservative bend and to protect abortion.
So, where does this now leave the whole movement to speak out and protect victims of sexual assault? If you speak out, will you be used for political gain? Should a woman be instantly believed (or the corollary, shall a man be instantly vilified) by a mere accusation? Does this whole thing strengthen or weaken the movement?
Women want to be heard and want to be protected from this abhorrent abuse. On the flip side, the men these women love, their husbands, fathers and sons, want to be protected from unfound claims and subsequent destruction.
I fear this whole episode is a setback to the movement. It degraded the process to the politics of personal destruction and mob rule. This is America where a presumption of innocence needs to assumes even in the face of horrific allegations. I dearly hope the country learned something from this shameless spectacle and becomes stronger for it rather than retreating into tribes of political partisans.
22
@Hillary You put a rapist on the Supreme Court, and you call us shameless.
1
At 71, I realize my days are numbered and I urge, I beg, of the women of this nation, do not give up this fight. You may look at me, an old white man, as your opposition, but believe me, I and millions of men like me would be proud to end our days with a woman as President of the United States. It won't happen if you fade back into the shadows.
It takes courage to stand up for what is right, not just for your gender but for all of America's citizens, even those who oppose you. Some of them simply don't know any better; some, arguably, don't deserve to experience a better way of government, but that in itself is a form of punishment, being made aware of the errors of their actions and beliefs.
Do not yield, but move on. Please. For this old Army vet who does not want Donald Trump's signature on the citation the VA sends to families of deceased veterans, please don't lose heart.
103
@Glen
Thank you for your service. Please do not continue to disparage another American patriot in Brett Kavanaugh. He's the best we can produce and he's innocent.
1
@Glen I shudder at the thought of Merkel, May and Clinton. Complete incompetence.
2
@Glen Thank you for this. "Old white men" care, too. Some of the most dedicated clinic escorts with whom I volunteer are "old white men," who remember pre-Roe days.
1
The slogan "Believe the Survivors" can be understood two different ways. If it means that accusations of sexual assault must be taken seriously, investigated, evaluated, and acted upon, that is a proposition I can endorse.
If, on the other hand, it means that all such accusations must be presumed truthful, and all those accused must be presumed guilty, that is a proposition I must oppose, as it creates the danger of injustice.
Some may recall how the slogan "Believe the Children" wreaked havoc in child abuse prosecutions.
A related issue is the response of some woman that the denial of one accusation (e.g., against Judge Kavanaugh) is equivalent to the denial of their own experience of being assaulted, as if the truth of one incident depended on the truth of all other incidents. But each is a separate event with different persons, places, and times.
25
@Charles Chotkowski
It's worse. Kavanaugh was clearly framed by those seeking to capture the votes of these injured women and women in general.
3
@Charles Chotkowski "accusations of sexual assault must be taken seriously, investigated, evaluated, and acted upon" None of that happened in the Kavanaugh hearing. None of it.
3
@Charles Chotkowski: Each instance is indeed separate and unique. But they fit a pattern that is repeated over and over: entitled, powerful men get away with it, and their victims are mocked and blamed. That is why so many women (and men) have reacted with such emotion. In the particular case discussed here, many of Kavanaugh's supporters honestly admitted that they did not really care if he had or had not assaulted Dr. Ford. Women's claims of assault have not historically often been given fair hearings. Is it possible for the pendulum to swing too far the other way? Yes! Are we close to that point now? DJT is in the white house!
4
Become an activist.
7
Now we know. There are a lot of men, women too, who do not care about rape and sexual violence unless it happens to them. That is a starting point. Kavanaugh gave us a perverse favor.
5
Why is the first word in the title of this article “Resigned”? No woman quoted in this piece is giving up - they all sound determined to try to change things.
8
@Patricia Y
How on earth did the Republicans end up showing that all these women protestors (knowing Kavanaugh was innocent), expect to use his ascendancy as a staff for change?
1
This is everybody's fight.
From battling ill-intended SCOTUS nominations to addressing issues of inequity in workplaces, governments and beyond, to raising children better equipped and committed to changing the dynamic between women and men, we need each other to meet the challenges and win the future.
#metoo is a giant step to naming and facing part of the problem of sexual harassment, abuse and the ongoing lack of consequences for the behaviors of men that are intended to disadvantage women.
But #metoo will not get us there.
Women and men need to openly ally themselves and declare that we each have an interest in solving our shared problems. We need to address both the needs of women and girls and men and boys if we are ever going to slay this ugly dragon.
Trump's stalking horse of a strategy around "dangerous times for boys," makes it clear that if women and men aren't clearly working together and in support of each other, opposition forces will work to drive wedges between women and men that will slow progress if not assure failure. It's a dangerous time for boys AND for girls if we don't together fix this for everybody, now.
1
What else but determination?
8
Women who have been abused must keep speaking up. There is strength in numbers and the numbers are big. In order for positive change to occur, women must never be afraid to step up and report every incident immediately. I did in1986 but suffered recrimination from the men involved and was given bad advice from my agent at the time telling me "if you report, you will never work in Chicago again." How wrong he was! My career continued successfully for decades. The only problem is, I have never forgotten what happened and only wish I was not so afraid to keep fighting. The Kavanaugh hearing and especially the testimony by Dr. Blasey-Ford ripped open 32 year old wounds. My emotions came gushing out again. I beg all women, please do not be afraid. Keep taking, keep shouting if you need to. Change will come. Maybe not in my lifetime but I sure hope for generations to come. Ladies, your voices are no longer whimpers in the dark.
25
" ... But when women are in at least equal numbers in the Senate and their committees, the conversations will be different, the questions asked will be different, the ability to hear and not deflect will be there, the bullying tactics will be in check.”
Look, I don't have the answers to any of this, but it's time to stop being naive. They'll only hit harder and more viciously. There won't be anything "in check" because women are present. Have events not taught you this yet yet? Simple numbers are not enough ... unless maybe it's a sweeping majority, but even then I'm not so sure. As we know, laws get changed and broken to suit whoever wants to get their way, has enough money/power, and has the least scruples ... and it takes only a tiny minority of those types to overrun vast numbers of others.
2
@P H I'm voting for women every chance I get. We will prove you wrong.
Go to Minnesota to protest Mr. Ellison.
19
My reaction as a woman to Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court was one of jubilation, sheer joy and extreme happiness. I really did not think he would be approved by the senate and when he was I was thrilled. He will make an outstanding justice and serve our country according to the way in which the constitution was intended. Justice Brett Kavanaugh. That has a nice ring to it.
18
What are you waiting for? Light up your tiki torch and take to the streets with your fellow Trump supporters!
1
This article is about people who really truly do not believe in our Constitution, but rather in raw "power". That's the bottom line.
"For these women, the hearings were a live, communal swing from jubilation that a female accuser was first seen as widely credible to disgust that male power once more ruled the day. "
Anybody can seem to be "credible" at first shout. That's not the point. The point is our system has always given rights to the accused, in the 5th and 6th Amendments.
It was not male power that ruled the day, it was the rule of law and plain decency. The accuser had zero evidence, and the accused had droves of it. What part of "never happened" do the witch hunters not understand?
"The words they choose: Despair. Rage. Fear. Hopelessness. Determination." Yes, determination to "kill the witch" (in this case, a wizard), at all costs, even the cost of their own immortal souls. That's what it is about. That's what the whole left wing is about these days.
17
Less crying and more voting. And please understand that the Republicans are responsible for this. Democrats learned a lesson since Clarence Thomas. Republicans have not.
12
Rage is brewing among the majority of American women. This anger will boil over. Trying to pacify it will do no good. We are a volcano and American men better be prepared to deal w our explosions.
11
@Dolly Patterson
Save your anger for when one of your loved ones is deliberately and falsely accused of sexual assault.
11
@Dolly Patterson Just like when Hillary was leading the charge? That worked out well.
9
It sounds like the United States needs to listen to the new leader of Ethiopia. He has chosen a cabinet that is 50% female. He said they are less corrupt, they take their jobs seriously, and they bring stability to the government.
53
Giving up is not an option.
You will not keep your autonomy by giving up -
Run for something
Vote in every election, every time
Participate in Voter registration drives
Drive others to the polls
In the mean time - get an IUD while you still can.
9
To those who feel disheartened or even defeated: Don’t be. You have Achieved something that past generations have not been able to do and that is to finally be able to speak out about rape, sexual harassment and the daily fears and worries that come with being female. You have collectively voiced your experiences in vast numbers. You have marched and protested and men have joined you. You have Brought the conversation to the fore. As a collective group, you have allowed other women to realize they are not alone; you have made many more people aware of your situation. How many people have you heard Say “I didn’t realize so many women had been raped” Since you began speaking out? A shout out to men And transgendered people who are also raped, sexually assaulted and killed. Your voices are beginning to be heard too. So stay strong and strategic like members of the civil rights movement who have to continue the fight.
7
I have chosen resignation and withdrawal. Trump has won, as far as I can tell. Millions and millions of Americans think he's great stuff and are not bothered at all by his criminality, corruption, lies and intimidation. I used to think there were more against all that than were for it, but I've changed my mind. Every day, more and more people are going over to his dark side, forgiving his unscrupulousness in exchange for a record stock market. So, because I cannot fight the darkness I am giving up. What will be, will be. I am pretty sure that Republicans will keep control of the House and Senate next month, and probably in 2020, and for the foreseeable future. That's what Americans want. I opt out.
4
Please vote
There are more like you than you think
6
@Ms. Pea
Please vote. As long as there is even a candle of light, the darkness will NOT overcome it!
1
@Ms. Pea Please don't vote. Seattle is run by a bunch of children. Eventually you and people like you will ruin Seattle and the country.
2
"...I think that it’s become unsafe in this country to be a conservative..."
You are wise to be concerned. The party you support only controls the White House, the Senate, the House, the Supreme Court, and a majority of state governorships.
62
@Pat
And yet it is apparently easy to have your life almost destroyed by a leftist mob.
Kavanaugh had the power of an appalling president and much of a Senate behind him.
Who knows how many average men out there are ruined by a deliberately false allegation?
1
The feminist movement was long ago hijacked by the left wing. Just because someone has lady parts doesn't get her into the feminist club. You have to be down with the whole left wing ideology to participate. It is sad how something as important as women's rights and feminism is only allowed to be enjoyed by left wingers.
10
Their biggest question should be do I want to have someone accuse me of a crime with no evidence and be found guilty until proven innocent?
13
@Don
Why? Nobody is doing what you say.
3
@ Don: If you are on trial in a court of law, the presumption is one of innocence. If, on the other hand, you were applying for a job, as Kavanaugh was, you would certainly have to provide a lot of evidence to your prospective employer in order to prove your innocence. Too bad the judiciary committee and the FBI chose to ignore the many witnesses on her behalf who asked to be interviewed.
4
@Allison But Kavanaugh's "job" is in a court of law.
If we’re lucky, very lucky, maybe Brett Kavanaugh will be sent to Saudi Arabia to work on “The Rogue Killers” case.
17
@Dry Socket: Except they don't have beer in Saudi Arabia. However would he manage?
1
I’m sure he’d approve of the status of women in that society....
I think the questions need to be posed to the women (and men) who were more than willing to maliciously destroy Kavanaugh as part of a political disinformation / character assassination campaign.
No direct or even circumstantial evidence, no ‘witness’ corroboration. Zero, zip, nada. Just the shameful destruction of a man and another critical American institution.
16
@EGD
Incorrect. Multiple people have accused Kavanaugh. That is corroboration.
There was tonnes of circumstantial evidence, you just choose to ignore it.
Please provide us with an instance of "disinformation" about Kavanaugh. Be specific and cite your sources.
Trump has been trashing the FBI, his own attorney general, multiple federal judges, and appointed an unstable, woman hating alcoholic to the Supreme Court.
But, no. It must be those pesky people who want women to have equal rights who must be wrong.
21
@Max Deitenbeck "Circumstantial evidence"? You must have been on vacation when Ford and the other women "testified" against Kavanaugh.
@Eduard C Hanganu
I'm not sure what you are trying to say. Are you confirming that there was circumstantial evidence? Because EGD claimed there was none. Are you criticizing the use of circumstantial evidence? If so, here's the problem. Circumstantial evidence isn't even rejected in courts of law. Why should it have been rejected by the Senate?
Please clarify your point.
We need to stop thinking of women as a block since women have supported and built implicitly and patriarchy along with men as they benefit vicariously. Ultimately women help bring up both men and women and as long as patriarchy supports some women, they will keep it alive for their men.
"I think that it’s become unsafe in this country to be a conservative — especially in our cities and in popular culture."
Two points for Ms. Abraham:
1. Republicans hate women. Trump, Cruz, McConnell, etc. are all sexist. Why do you support people who think you should have fewer rights than men?
2. Dangerous how? Is someone threatening you? If so, please call the police. That is not okay.
72
This story brings up a lot of grief - for the obvious reasons expressed by the women quoted - but also for the way Republicans never fail to seize and re-define every issue to demonize people that disagree with them, convince a large number of the public that such people are evil, and to walk away smiling as the nation is further ripped apart. They love it. Lindsay Fake-Outrage Graham, I am talking to you.
Brett Kavanaugh's tantrum to the Judiciary Committee was the most disgusting display of entitlement I have ever witnessed. And yet somehow that guy is the victim. Amazing.
125
@Jsw Maybe he was a victim of a massive smear campaign? I'm pretty sure that is why he felt attacked.
3
@Jsw; Women have been known to lie. Whether Ford lied or not is not known based on the lack of facts. Ford supplied zero proof, only subjective dubious memories concerning something that may have happened. Given the lack of supportive evidence by Ford, Kavanaugh's reaction was understandable.
3
Dr. Ford is an American hero and should be treated as such by every woman who has faced sexual harassment, aggression, or rape and every woman with a desire to change things in our country.
The recent debacle presented to the American public by the despotic and misogynistic GOP, and the limitations placed on the investigation by the FBI by our wantonly uncaring president, are demonstrative of their pervasive sexist and dismissive view of all women.
This is a call to action for all women. This isn't something we can sweep under the carpet and what we do on November 6th will determine whether or not we engender a movement, or allow this outrageous and hateful misogynism to continue without recourse.
Choose to be part of the solution. Women aren't playthings for the amusement, or sexual gratification of men. We are equal and we demand to be seen, heard and valued.
33
You want power? Vote! For Democratic women.
40
The only way to fight the right and its concomitant fascism is to organize. The people united, can never be defeated. Especially in light of the right's organized lying, and manipulation of elections and facts.
Trump is a crackpot and should be immediately impeached. We cannot stop until we have achieved mitigated the crackpot by any means necessary. And right now, it's time to get out and vote Democratic.
7
Sure. Demand impeachment on the grounds... you don't like him.
Want to be taken seriously? Improve the way you express yourself and make a plan to get what you want that is meaningful and effective and follows the law.
4
To Ms. Abraham: The "political game" you refer to started when a rightwing crank started the "it was someone else who assaulted" theory then next thing ya know the whole Republican Party from Trump to Collins is trying to gaslight us. See also "Putin denies it strongly" and "rogue operatives killed Kharshoggi." Quite a party you're voting for.
29
Does the DNC send you all talking points every morning to help gin up voters?
This is not news. What would be news is an investigation into why Ms Ford was throw to the dogs by the democrats.
13
@Sparky Jones
What dogs are those?
2
There shouldn't be an opposite direction, everyone should be on the same page in saying that everyone has a right to their day in court and you don't get a day in court unless you speak out.
Then when they speak out there should be a true investigation (not a sham of one) that either provides evidence to the accusation or refutes it.
Saying nothing is the worse thing that anyone can do!
5
Engagement is all I see around me. Women taking vacations to visit other districts to go canvassing. Women opening up their homes to host canvassers. Lots of energy and determination to put women and good men in office.
11
This is all about white men and women.
No black man would ever been nominated to do anything if he was accused of sexually assaulting a white woman.
No white man would have ever had to fear being nominated for anything if they had been accused of sexually assaulting a black woman.
22
@Blackmamba - do you really have to make it about you? this is probably the single most dismissive comment about women i have read in this entire Kavanaugh episode.
1
@Blackmamba Ummmm....Clarence Thomas?
2
In the meantime, Justice Kavanaugh will hear and decide cases with prudence and circumspection just like in the 300+ previous cases he decided on the DC Appellate Court.
This hysteria on the impending apocalypse following a Kavanaugh confirmation and the supposed anguish of "women" are wholly fabricated by the NYTimes.
19
@Jason
Kavanaugh's decision in Garza v. Hargan did not demonstrate "prudence and circumspection." On the contrary, Kavanaugh's religious opposition to abortion cost a vulnerable, but strong and brave, young woman a month of anguish.
Thank God his decision was overruled by the two other judges on the panel.
The Times did not manufacture that.
5
Who is the unmatched victor here?
The unstoppable guzzler of beer?
It’s old pinch faced Mitch
Built one year in which
Made Barack’s nominee disappear.
Would not let Barack legislate,
Whatever he did met with hate,
Rammed Kavanaugh through,
Though the charges were true,
And may think that boofing is great!
We can't let this boozer prevail
Attempted rape should not avail
Midterm is our chance
Fair play to advance
Assaults on women to curtail.
15
@Larry Eisenberg
Clever, certainly, but also knowingly dishonest. Shameful.
5