Dated July 30, 2018, Senator Dianne Feinstein received a confidential letter from a woman, recounting an incident that took place over three decades ago in a suburb of Maryland. Full details about that night were provided in the letter. The unnamed sender revealed that she had been physically and sexually assaulted during high school by an older student, who is now a prominent man.
The man being accused is none other than Brett Kavanaugh, the newly sworn-in Supreme Court justice. To tell her story in her own words, California professor Christine Blasey Ford came forward.
In her testimony, Dr. Ford recalls her “strongest memory” from that night: “Inedible in the hippocampus is the laughter, the uproarious laughter between the two having fun at my expense.”
15-year-old Ford was at a party when two older boys, Kavanaugh and his friend Mark Judge, locked her in a bedroom. Kavanaugh pinned her to the bed, while trying to take her clothes off. Frightened and helpless, Ford thought she would die in that moment as she struggled to breathe because Kavanaugh had covered her mouth with his hand when she tried to scream for help.
As Ford held her head up high in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Kamala Harris gave her an important message: “I believe you.” The California senator then praised and thanked her for being courageous to come forward because she believed that it was her “civic duty.”
Her testimony was met with doubts and mockery, but others showed their support for the fearless professor.
Women expressed their admiration for Ford on Twitter. They view her as a hero for standing up not just for herself but for women everywhere. She spoke out for victims that endure self-blame and self-shame.
One user tweeted, “The courage of Dr. Ford is awe inspiring and tear inducing . . . her sacrifice gives light and a voice to all survivors who are just now learning to use their voice.”
Lisa Bloom, an attorney who has represented women victimized by men in high positions, also applauded Ford, “Despite tremendous anxiety at every step, she kept making calls. Courage isn’t the absence of fear. It’s going forward despite it.”
Embodying bravery and selflessness, Christine Blasey Ford utilized her platform to be the voice for women who share similar experience as her.