If you have been anywhere on the internet in the past week, you may have heard about Christine Blasey Ford’s sexual assault allegation made against Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh. Last Thursday, Dr. Ford testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, recounting a traumatic experience from high school where she was held down during a party by Kavanaugh and his friend while they attempted to undress her. As she bravely told her story while the entire world watched, she affirmed that this was definitely not a case of mistaken identity, “indelible in the hippocampus is the laughter, the uproarious laughter between the two and having fun at my expense.” (TIME)
Dr. Ford never wished for her testimony to be publicized at the extreme level that her story has now reached. In the past week, her face has appeared on the front page of multiple large-scale news networks and on nearly every tabloid website. At this point, not only has Dr. Ford lost her privacy, but she has now become subject to multiple death threats from people across the country, including those living in her hometown (CNN article). Despite the fact that she had lost her life as she once knew it for the sake of justice, Ford was still scrutinized by many who questioned the validity of her statement. “What we have are uncorroborated, unsubstantiated claims from teenage years!” said Utah Senator, Orrin Hatch (LastWeekTonight).
Even President Trump recently commented on the public’s reactions to Kavanaugh’s sexual assault allegations, characteristically saying, “It is a very scary time for young men in America, where you can be guilty of something you may not be guilty of… Think of your son.” What do these reactions from our own president reveal about the national climate surrounding sexual assault and how much we, as a country, are willing to listen to survivors of trauma? I sincerely hope that the irony in President Trump’s statement is not lost on any of our readers.
Furthermore, Kavanaugh and even President Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., have been quick to point out the fact that Dr. Ford’s testimony has become somewhat of a political strategy for the Democratic party (one may even note that this was the main subject of Kavanaugh’s testimony during the hearing). As much as their arguments aim to direct scrutiny away from their inability to understand the plight of assault victims, these assertions do hold a grain of truth. As a country, we keep forgetting that sexual assault is not simply tool for the larger powers and mainstream media to employ and sensationalize–it is someone’s personal trauma. Seeing Dr. Ford’s testimony and the public reactions she has received should serve as a reminder of the current climate we have for survivors of sexual assault.
On his recent segment, Last Week Tonight, comedian and pseudo-journalist John Oliver summed it up pretty well:
“Many were watching this hearing to try and ascertain who was more trustworthy. Was it the terrified Psychology professor who blew up her entire life to relive her trauma on a national stage? Or was it Judge ‘Animal House’ who seemed to be sweatily making up drinking games before members of the senate?”