On Wednesday, January 3, former Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith took the oath of office to become the junior senator for the state of Minnesota.
This looks like a positive event for Minnesota and the Democratic Party. She was sworn in alongside Doug Jones, a Democrat from Alabama, putting the Republican majority in the Senate in further jeopardy. This seems like an exciting prospect for Democrats who want to take back the majority in Congress in 2018.
Tina Smith is an accomplished woman in her own right. She got her start at General Mills before working for Minnesota Democrats Mark Dayton, R.T. Rybak, Walter Mondale, and Ted Mondale, acting as Chief of Staff for Rybak and Dayton before becoming Dayton’s Lieutenant Governor. Her record reflects caring for women’s health in her career at Planned Parenthood.
However, all the more important is that Tina Smith was appointed due to the resignation of Al Franken.
Franken’s resignation sent turbulent waves through the nation when he stepped down after pressure from the women of the Senate and from his constituents here in Minnesota after he was accused of forcibly kissing and groping multiple women.
Regardless of the controversy surrounding Franken, this resignation sets a precedent for sexual assault allegations in the Senate that mirrors the journey seen by actors, comedians and other men who have faced similar allegations in recent months.
A man sexually assaults someone. This information is made public. The man faces the consequences of his actions. Up until recently, men did not have to face consequences to their actions, but we’ve seen that change in recent months.
We see this pattern with celebrities Kevin Spacey, Bill O’Reilly, and Matt Lauer; their networks removed them from the public eye so as not to bring shame and embarrassment upon the company. It’s a part of a new reckoning in this country where men finally have to answer for their own actions and the victims are finally being taken seriously.
Franken’s departure from the Senate gives the Democratic Party more clout when it comes to the issue of sexual assault. These past few months cemented the fact that this isn’t a partisan issue and that men on all sides of the political spectrum are capable of committing these kinds of crimes. However, ousting Franken allows Democrats to deal with the issue with less hypocrisy.
Though Al Franken’s resignation on its own is hopeful for the future of sexual assault in this country, it’s only half of this story. The other half comes with Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton’s appointment of Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith to take Al Franken’s vacated position.
A man stepping down from power isn’t enough to change our culture and its viewpoint on sexual assault, its perpetrators, or its victims. It’s a step in the right direction, but no real change can ever occur until women’s voices are allowed to be heard and taken seriously. Sexual assault cannot be discussed fairly by a group of men, though men can certainly be victims of sexual assault. The culture of sexual assault prominently targets women, demeaning them and quieting their voices so that their concerns are not seen as legitimate.
The appointment of Senator Tina Smith gives women a voice.
Al Franken, regardless of personal opinions about him, is a man who did something wrong and had to face the consequences for it. He hurt women. He touched them inappropriately.
Now he’s been replaced in the governing body of this country by Tina Smith, a woman who can champion the women of Minnesota without Franken’s muddied conscience and work to make sure women’s words are taken just as seriously as men’s, both in progressive circles and in Congress itself.
Allowing women’s voices to be heard gives all victims of sexual assault the ability to speak out about their trauma with less fear and more confidence that their words will be believed.
Before casting a single vote, Tina Smith has changed the conscience of the Democratic Party. It champions her above Franken. It champions women above the men who hurt them. It says to Republicans, the men of Congress, and any other body that takes advantage of women that this is an issue that Democrats aren’t willing to compromise on.
It also sends a message to the rest of the country. Minnesota is willing to pave the way on these issues and do what’s right instead of what’s easy. We are willing to champion women, victims of all genders and the people who speak out instead of the people who want victims to stay quiet.
Tina Smith may not be the most well-known name in the Senate, but right now she is sending a message to the entire country that sexual assault will not be tolerated. We can only hope that her voting record reflects that in the days to come. Tina Smith should remember where she came from and know that the greatest work she can do is work to change the culture of sexual assault.