Tuesday, October 2, 2018

fear and loathing in America


GOP men are angry and afraid. Why should that be if they have conducted themselves in a moral and lawful manner? They are furious at the 'character assassination' of Kavanaugh. But the truth is if Kavanaugh, or any of them, were innocent they wouldn't have multiple accusers. Because men who commit sexual assault don't just do it once. If it was one woman and her story were sketchy, they might have a point. But as I told my cousin, women will not put themselves in the position Ford put herself in, opening herself to hate and ridicule and actual threats against her physical being, threats of being raped for sure, unless what they were saying was the absolute truth and even then most women won't.

These men aren't really angry about the sexual assault accusation. They are angry and afraid that their rich white male privilege of power is being questioned. They are angry and afraid that women are no longer suffering in silence. They are angry and afraid that they may actually be called to account for not only their crimes against women but for all their underhanded corrupt manipulations. And this is why they are rabidly defending Kavanaugh because if their carefully groomed-over-decades candidate for the Supreme Court gets taken down they have no one to protect them. They know that the other shoe is going to drop since many of them are under investigation and they fear they will lose the majority in Congress at the midterms. And this is why, Roe vs Wade aside, they are pushing for Kavanaugh's confirmation before the midterms.

On October 5th the Supreme Court will take up the case Gamble vs the US No. 17-646. At stake is the 'separate sovereigns' exception to double jeopardy. If this gets overturned then people who get presidential pardons for federal crimes can't be tried for that crime at the state level. Trump can pardon them all and they will have nothing to fear from states' attorneys.

So, sexual assault charges against Kavanaugh aside, and yes that should disqualify him for that alone, his behavior, his demeanor, his complete lack of composure during the hearing should disqualify him. He cried and lied, he raged and threatened retaliation, he was rude to his questioners and refused to answer questions, he showed himself to be completely partisan. His rich white boy privilege was on full display with McConnell and Graham raging right alongside him. If you want to see what venomous rage looks like you need only look at the faces of those three men (and had I been able to find the picture of the three of them with their rage faces on during and after the hearing it would be right here). This is not the kind of person who should sit on the Supreme Court, and there is some question as to his actual jurisprudence experience, these are not the kind of men who should be seated in Congress. They have no concern for the good of this country. Their only concern is staying in power and enriching themselves at the expense of every citizen.

And Trump? He called on a female reporter at a press conference and said to her “You're not thinking. You never do.” and then he refused to answer her question. Later he said "It's a very scary time for young men in America...” referring to the sexual assault accusation against Kavanaugh.

Well, welcome to the club. It's always a scary time in America for girls, young women, grown women, and old women who must keep on guard at all times, who refrain from certain activities at certain times of the day or doing things alone, who every time they go anywhere must be vigilant against the possibility and probability of sexual assault. 

So excuse me if I don't have any tears to shed for men who fear their past may come back to bite them in the ass.





13 comments:

  1. This is a powerful post, and I agree with every word. Your second and second-to-last paragraphs in particular pierced me, all of it did, really, and everyone needs to read this, and then go and vote. Thank you for your fierce clarity. That women always have to move through the word with a mind tuned to defending against sexual assault, always assessing, all the time. Christine Blasey Ford spoke true. Women know she did.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think Trump and his ilk can get away with anything. I on the other hand can't even get comments to work. I am testing as anonymous. Donna

    ReplyDelete
  3. He lied to the Committee, and if they confirm him then they condone his lying. It was obvious that he was in complete defensive mode he was not aghast while trying to set the record straight he was trying to suppress the FBI investigation and he struck out in ANGER! Hillary was grilled and drilled for hours by the same Senators....and did't bat an eye he was a crying bowl of jello after only 20 mins!

    ReplyDelete
  4. and on Tuesday the jackass president actually mocked Kennedy at a rally.

    Great post.

    ReplyDelete
  5. And there were people who complained about The Handmaid's Tale beeing too explicit and too violent.

    ReplyDelete
  6. He just got caught, how many others were afraid to say? drinking underage also was a bad one, he swept the problem that I am sure exists with that. If one consumes under the age of 15 they have a 30% greater chance to be an alcoholic.Sad for many, how many of us would survive the griddle of being stupid while young? I hate the fact that his opposition has already bought a URL site to oppose the next candidate not knowing the outcome or person, get with it America

    ReplyDelete
  7. Brilliant, Ellen. All I can do is spew and sputter inarticulately . You are absolutely correct and thank you. Kavannaugh can be impeached, though the rarity of that is , as they say,unprecedented, getting tired of that word!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Amen, amen, amen. You have nailed it. This blatant patriarchy needs to be pulled to the ground.

    ReplyDelete
  9. No tears just lots and lots of anger. VOTE!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I am so resigned to pulling myself up, pulling up the corset strings and starting again. Geezuz effing krist,

    ReplyDelete
  11. What you said. Your posts are so pithy and spot on. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Amen to that. Men who have lived just lives have nothing to fear and no reason to be angry. It's the entitled a-holes who think they are God's gift to women (and humanity overall) and who can't understand why a woman could possibly REALLY mean NO who are outraged. And, as you said, those who by extension feel their masculinity and privilege threatened.

    ReplyDelete

I opened my big mouth, now it's your turn.