Kavanaugh joins Supreme Court despite opposition

Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in on Oct. 6, 2018 despite allegations of sexual assault against him.

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Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in on Oct. 6, 2018 despite allegations of sexual assault against him.

Tess Rempel

Despite three accusations of attempted rape & sexual misconduct against Brett Kavanaugh, he joined the Supreme Court as its newest justice. Besides Justice Clarence Thomas, Kavanaugh is the only Supreme Court Justice to have allegations of sexual assault against him, according to the Guardian.

Kavanaugh graduated at Yale in 1987 cum laude, served as associate and senior counsel to President George Bush, and has a family of his wife Ashley with two daughters, Elizabeth and Margaret, according to CNN. To both outsiders and Republicans like Trump, Kavanaugh is the ideal candidate and nominee to replace the previous judge, Anthony Kennedy. But, these women’s allegations of sexual abuse and assault identified as Christine Blasey Ford, Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick, strongly contradict his image and followers’ beliefs.

According to CNN, prior to Kavanaugh’s appointment, psychology professor and research psychologist Christine Blasey Ford revealed that Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her while they were in high school, and that because of this, the Senate should not confirm him.

Ford wrote an anonymous letter to a Democratic lawmaker detailing the assault. The story then went viral in early September, according to TIME.

“I was pushed onto the bed and Brett got on top of me… Brett put his hand over my mouth to stop me from yelling. This is what terrified me the most, and has had the most lasting impact on my life,” Ford said in her testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Kavanaugh denied these allegations, and instead claimed he was the victim of an orchestrated political hit,” according to CNN.  Republicans claim that Ford’s argument lacks integrity, and that such baseless allegations can destroy a man’s life. However, they also claim that teenagers “make mistakes,” and that what one does in their teens should not define their future. In reality, according to Business Insider, 22 women accused Donald Trump of sexual misconduct; and he continues to serve as the President of the United States. It’s been proven through this election that accused men and people in power aren’t weakened or by such claims.

However, Ford’s testament was not the only reason many opposed his appointment to the Supreme Court. He also lacks emotional restraint and partisanship, both considered to be essential of a Supreme Court Justice.  Retired Justice John Paul Stevens said that Kavanaugh’s comments during his confirmation hearings suggest bias, and he should not serve on the Supreme Court. Despite Kavanaugh’s denial of these accusations, women posted over 38,000 tweets under #whyididntreport, explaining and defending the accusers’ lack of detailed memory.

As Deborah Ramirez said in her statement, “We will not be silenced.”