Ford vs. Kavanaugh: Do Alleged Victims of Sexual Assault Matter to the Senate?

Men with power – and partisan women, too – enjoy judging by appearances, telling other people what to do and how they should  feel.  They especially love to get their own way, preferably without opposition.

Loyal, mindless partisanship precludes the need to evaluate all sides of an argument equally. Why bother with evidence or facts when they can be buried, ignored or shouted down?  If an odd malcontent harboring foolish disagreement manages to stand (however briefly) in the way of power, well then, those with the power simply mow them down.  Whatever it takes.

Naturally, a clever use of power will dispatch the opposition in ways so seemingly fair and genteel that few observers will notice the stiletto shiv discreetly plunged into the critic’s backside.

That’s the way power works.  And power is the main currency in our nation’s capital.  For far too many, politics is the dark art of manipulating power for personal gain while wearing the mask of public service.

We are now watching a raw exercise of such partisan power in the nation’s capital.

Dr. Christine Ford has accused Judge Brett Kavanaugh of attempted rape when they were in high school together.  One might think that this new “era” of the #MeToo movement has sensitized our leaders to these kinds of charges; that such accusations would be taken seriously by all political parties; that people – especially women, for cryin’ out loud – could rise above partisan rancor in order to give an alleged victim the time and space needed to revisit what was probably THE most traumatizing experience of her life.

But, no, not in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Ford has agreed to tell her story before the Senate Judiciary Committee, after making one simple request:  hoping to avoid an exercise in he-said-

she-said futility, Ford asked that the committee delay her testimony until after the FBI completes an investigation into her charges.

Not a criminal investigation, mind you, but the sort of inquiry performed for standard, nominee background checks.  Yes, Kavanaugh has undergone several of these investigations already, but that is a moot point.  The FBI have never been asked to look into this particular charge.  And there is no reason to think evidence would have turned up accidentally when they weren’t looking for it.

Dr. Ford’s request sure sounds reasonable to me.

It’s hard to believe that a woman making false accusations would ask for an FBI investigation into her bogus claims as a prelude to being questioned by a (largely hostile) Senate committee while sitting in the hot seat on the national stage.

I can’t imagine that the investigation should be difficult.  Others have stepped forward to say that they knew of rumors circulating about such an incident when they were students at the same school.  Dr. Ford claims to have sought professional help to cope with the trauma and its psychological aftermath.  It wouldn’t be difficult to subpoena the therapist’s records, with Dr. Ford’s consent, in order to learn what was shared in their sessions.

If she is lying, let the investigation unmask her.

Of course, Kavanaugh insists that the alleged assault never happened.  Yet, I can’t help but be sympathetic to Dr. Ford.

If the Trump presidency has demonstrated anything, it is that the truth no longer matters to many Americans, not in our capital city, not among our politicians, not for the average Republican, not even within the church.

Lisa Graves, a former Senate staff-worker, has published credible evidence that this would not be the first time Kavanaugh has perjured himself before a Senate committee. Why isn’t that grave allegation being investigated?  Because power is never concerned with truthfulness except when it serves the interests of more power.  Senate Republicans don’t care about the truth of Brett Kavanaugh.  They simply lust for another “win” registered in their party’s column.  They are the ones in power.

The evangelical church is no better.  In fact, it is far worse.  Truth is not a priority to evangelical spokes-people, the mawkish figureheads representing Trump’s most vocal constituency.  For instance, if you can bear it, watch Franklin Graham’s shameless, partisan boot-licking in his recent CBN interview.  He basically tells Dr. Ford to sit down, shut up, and stop complaining about something that was not a real crime anyway.  It’s disgusting and pathetic.  His father, Billy, is surely weeping in heaven.

If men and women like Graham are not careful, they will one day find themselves eternally shaken by Jesus’ angry lament, “Get away from me, you evildoers.  I never knew you!” (Matthew 7:23).

They are traitors to the kingdom of God, every last one of them.  Sycophantic grovelers before a political Moloch, falling over themselves for the privilege of burning their own spiritual children in the political fires of partisan barbarism.  They know nothing about Jesus, the ethics of his kingdom, or the superiority of God’s reign on earth.

Every rapist denies the charges brought against him, insisting that he is innocence.  In this respect, Kavanaugh is no exception.  He is imitating the man who nominated him.   They are two peas in a pod.

If he is innocent, let the investigation exonerate him.  He should welcome it.

Every victim hesitates to come forward, fearing the harsh gauntlet of public spectacle which so easily morphs into ridicule and character assassination.  Dr. Ford and her family are already receiving death threats from Trump stalwarts — and today we have sadly learned that Judge Kavanaugh’s family is also receiving vicious hate mail and threats. Democrats and so-called progressives are every bit as sinful as anybody else.  Wickedness knows no political boundaries.

But only Dr. Ford is receiving unsolicited advice about what she should have done when she was a teenager.  Yet, grizzled old Senators and shiny news anchors have no business lecturing this woman about what she “should” or “shouldn’t” have done when she was 15 years old.

Senator Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is auditioning for the role of sensitive committee granddad by offering Ford a variety of scenarios where she could tell her story in a one-on-one session along with Kavanaugh next Monday.  The problem, however, is that all of Grassley’s options include meeting with the committee before an FBI investigation would be complete.

Republican efforts at painting Dr. Ford as the unreasonable, demanding woman remind me of an old Saturday Night Live sketch with John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd. The two comedians were immigrant brothers, apparently from Greece, operating a greasy spoon diner.  The only item on their menu was cheeseburgers.  Every customer’s question got the same easy answer:

What’s today’s special? Cheeseburger!

Any desserts?  Cheeseburger!

How about side dishes?  Cheeseburger, cheeseburger, cheeseburger!

Senate Republicans have only one dish on offer:  a  Monday, September the 24^th cheeseburger.  Regardless of Grassley’s superficial attempts to dress it up, his only offer so far is a Monday cheeseburger.

Dr. Ford, however, is declining the Monday cheeseburger.  She is asking for an after-the- investigation French dip.  It doesn’t sound unreasonable or outlandish to me.  Why not wait?  (We all know why, actually. Fearing that the midterm elections will strip them of their majority, Republicans are feverishly trying to railroad Kavanaugh’s nomination through while they still have the power).

The truly outlandish aspect of this entire affair is the unmerciful, belittling behavior of those who claim most loudly to speak for God.  Listen again to Graham’s interview, if you can, and then pray for his soul.

Where is the voice of God’s prophet today?  Who speaks out for true justice, equality, fair-mindedness and generosity?  Who stands with the many, many women victimized by sexual assault?  Who will defend the weak against the strong?  Who will call the rich and powerful to account?

“Whoever justifies the wicked, and the one who condemns the righteous, both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD.” (Proverbs 17:15)

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)