Kavanaugh and Ford

Due process under the law is part of our Bill of Rights and one of the core tenants of our nation.

I believe something traumatizing happened to Dr. Ford. I also believe Brett Kavanaugh when he says he didn’t do it. Both testimonies were compelling, both stories seem honest. Both stories deserve to be heard.

This is very well said:

For years, women who came forward with allegations of sexual harassment and assault were ignored, laughed at, and pushed to the side. They were not given a platform to share their experiences or their side of the story. That is wrong. Women deserve just as much as an opportunity as any man to seek out justice.

Treating women wrong in the past does not mean to take their word as absolute truth or law without question today.

#BelieveWomen does not mean women cannot lie, forget, misunderstand or misrepresent. It means women deserve the same chance as anyone to share their experiences, their accusations, and their side of a story.

The man being accused also deserves the same respect and opportunity to defend himself. He should not be assumed guilty without a fair chance to present his side of the story.

Questioning allegations of sexual assault, especially those that happened 30+ years ago with no corroborating witnesses, does not mean you hate women. It does not mean you support sexual assault. It does not mean that you don’t think accusations of rape, assault, and harassment are incredibly serious.

It means you care about facts and due process.

Dr. Ford was extremely brave to come forward and share her story today. She wished to remain anonymous, yet her identity was leaked and her life was upended.

Her bravery and testimony does not mean Brett Kavanaugh is guilty of sexual assault.

Some say “he is not on trial he is interviewing for a job promotion”. That’s true, but it’s an extremely public job promotion that has also upended his life.

His life has been forever altered by these accusations ranging from assault to organizing gang rape as a teenager. He deserves the same chance Dr. Ford did to speak and defend himself. Americans ought to give him that chance.

— Abigail Marone