Hailey Peters

It’s been a few weeks since Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed to sit as a Supreme Court Justice, and the media has since stopped covering the story in its spotlights.  When major events in our country are no longer broadcast in high amounts, it is easy to forget that they happened entirely.  However, this event in particular should not be forgotten by us women in the midst of the epidemic that sexual assault has become.

1811.Slide

The biggest repercussion of the confirmation is the setbacks it implies in terms of the #MeToo movement.  Having Kavanaugh, an alleged perpetrator of sexual violence, hold the highest position in the land that is responsible for delivering justice raises the questions, ‘When will attackers be held accountable?’ and ‘Are there any real consequences for suspects of alleged sexual assault?’  In a society where attackers are already often given much lighter-than-deserved sentences, the progress towards safety for women has taken a huge step backwards.

What the Kavanaugh confirmation shows the country is that the people in power regularly exercise the choice not to believe women when they make claims about sexual assault.  Dr. Christine Blasey Ford came forward to the world about her experience with Kavanaugh decades ago.  Senators on the judicial confirmation committee claimed that since it was a long time ago, it was not credible information.  She could have been mistaking some of the facts that she was claiming, including the fact that it was Kavanaugh who assaulted her.  Though psychologists have confirmed that events such as these are so traumatic that it is impossible for the brain to forget the details, people still choose to not believe in Ford’s testimony.

But this is about more than just believing in Dr. Ford’s poignant allegations.  It is about what this means going forward in the fight against sexual assault culture.  Kavanaugh’s confirmation sets a precedent for future perpetrators of sexual violence.  If this man can commit horrible acts, and then go on to be awarded the highest honor in the country’s judiciary system, are there any real consequences?

Bill Cosby received only 3-10 years of prison time for drugging and raping a woman in his home (along with many other unconfirmed allegations).  Brock Turner received a six month sentencing for raping an unconscious woman behind a dumpster, and was released for “good behavior” after serving only half of that.  When this is how our country’s justice system works, what message are we presenting about how much our country values women’s safety?  Is Kavanaugh, a man who has faced sexual assault allegations and is now responsible for giving justice to victims, going to side with the woman whose life has been near ruined, or the young man within whom he sees himself?

 Grey.Line.7

Becoming complacent in Kavanaugh's confirmation is not an option if we want to see real results.  

Grey.Line.7

This moves the #MeToo movement and the process of ending overall violence against women several steps back.  A new enemy has been introduced to the fight against sexual assault culture.  This fight goes to the root of the problem: sexism.  ‘Boys will be boys’ is a trope that has evolved more into a scapegoat in order to protect boys’ reputations.  If ‘boys will be boys,’ why can’t girls be girls?

Women everywhere live in fear.  No matter their age, what the shade of their skin is, how much they like to go to parties and drink, what they wear on a daily basis, or who they consider their friends, every woman has to live with the constant fixation: ‘Am I going to be next?’  A woman cannot live her life as fearlessly as most men.  She has to take extraordinary precautions in her daily life, and is forced to choose safety over enjoyment in too many situations.  Now, this is more true than ever before.

This is why it is so important to keep fighting.  Becoming complacent in Kavanaugh’s confirmation is not an option if we want to see real results.  Making a safer world for ourselves and the women we love starts with this issue.  It is going to take a lot of time and effort to shift the justice system away from favoring the young, clean, smart boy with a ‘bright future’ and towards favoring the young, strong, brave fighter with an equally ‘bright future,’ but the results will be utterly life changing.

 

Hailey is an honors student at the University of Kentucky studying marketing and journalism. She writes for bSmart as an editorial intern, and she contributes to the sports and lifestyle sections of her college’s student-run paper. In her free time, Hailey loves cheering for the Kentucky Wildcats and any sports team from Pittsburgh, making new playlists on her Spotify, and feeding her writing passion.

 

Comments (0)

There are no comments posted here yet

Leave your comments

Posting comment as a guest. Sign up or login to your account.
Attachments (0 / 3)
Share Your Location