What Does The Charge Against Judge Kavanaugh Have to Do With Teenagers

No matter what age you are, it’s hard to escape the constant drum-beat of the news. It’s everywhere. We can ignore it, or we can take some meaning from it and look at how it effects us. As adults or teenagers, the recent charges of sexual molestation against President Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court, Judge Kavanaugh, speaks to the worst of humanity. Sexual molestation is often an issue regarding power, and not sex. In this case, Judge Kavanaugh is being charged with something that may or may not have happened when he and the alleged victim were teenagers. An incident of grave concern that happened decades ago.

One issue surrounding this event is belief, and if time heals all wounds. First, do we believe Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who held the alleged event as a secret until about 6 years ago, when she revealed it during a counseling session with her husband. It was a long time ago, they were teenagers, and it was at a party where there was alcohol present. Does any of that matter? Does the setting or the fact that there were intoxicants make the act of sexual oppression, and in this case, possibly violence, matter?

In this case maybe it does. The court of public opinion places all of us on the jury. Guys like me may remember how out of hand high school parties were. We’ve all been warned how drinking is bad, and that when someone says ‘no’, they mean ‘no’. Then others who are on this court of public opinion jury might say ‘no matter what the circumstances are, there is no excuse for sexual molestation.’

Maybe it’s because Judge Kavanaugh is a powerful man, and Dr. Ford is ‘just a woman’.

We would all agree that there is no reason to belittle the cries of oppression when an African American challenges a racist attack, or when a Jew faces down anti-Semitism and stands against religious intolerance and ignorance. Why then do we negate the voice of a woman who finds the strength to challenge her sexual oppressor? We must default to believe the oppressed, especially when they call for an investigation, which Dr. Ford has.

We all keep secrets, many of them reside in a part of our mind that is behind a partially closed door. The door opens allowing the memory to come forward on occasion, effecting our life, our relationships, etc. We all have them. Some can ruin our lives unless we challenge them, and hopefully overcome them.

As a teenager, you might be put into the position of victimization. Speak out as soon as you can to a trusted friend or adult. Don’t hide these events and put them on the shelf where they gather dust until they emerge to cause more pain. You have a responsibility to yourself. If you know of abuse, you have a responsibility to the victim.

It’s difficult to escape the news. This week, hopefully Dr. Ford will have an opportunity to address what may be a horrendous memory that has effected her life. Judge Kavanaugh will also have the same opportunity to protect his reputation and face his accuser. We can only hope that justice prevails, and take this as a lesson to deal with oppression so that it does not come back to haunt us in the future.