On the EDge: When victims are shamed into silence

Composite image, St. George News

OPINION — I can understand why Republican senators have been so strong in supporting Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination for a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court.

These are rich, old, white men of privilege.

Their wealth and power has removed them from the real world where it can get gritty, a realism that stains the soul with shame and regret, a life of exclusion based on how fat the black ink in your savings account is, where due process sounds good on paper, but doesn’t always occur when the rubber meets the road.

It’s a society of formals and tuxes while the rest of us labor in dirty jeans and T-shirts.

And, when it comes to women and their place?

They prefer them barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen, cookin’ up the bacon and beans.

That’s the world that Dr. Christine Blasey Ford stepped into when she faced a Senate Judicial Committee conducting Kavanaugh’s job interview, alleging sexual impropriety by the SCOTUS nominee.

This is a strong, intelligent woman who earned a degree in experimental psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University, a Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree in epidemiology from the Stanford University School of Medicine.

She is currently a professor of psychology at Palo Alto University and a research psychologist at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

Still, she was visibly shaken as she gave her testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

That a woman so polished, so accomplished, so strong would hesitate and remain uncertain while telling her story is telling.

That is why she waited so long to say her piece.

She knew how polarizing her moment would be, how the room would be tilted with doubters, with good ol’ boys ready to forgive one of their own, with political hacks whose morality resides in the gutter, with old, white men.

She knew how it would play in the court of public opinion, yet still found the courage to step forward.

“I am terrified,” she said during her opening statement.

Now, imagine a woman of humble means and demeanor.

Would she have the strength to stand up to the catcalls, the debasement, the doubters, the politically motivated, even on a local level?

Throughout this Kavanaugh process, we have heard the righteous right claiming innocence until proven guilt. But, in the case of a woman making claims of sexual misconduct, there is no symmetry. We are forced to take a side and considering how the deck is stacked against women who are brave enough to face their abusers it is easy to understand why most are reluctant to come forward.

So they remain silent.

The buzzword parroted among the Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday was “credible. Christine Blasey Ford was a “credible” witness we heard.

But, they could not disguise their sexism.

Even Utah’s overripe Sen. Orrin Hatch couldn’t hide his misogyny while trying to put on a good face.

During Thursday’s lunch break Hatch was asked if he thought Ford was credible.

“It’s too early to say,” Hatch responded. “I don’t think she’s uncredible. I think she’s an attractive, good witness.”

Hatch was asked what he meant by “attractive.”

“In other words, she is pleasing,” Hatch said, re-victimizing the victim with his sexist patter. “I can tell you this, she’s attractive and she’s a nice person. And, I wish her well.”

Excuse me while I try to wash away the image of Orrin Hatch with a fedora and flasher’s trench coat stepping out of the shadows to leer at a woman who strikes his fancy.

The one thing that holds with victims of sexual abuse is the feeling that somehow, what occurred was their fault, that they are to blame for some perv forcing himself upon her, that she somehow is responsible for the attack.

In recounting their stories to the authorities, they must relive the traumatic experience, go back to that place that is burned into their memories and remember the sights, sounds and most intimate details of the assault, then repeat them in a roomful of strangers, often mostly old, white men, the same old, white men who were leading the jeers against women when the #MeToo movement took root. Their mockery of those women was repulsive.

According to official numbers from the state, nearly 10 percent of Utahns reported that someone had sex or attempted to have sex with them without their consent in 2016.

The state also reported:

One in three women will experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetime. Rape is the only violent crime in Utah that occurs at a higher rate than the rest of the nation. Studies show that one in eight Utah women will be raped and one in 50 Utah men will be raped in their lifetimes. According to Uniform Crime Reports, the rape rate in Utah has been consistently higher than the U.S. rate. In 2014, Utah’s reported rape rate was significantly higher than the U.S. rate (67.7 and 51.9 per 100,000 females). However, the majority of rapes – 88.2 percent – are never reported to law enforcement, indicating that sexual violence in Utah is grossly underestimated.

Why?

Because the Utah culture holds women responsible if a male makes inappropriate sexual advances. It is argued that the woman dressed immodestly, was flirtatious, had a “reputation,” whatever that might be and the poor guy just couldn’t help himself.

Or, the victims are simply ignored.

Maybe the accused is the star quarterback on the high school football team.

Maybe the accused is the son of a prominent citizen.

Maybe the victim is a woman of color or of a different faith.

The reality is a trail of shattered lives, lives that lose their innocence, their promise, their love for life, victims shamed into silence.

It’s time to listen, to not just shrug our shoulders and say, “boys will be boys.”

It’s time to make life safe and secure for all of our women.

No bad days!

Ed Kociela is an opinion columnist for St. George News. The opinions stated in this article are his own and may not be representative of St. George News.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @STGnews, @EdKociela

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2018, all rights reserved.

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65 Comments

  • iceplant October 2, 2018 at 3:49 pm

    Don’t look now, Ed.
    The right-wing trolls are about to lose it.
    It’s okay, though. We know who’s on the right side of history.

    • Craig October 2, 2018 at 4:32 pm

      When one offers nothing but name-calling, it’s because he/she has nothing factual to share.

    • mesaman October 2, 2018 at 8:28 pm

      Mr Ed, same lice different hair.

    • Carpe Diem October 3, 2018 at 4:26 pm

      Democrats = History

      Y U P

      • iceplant October 3, 2018 at 5:47 pm

        You keep telling yourself that.
        Believe the lie and it will all come true. Right?

      • Red2Blue310 October 3, 2018 at 8:08 pm

        Anyone Trump selects should be automatically disqualified. Trump is a pervert.

        • Ladyk October 4, 2018 at 1:22 am

          Obama was racist, Clinton was a rapest, see how this works. We can go all day.

  • Happy Commenter October 2, 2018 at 4:08 pm

    Imaginary and manufactured demons, eddy’s been into the leftist lemonade again! We are all still waiting for a shred of evidence to back up the the fraudulent accusations against Kavanaugh. Eddy, your democrat is showing..hahahahaha! “No Smart days!”

    • iceplant October 2, 2018 at 4:35 pm

      Thank you for proving my point, John boy. And don’t deny who you are. It’s pretty obvious, Mr. Hahahahahaha.

      • Happy Commenter October 2, 2018 at 5:12 pm

        The only thing proven is your brain is frozen,, I don’t know who this john is..Get a life lefty!

        • iceplant October 3, 2018 at 2:55 pm

          You know EXACTLY who John is. YOU. That’s the old name you used before someone clearly told you to tone it down.
          So, you changed your username instead. Still the same old weak posts, though. Sad.

          “Garbage in, garbage out.” – George Carlin

          • Carpe Diem October 3, 2018 at 4:01 pm

            “Garbage in, garbage out.” – George Carlin

            Yep, we had a lot of that after Obama was elected in 2008. Cleaned house throughout the States, pretty much.

  • Craig October 2, 2018 at 4:31 pm

    When you begin with condescending name-calling, you reveal you have nothing useful to add to the conversation.

    I’m sorry you feel there should be no accountability for the person leveling charges like this. I’m sorry you feel that the very kind, but straight forward questioning of Ford by a prosecutor you must view as intimidating and attempting to silence her. You could not be more wrong. Claiming otherwise requires lowering one’s honesty.

    The holes in Ford’s claims are staggering and her connections push the limits of believing in coincidences. The prosecutor was very clear on the problems with her claims. The only person clear and perfectly reasoned was the prosecutor. You should listen, not talk.

    To attempt to claim that defending oneself from what appear to be false claims is attacking women is really quite unacceptable. It would be laughable, but I fear you believe this.

    You need to not chime in with those Senators and others willing to do anything to keep a constitutional Justice off the Court. It’s so obviously wrong, it’s surprising you can say the things you do.

    Simple accuracy would expect you to bring out the eggregious setup and behavior of those on the Judiciary Committee who orchestrated Brown Shirt protestors and created witnesses, most claims falling apart even before their errors are found.

    I’m embarrassed for you and your willingness to cross the line of simple decency so easily.

    • Red2Blue310 October 2, 2018 at 7:14 pm

      Times up for all you neanderthal men who think women will not rule. We will never know the true extent of Kavanaugh’s life and misdeeds because Trump, who is himself a pervert, will make it so with the help of the repugnicans covering his ass. Kavanaugh will get his seat on the supreme court, but he will ALWAYS be remembered for the scandal surrounding him. Old white men will eventually be done with and their power will diminish with you Craig.

      • Real Life October 2, 2018 at 9:17 pm

        No, Craig is spot on. All of you crybabies that cry wolf are destroying a lot of innocent families. The woman blaming Kavanaugh has a VERY weak case, but it doesn’t matter to any of you Trump haters, like our dear, severely misguided, friend Ed here. I am not a Trump fan, but you extreme lefties are making yourself look foolish. The whole #metoo movement started out with good intentions, and quickly turned into a witch hunt. And the extreme left is using it as a weapon to further their crazy agenda.

      • eddantes56 October 2, 2018 at 10:21 pm

        Really? Who is going to fight the wars and die so that you can live in your dreamland? You? Who is going to dig the ditches, build the houses, restore power to cities after storms? You? I could go on and on. Take white men out of the equation and you are living in a pre-historic world.

        As that first wave Feminist Camille Paglia aptly said, “if civilization had been left in female hands, we would still be living in grass huts.”

        Please get over your over-rated self. Thank you.

      • Carpe Diem October 3, 2018 at 4:07 pm

        HA HA what do you call reverse misogyny and then of course, the racist *neanderthal* comment? HA HA
        IF you are AA, then you don’t have any neanderthal btw. Otherwise, take a 23andMe test and find out your %%’s. Also, the patriarchy has been around longer than neanderthals and will continue pretty much forever on this earth, and on other earths if they exist. There are no real Church leaders that are female, and speaking of Islam, I’d like to see you try.

      • Ladyk October 4, 2018 at 1:27 am

        ” Old white men will eventually be done with…” Where exactly do you think they are going?

  • 42214 October 2, 2018 at 4:38 pm

    Wealthy old white Republicans are the problem? Take some time and research the net worth of Sen Feinstein, Sen Mark Warner, Vietnam war hero Richard “Dick” Blumenthal, Nancy Pelosi, John Kerry, Kennedy family, Roosevelt family etc etc. You stereotype and profile the right while ignoring the limousine liberals who are anti-gun with armed security and oppose the wall while liveing in walled, gated estates. Eddie the hypocrite strikes again.

    • Happy Commenter October 2, 2018 at 5:45 pm

      Yes, the democrats have such high moral standards…just like sharks have compassion!

  • bikeandfish October 2, 2018 at 5:06 pm

    I’m not sure your essay benefits the issue. I think your heart is in the right place but you derailed it with odd insults and imaginations. I mean seriously, Ed, why would you even add that fabricated line about Hatch? What benefit does such an addition add to the conversation?

    I also believe you meant well but the execution was flawed in stating ”
    lives that lose their innocence, their promise, their love for life, victims shamed into silence.” Survivors aren’t less innocent. They don’t lose their promise or inherently lose their love for life. Yes, sexual assault, abuse or rape are traumatic experiences. Beyond that it’s up to each victim to define its impact. Many deal with the trauma differently but they can continue life with innocence, promise and plenty of love.

    I recommend approaching this subject with more care and less partisan jabs if you want to be a compassionate ally.

  • Teresa October 2, 2018 at 5:30 pm

    You good ole boys are missing the point….women are afraid to come forward with their stories, never mind Kavanaugh and politics, because of men who don’t believe them or don’t think its important.” It’s the woman’s fault for dressing inappropriately” or she was a loose woman, etc. What if it was your wife or daughter? Is every woman in the world lying about it? Doesn’t any of this matter to any of you???News flash, women are people too, we are just as worthy of justice as any of you boys. once you realize its not a political issue and do something to stop the misogyny in our society (that’s a big word that means women haters in case you need an explanation), then we can get on with other pressing issues.

    • Happy Commenter October 2, 2018 at 7:48 pm

      Definitely not the point here. This is a political issue and the misogynist democrats (who don’t give a crap about women, check their record. Bill Clinton, Ted kennedy, Chuck schumer, Cory Booker, Diane Feinstein and Keith Ellison to name a few) have turned this into a slanderous circus. If you can’t see through this BS you are part of the problem!

    • eddantes56 October 2, 2018 at 10:44 pm

      Nice try but you are so wrong on every count.

      1. Show me one man who has said a woman is at fault for being raped if she was dressed inappropriately. If such statements exists, it is the exception to the vast rule. Men do not believe this.

      2. Don’t conflate “your wife or daughter” with the Ford allegation. This is a classical straw man. First, Ford has provided no credible evidence that this occurred and there are so many holes in her story that she cannot be believed. Her best friend denies even knowing Kavanaugh…..and that’s one of twenty inconsistencies. In our system of government, we don’t convict a man based on the word of a woman. In this politically charged environment, women will lie. #not all. Ever hear of the Duke Lacrosse players who were falsely accused, the UVA fraternity, Lena Dunham’s college boyfriend……

      3. Men are naturally very protective of women and do believe them. I do not know any men that would take lightly the sexually violation of any woman. You and your feminist extremists have created a bogeyman that does not exist.

      4. The issue of sexual assault has been complicated by the removal of sexual boundaries for boys and girls. Combined with the widely accepted use of alchohol by boys and girls, allegations of assault are not always easy to delineate from instances where two people are intoxicated and with lowered inhibitions have sex.

      5. News flash to you: Men are people too and we are not monsters. we are also worthy of justice and should not have out lives and reputations destroyed based on unsubstantiated allegations. Did I mention that Ford came out at the last minute and the Dems sprang this at the last minute after have the Ford letter for almost two months.

      6. Misogyny in the U.S.? Where is it. Every institution from education to family law favor women. Affirmative action for women is in every crevice of public and private life in the U.S. This such a crock. I think what bothers you is that there remain differences between men and women and after 50 years of affirmative action, outcomes still are not exactly equal.

      7. Men do not hate women. We do hate it when privileged and pampered women want the benefits men have but then insist that we play by different rules. No questions, no interrogation of Ford…just believe her. Are you serious?

      You have not made any arguments. You have used the same worn out tropes that Feminists use. Accusations and ad hominem attacks. Give me any substantive evidence of anti-women institutional policies in this country. If you really believe you can win an argument with this nonsense, well then all I can say is good luck. All the best.

      • Teresa October 2, 2018 at 11:27 pm

        eddantes56: we must not be living on the same planet.

        • bikeandfish October 3, 2018 at 8:34 am

          Indeed. If he can’t see misogyny in this country than I don’t know what to say. Case in point, millions of people voted Trump into office. His public statements on woman now represent our country.

          • eddantes56 October 3, 2018 at 10:36 pm

            So, what did all of the Democrats and lefties show when they voted in Bill Clinton for a second term after a lifetime of adultery, rape allegations…..Paula Jones, Juanita Broderick, et al. I guess you and the Dems are misogynists. LOL

          • Ladyk October 4, 2018 at 1:39 am

            Wasn’t it a bunch of old white men who went to the White House lawn and applauded Bill Clinton after he had been impeached? He for sure hate women.

        • bikeandfish October 3, 2018 at 8:36 am

          PS….my educated guess is still that Ed Dante is just Hyde’s sock puppet account given the reference to the psuedonym. But I could be wrong.

          • eddantes56 October 3, 2018 at 10:47 pm

            At least you have a sense of humor. ?

        • Real Life October 3, 2018 at 8:46 am

          You are right Teresa, he lives here on earth. What is the name of your planet, where any and all accusations are truth, as long as they are on different political lines, even when there is ZERO evidence? Because that planet seems like a cold and lonely place.

        • eddantes56 October 3, 2018 at 10:42 pm

          We live on the same planet but you cannot make an argument. I ask you again, give me an example of a public institution or private institution that is mysoginistic….or I guess per your view, hates women. Give me one.

          Here’s my argument. Every public and private university specifically gives extra points in considering admissions for women and for WOC and lesbian, they get more points. Local, state and fed government positions are the same. Grad schools are specifically recruiting women for STEM and medical school.

          So Teresa, exactly where is the misogyny in our society? Do you have any arguments? I didn’t think so.

          • bikeandfish October 4, 2018 at 9:03 am

            Hey Ghostwriter,

            If you are gonna try to challenge someone on truth, you might want to check your facts as well. What “point” system are you referring to in college applications? Where is this question about sexuality (ie lesbians) on college applications? You do realize women are not a minority in college as they regularly outnumber men in representation both in application, participation and graduation rates. It takes a certain willful ignorance to make your claims instead of seeing how that is actually consistent with high school data.

            Per misogyny, you know the definition is alot more complicated than “women hating”, correct?

            You want an example of institutional misogyny, just look at Ted Cruz’s use of the phrase “abortifacient” for birth control (Kavanaugh repeated this phrase or a variant as well during his hearing). The willful use of inherently fallacious ideas to create public policy is a prime example of how misogyny is institutionalized. Birth control is a simple issue of women’s health and bodily autonomy and yet certain men want to malign it and deny access to it off of false allegations (the morning after pill is a form of birth control not abortion). We don’t see an equal movement against men’s health care access; not in ideology or action.

          • eddantes56 October 5, 2018 at 8:22 pm

            BF, did you turn off the “reply” option? LOL, you cucks are a riot.

            If you want to know the college application point system, do some research. It is a fact.

            Feminists like you use mysogyny for its definition, hating women. Are you moving the goal posts.

            Cruz’s use of a word for birth control is institutional mysogyny? My goodness. One man’s statement, accepting for argument’s sake that your interpretation is correct, is hardly institutional. The issue is BF, that you no argument based on facts.

            As for birth control, I doubt there are more of a handful of men that would oppose birth control. However, you and your abortion loving girlfriends, use abortion as birth control. Imagine, when birth control pills have been available since 1960 and the neo marxist feminists demand. “On demand” abortion…..95+ percent of the 50 millions abortions have nothing to do with rape, incest or the health of the mother……they were done simply because women were too lazy to take birth control measures and then once pregnant, took the barbarian route by killing their unborn. Without any consultation of the father, I might add.

            Keep working it BF, I have not problem with sell-out cucks, but please show some facts….So, where is the institutional misogony? There is none and you know it. Go ahead and admit it. We won’t mock you.

            BTW, I never heard your response to all of the Dems/leftists/feminists that condoned misogony when they voted in Clinton for a second term………Talk about hypocrisy…..please, smell yourself. LOL

  • Carpe Diem October 2, 2018 at 7:07 pm

    Ford and the other two “victims” are doing a disservice to true victims. They are to blame for future true victims keeping silent. There is absolutely ZERO corroboration with any of them, and it turns out that they instead have strong anti-Trump motivations. It’s a complete sham and disgrace on the Democrats. I am glad they showed their hand… very, very evil people.

  • Carpe Diem October 3, 2018 at 6:19 am

    OOOPS – it’s now come out that Ford perjured herself on the stand, IRT coaching someone on Polygraph tests. Also still refuses to give up her own test info as well as therapy notes. OK then! Next!

    Swetnick has an old BF that has given a statement… she was into group sex. Since High School. (KAv would have been in middle school)
    Not surprising that she had that fetish, as she claimed she went to “over ten parties with group sex”.

    Can the Democrats move the goalposts around the field a few more times? This is getting fun, regardless of the unintended sex education opportunities.

    • Red2Blue310 October 3, 2018 at 12:35 pm

      Have not heard that, Carpe. In fact it’s reported the investigation has been coached by Trump to leave out certain contacts. You must be getting your facts from state media, Fox News, the Trump news org. If Trump has anything to say count it as a lie. He’s a liar, cheat, adulterer, and most of all a pervert.

    • Teresa October 3, 2018 at 1:22 pm

      cite your sources please

      • iceplant October 3, 2018 at 2:49 pm

        He can’t cite his sources beacause he’s blatantly lying. Holy crap, what a load of bollocks.

        • Carpe Diem October 3, 2018 at 3:46 pm

          Go to Twitter Dot Com and search: *Christine Blasey Ford ex-boyfriend says she helped friend prep for potential polygraph*

          There you will find that story.

          While there go ahead and search: *A Utah man named Dennis Ketterer*

          You will quickly find Sen Hatch’s office has posted a letter from this man detailing his experiences with Swetnick and her affinity for group sex, dating back to High School.

          Now, I can understand you all have problems finding *REAL* news, surfing CNN and MSNBC. They are good for smokescreens and resisting the truth.
          But guess what? KAV will be voted in by EOW. Bank on it.

          • iceplant October 3, 2018 at 5:27 pm

            1. I don’t Twitter.
            2. You are basing your opinion on complete hearsay. YOU FAIL.
            3. If you want people to take you seriously, stop digging that pit any further.

        • Carpe Diem October 3, 2018 at 6:58 pm

          You don’t Twitter – and I guess you get all your news from CNN. YOU fail.

          Go ahead and use google then, have you even tried? I am finished doing the heavy lifting for your lazy tuchass.

          No matter… The democrats like you aren’t looking for the truth, only paths to resist… your TDS is running a high fever.

  • Red2Blue310 October 3, 2018 at 12:36 pm

    But then, knotheads only hear what they want to, not anything else. Times coming.

    • Happy Commenter October 3, 2018 at 2:04 pm

      Speaking from first hand experience?

      • iceplant October 3, 2018 at 2:52 pm

        Oh, look. Mr. Happy is trolling again.
        Bitterness comes when you know you’re wrong. Troll on, Johnny.

        • Carpe Diem October 3, 2018 at 3:49 pm

          We see the Democrats bitterness, they (and you) wear it on your sleeves. It must be hard to be so angry all the time! Trump plays golf in your head, and he has to hit the ball hard because there is a lot of empty space in there!

          • iceplant October 3, 2018 at 5:36 pm

            Here’s the thing, champ. I’m not a Democrat.
            In fact, I think Democrats are just lightweight Republicans.
            Sure, they may do and say things that I agree with, but actually DOING what they say isn’t always their strong point. I lean further left than most Democrats like. And I would never, under any circumstances, identify as a Dem. I am an Independent. AND I VOTE.

            Republicans, on the other hand, disgust me to my core. Mostly selfish individuals who like to talk one way and act the other. Permanently talking out of both sides of their collective mouth. Living in Utah has taught me that much. The hypocrisy here is astounding. But I digress…

            Trump doesn’t play golf in my head. Trump plays golf more than he spends time on the country and more any other president in history. Trump has already surpassed Obama in tee time.
            What do you think MAGA stands for? Maralago And Golf Again…!!!

          • Happy Commenter October 3, 2018 at 7:44 pm

            Frozen vegetables can only register as democrats.

        • Carpe Diem October 3, 2018 at 7:02 pm

          HA HA well, ask Ed how he likes the life down south, maybe it’s good there for left wingers, no pesky Utahn’s, except some plyg refugees I hear, there may be room for one more and you can try that out. Or go further, try Venezuela, try THAT for a while. Socialism just needs someone to help perfect it.

          • iceplant October 3, 2018 at 7:58 pm

            Oh, please. Another one of you “move to Venezuela” types. Why do you people always go to the absolute worst examples and extremes? Yes, VZ is a mess. No doubt about it. As well, it’s a constitutional republic. But do you have any idea how many different constitutions they have had? 26. How many have we had in America? Mmm hmm.

            Venezuela is a weak argument because comparing it to the USA is the very definition of a false equivalency. That talking point comes straight from hacks like Hannity and Limbaugh and those FoxNews yahoos. That’s pure propaganda kool-aid, buddy. You’re gonna have to step up your game if you want to convince me that democratic socialism is as bad as YOU think it is. I know better.

  • Utahguns October 3, 2018 at 4:38 pm

    The author is still trying to cover the fact that liberals are still continuing to commit political hari-kiri.

    • Carpe Diem October 3, 2018 at 5:06 pm

      Ed blew out of town quite a few years ago. Don’t know if it was the red sands… or the red state… there was always Cali beckoning… pretty high prices tho…
      Se habla Espanol? Mucho better.

  • Red2Blue310 October 3, 2018 at 8:02 pm

    Most of the people here don’t even register a response. Total Utards.

    • Happy Commenter October 3, 2018 at 9:14 pm

      That’s because they get it and you don’t!

  • commonsense October 3, 2018 at 9:07 pm

    Due process is often absent for men accused of sex crimes. Is Brett Cavanaugh going to get a jury of his peers to decide his guilt or innocence? No. Will his accuser face criminal charges for lying under oath? No.

    Ms Ford is a liberal political activist with an agenda and faces no consequences for her five minutes of fame. Judge Cavanaugh will suffer great harm with no way to defend himself. No evidence, no date, no place and yet he suffers and she becomes a celebrity.

    Shame on Democrats for reaching so low.

  • Happy Commenter October 3, 2018 at 9:13 pm

    All above your head, that;s why!

  • Ladyk October 3, 2018 at 9:25 pm

    I started this reply several times. I started one way then stopped and decided that it wasn’t worth my time, then the nagging HOW DARE YOU just kept hitting me in the head. Ed who the neck do you think you are. You spew your bias and hatred pretending to be an enlightened male, what a crock. One who has risen above and beyond the poor mortal white men of the Republican party. You have made me sick to my stomach so much in the past that I rarely read your pile of crap any more but I have to admit, this one caught my eye. But that familiar feeling returned oh so quickly. I literally regret reading this piece more than all the others put together.

    The ego you have displayed in this one article is beyond compare. Let me be very clear, this is not a Republican/Democrat issue. It is not a race issue or a class issue. Being rich doesn’t make you a rapist any more than being black makes you a murderer. I can guarantee you there are just as many problems among the men in Democratic leadership as there is on the other side. Your implication that because you are a Democrat and maybe not as rich as some of those who sat on the judiciary committee that your life is any less free from sin is a disgusting display of arrogance. I can guarantee you that at some point in your life there is a girl or a woman who was left feeling violated in some way because of something you did. A high school girlfriend that didn’t give you permission to touch her but because she didn’t stop you to you that meant it was ok, it wasn’t a no right? Or how about a co-worker who caught you looking at her or behaving in a way that was less than respectful. Or a girl you claimed to have slept with to your buddies when you hadn’t. You want to know how I know this? Because you sit there and assume you know what it Is like to be a woman and who we blame for our life experiences. Your attitude of I’m better then they are because I am not well… them, is actually very typical of guess what, an abusive personality. You can actually sit there and spew hatred based upon someone’s skin color or how wealthy they are shows in very dramatic fashion how much of a racist you really are. This article certainly wasn’t done out of respect.

    Let’s get something straight right now, I AM A SURVIVOR. Not just one time and not just in one way. From the time I was a young teenager of 13 I looked much older. Guess what that meant, yup creeps like you only looked at me one way. Not one guy really wanted to know what I wanted to do with my life, what goals i had or what I felt, they just wanted in my pants. At 18 i was a model but quit because it was nothing but abusive towards women all under the guise of fame and glamour. Do you have any idea why so many women say they have been assaulted, it’s because guys like you just assume you can point your finger at someone else and say see I am not as bad as they are. Experience has taught me, yes the hard way, that men like you who point and exclaim how bad other people are and refuse to understand your own part in the entirety of the problem are really just trying to get people to look at someone else instead of themselves. Ed you are every bit a part of the problem as any other guy you want to point the finger at. How brave you must have thought you were for writing a piece that you knew men would jump at to defend themselves. What you didn’t think through was the effect your words would have on those of us who have been raped. I don’t mean like Dr Ford, who’s little act I didn’t buy for one second btw. I sat and watched her make her statement and give her testimony and I knew immediately she was lying. You see there are certain things that happen to someone who has been through a real sexual assault when they get to testify about it. Especially if that person is now a “strong intelligent woman”. A person with her background and education would have gone in there strong and confidant not the timid little mouse she pretended to be. She was putting on a show pure and simple. Now it is important to note that I am not saying that she never had an experience like the one she says happened, but as a woman who has had several very difficult situations to get through I can tell you that her behavior was absolutely out of sink with who she really is and what really happened.

    Ed, You obviously think you can say what you want without even trying to be sensitive to who or what you are talking about. But I will be the first one to stand up and say you have that right because we live in the United States and you have the freedom of speech. You have that because of people like my dad and my husband who put on a uniform and served. Not one of the Bill of Rights was written because it was oh just some strange idea one guy had that well you know may not ever happen but let’s put it in there anyway. Each and every one of them were fought for. Then you bash the LDS church because you truly do not understand the role of a woman to begin with. My husband said it best. Men build skyscrapers for other men, women build the kingdom of God, not that i expect you to underatand. The LDS church has the oldest womens organization in the US andd allowed women to vote before the rest did. Ed, We aren’t free because some old white guy with hippy hair sat on his soap box and wrote an opinion piece about what everybody else did wrong. This has to be the biggest hack job I have ever seen you write, bigger than the lies you write about things and people I personally know the situation of and know you were lying.

    Let me just leave you with one thought, if you spend so much time pointing the finger at everyone else’s faults or problems (or making them up) you are missing the bigger picture about why we are all here. I could easily sit here and tell you my woes and things that happened to me and others like me, but I would have to make the assumption that first of all you even cared and second of all who would that serve. I could bash all men but that would include the men in my life that i love with my whole heart. Ed, stop the anger and hatred and finger pointing. It is this kind of behavior that ruins all of us starting with you. But most of all, stop trying to speak to something you can’t possibly understand, we are strong enough to speak for ourselves.

    • jaltair October 3, 2018 at 10:39 pm

      Ladyk, I couldn’t have written or said it better than you. In every sense what you wrote were my thoughts. Thank you for stating what was in my heart and mind.

      ~ Just another woman with similar experience as “Ladyk” and who loves the many guys in her life and who doesn’t want those men bashed.

  • Borowiak Mark October 3, 2018 at 9:31 pm

    Couldn’t read past the racist beginning but here’s the bottom line. If Ed is an old, white man shouldn’t he be turning his job over to a young, woman of color. Other goodnews is Bernie and Uncle Joe, old white men, are now ineligible to run.

  • dodgers October 4, 2018 at 5:27 am

    Wow Ed. You really let your cat out of the bag, the pot calling the kettle black. Bigotry, racism and misandry are not the answer. Is your intent another To Kill a Mockingbird? You’ve exposed yourself as a member of a modern day lynch mob where due process is irrelevant, where you’re guilty until proven innocent, where facts don’t matter. Your message is extremely disturbing and only reinforces the huge importance of confirming Kavanaugh. Numerous accusations have been attempted, from gang rape to throwing ice. In every case, there has not been any evidence or corroboration of the accusers’ claims. We are a nation of laws, critically important to maintaining a safe and healthy society. Look in the mirror; look at the opposing party; objectively weigh the claims (& supporting facts) of the accusers. You’re out of balance with your clear bias and hatred. And if nothing else, consider moving to Mexico full time if you can’t deal with fairness and objectivity.

    • bikeandfish October 4, 2018 at 12:21 pm

      Twisting the truth a bit:

      Third person accussed him of being at a party where a woman was gang raped. No direct testimony of seeing him actually participate.

      The ice accusation is actually part of a police report from 1983. Its detailed by an officer and Kavanaugh neither admitted to it at the time nor denied it. Sound familiar to his hearing deflections?

      Most of these accusations sound completely feasible for a heavy drinker. Common for folks to blackout which he never denied, ie deflected. He may not remember many of these interactions if he drink as heavy as his roommates and friends have noted.

      We are a nation of laws and due process when legal action is taken. It hasn’t in this situation.

  • Pa Triot October 4, 2018 at 1:05 pm

    Wow, Ed………this article should shame YOU into silence.

  • commonsense October 4, 2018 at 4:48 pm

    The FBI report is out and it exonerates Judge Cavanaugh of any wrong-doing. This liberal charade is not about the judge’s character but rather it’s about his politics. This time the Dems have gone too far and will pay the price at the polls. I so hope Cavanaugh gets nominated and serves 50 years.

    • bikeandfish October 4, 2018 at 7:17 pm

      Can you show me what exonerates him? A pdf copy? A quote from the FBI with those terms?

      My understanding is you can’t know that as its not public yet.

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