“Brett Kavanaugh physically and sexually assaulted me during high school in the early 1980’s,” Christine Blasey Ford wrote to her Senator over two months ago. Ford is a psychology professor at Palo Alto University in California and works with the Stanford University School of Medicine as a researcher.
In those days since Ford’s letter leaked, Kavanaugh was chosen as a Supreme Court nominee. Kavanaugh is a graduate of the Yale Law School and currently serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals.
In those same days since Ford’s letter leaked, two other women came forth with allegations against him. Hundreds of people defended Kavanaugh’s integrity, placing doubt on these women’s’ voices. However, we must believe these women, putting our discomfort aside to learn from their courage. Believe her.
As the #MeToo movement nears one year after gaining steam, we are reminded of the normalization of sexual assault in the United States, both past and present. In 1991, Clarence Thomas was set to be a Supreme Court Justice. His confirmation hearing was halted when a FBI interview with Anita Hill, accusing Thomas of sexual harassment, got leaked.
Hill faced threats from those who did not believe her, or were such vehement supporters of Thomas, they would do anything to support his rise to the top. After a public testimony, with an all male panel, Hill’s accusations were discredited and Thomas became a Supreme Court Justice, a position he still holds today. Believe her.
Some twenty odd years later, history repeats itself, with Kavanaugh and Ford as the main scene. Ford has faced threats as well. All Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee are still male. But this time, there is a limited FBI investigation. The Republicans have their concerns represented by a female attorney. The vote on the issue is just one day after the hearing. Believe her.
This hearing is not just about Kavanaugh and the Supreme Court, but about the normalization of sexual assault in America. If Kavanaugh is confirmed by the Senate, students will be shown high school actions don’t impact future plans. The idea that if you perpetrate sexual assault you could still become a judge in the highest court in the United States will spread. And worst of all, survivors of sexual assault will be sent the message that their voices and stories are not important. Believe her.
So now, instead of trying to discredit survivors’ stories, we should all focus on how this can be prevented in the future. The responsibility of acknowledging and preventing sexual assault falls on all of us. Canvass for a candidate who supports victims of sexual assault. Lend an ear and speak out. Work with an organization that helps recovering victims of sexual assault. And most importantly, believe her.

The information provided in this article is accurate as of Oct. 4, 2018.

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