The Ford and Kavanaugh hearing not only had an outcome that was surprising but it showed the country how seriously we take assault accusations. The hearing took place at Washington DC in one of the senate hearing rooms. Each person gave an opening statement. Ford and Kavanaugh were not together to talk in front of the judge. Ford testified and then left the room. Soon after Kavanaugh testified. The senators got five minutes to ask each witness questions.
The way this hearing worked was because it was set up by Republicans. They have a majority control of the Senate. It started at 10 a.m. Eastern, and aired live and lasted several hours. Most congressional hearings are open to the public and showed on TV. Republicans managed the process and offered Ford to testify behind closed doors, but she didn’t take them up on that. Instead she spoke out in front of the nation and she did a fine job. She was being asked hard questions left and right and she was answering them to the best of her ability. She was asked to read over her letter she wrote and go back to that night and go over the smallest details. It is true that she could not remember every detail, but no true story is unflawed.
After Ford spoke, Kavanaugh went in, denying everything and being asked questions that obviously favored him. Kavanaugh was very quick on some answers to questions that were asked and to others he denied or didn’t answer, for example he was asked if he would take a Polygraph which is like a “ lie detector” and he would try to get around the question .
But at last it came down to what was really being decided; should Brett Kavanaugh be put on the Supreme Court? On Saturday not only was Kavanaugh sworn in as a Supreme Court judge. It was also a defeat for sexual assault victims. This was a reminder to all the women that they are not as important and that mens political careers have to be protected at all costs. Were we just going to ignore the #MeToo movement and shut it down with one hearing?
To wrap this all together the case hearing for Kavanaugh to be voted in on Supreme Court is one that will go down in history, and not in the best way. From all that Ford shared to the little that Kavanaugh shared and denied, Despite what was said in the hearing, he was voted in as a Supreme Court judge on Saturday. Some would say he is ruthless and an evil man and they will show sympathy for Ford’s defeat but what it shows, and comes down to who is in control, and right now the Republicans run the court and will favor them in a way because it is their own party, but we all hope they hear both sides of the story and make decisions based on facts and evidence provided.
by Collin Manley
The Claw 