In September 2018, news broke that Dr. Christine Blasey Ford accused Judge Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her back in 1982. President Donald Trump has recently nominated the judge to the Supreme Court.
One of the first criticisms Dr. Ford received was that she was ruining a good man's life by bringing up things that may have happened over 20 years ago.
Every day countless other women are re-traumatized by the victim blaming and gaslighting of Dr. Ford. She's painted as the villain who wants attention and a large payday. Yet I fail to see what her testimony would do to get her these things.
Dr. Christine Ford teaches research design and education clinical psychology at Palo Alto University. Ford has written and co-written several books and academic articles on psychological topics including depression, child abuse, human sexuality, and the psychological effects of 9/11.
Dr. Ford has earned her undergraduate and Ph.D. in Psychology, and two Masters degrees in Psychology.
With all that Dr. Ford has accomplished in the world, wouldn't one call her a good woman? Now that she chose to disclose what happened to her, does that negate all she's done in this world? Are there no good women in the public's eyes, or are women no longer good when they reveal a man may have violated their autonomy?
If the allegations are true, this man ruined a good woman's life by taking away her right to refuse his advances. She has to live with the trauma he may have caused her for the rest of her life, while he could potentially be given one of the highest jobs in the country and sit pretty for the rest of his life. On top of all this, she's looked at as a liar because how can a man lie? How can a judge lie? How can a teenage sex game be wrong?
No matter how hard a woman works, or how successful she becomes, there's nothing that will make her good in the public eye. While a man can do the old rape and pillage, whine and gaslight, only to become even more successful than women and his character not suffer a smudge.
Another major criticism of women coming forward with past traumas is people say it's a false accusation. This also ties into the good man argument; that women make up assaults to keep good men from getting ahead in the world. Of course, we all know a man could commit murder and still get ahead in this world, so how would a rape accusation hurt him?
What percentage of false accusations flooding statistics for so many people to believe that every rape allegation is automatically false? What's REALLY something is that when a woman is accused of a crime, she's automatically guilty. Even if it's sexual assault against a man; he'll be laughed at, and claims against his manhood will be made, but he'll be believed and the woman socially blacklisted.
Dr. Christine Blasey Ford didn't deserve what happened to her. She doesn't deserve the social backlash she's receiving now. She tried to remain anonymous, she passed the polygraphs, and she testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Plus more women are now coming forward. She has dreams and aspirations and much more to do in this world without society stomping her name into the ground.
So can people stop saying that she's ruining a good man by revealing what he may have done to her when its the reverse? He might have ruined a good woman by allowing her to be socially trashed due to his alleged actions.
