The confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh brought to light the already highlighted issue of sexual assault and harassment. Quickly, people chose sides, whether believing Dr. Ford and disapproving of Kavanaugh or dismissing Dr. Ford's allegations and endorsing Kavanaugh's confirmation.
Whether you think Republicans have no empathy for not taking Ford's allegations seriously, or if you believe Democrats are blindly believing her, the issue of sexual assault should not be partisan.
Now, more than ever, people need to band together and support women. One in three women experience sexual violence in their lifetime, and only approximately 37 percent of sexual assaults get reported. The feeling of unease and anxiety while walking alone is a familiar feeling for women. We have all been taught to use the buddy system, and we need to be taking that to heart right now. It is time to reach across the aisle, whether you are male or female, and support survivors coming forward. We need to believe women when they tell their stories, and look out in our environments to ensure equality.
During Kavanaugh's confirmation ceremony, President Trump stated, "Those who serve our country deserve a fair and dignified evaluation." Not only people who serve our country deserve a fair and dignified evaluation, but everyone who is brave enough to tell their story should be allowed a fair and dignified evaluation. This means that when a woman, like Dr. Ford, comes forward, we cannot just shut her down when it benefits our ideals.
Kavanaugh's confirmation hearings were not the first time a woman has alleged a Supreme Court candidate made sexual advances. In 1991, Anita Hill sat in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee and answered humiliating questions about how Clarence Thomas had sexually harassed her while she was working with him for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Anita Hill, on Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing stated, "There was no organization that was on the inside or was connected with the inside, with the decision-makers, that was going to be able to help her. We need to really understand that what we are dealing with, when we talk about these kind of abuses… We are not just dealing with behavior, we are dealing with systems that protect is, and sometimes encourage it, and sometimes reward it, and that is what you saw."
Not only do we need to drastically reformat how we handle allegations of sexual assault in confirmation hearings, but how we handle allegations in our daily lives. We have to stop allowing stigmatization of survivors of sexual assault and believe women. Stand together and we can actually make a change, as cliché as that sounds.
