An Open Letter to Kavanaugh Supporters
Dear Kavanaugh Supporters,
I just wanna talk.
This week marked the beginning and end of the FBI’s investigation into Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s accusation against Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably have some vague idea of what’s going on. As of right now (I am writing on Thursday, October 4th), the Senate is reading through the FBI investigation. Its have not been released to the public.
Support for both parties has been pouring out since Kavanaugh and Ford’s emotional testimonies last week. The hostile division between those who support Kavanaugh and those who support Ford has just become another example of the extremity in this country. Although the #MeToo movement began just months ago, we are already witnessing its historic effects. I am interested to see if the progress we made in regard to sexual assault victims will really affect change in our government.
However, whenever we experience two steps of progress, we always take one step back. And we are certainly seeing some of that backlash now as a manifestation of zealous support for Kavanaugh.
Kavanaugh supporters’ main argument is that Dr. Ford is a puppet being controlled by the Democratic Party to block the nomination of a conservative judge to the Supreme Court. They argue that Dr. Ford is a liar and is spitefully ‘ruining’ Kavanaugh’s life despite his alleged innocence.
I wanted to use this week as an opportunity to address these claims, and others, directly. Because, regardless if you believe Dr. Ford or not, the testimonies from last week have clearly proven that Judge Kavanaugh is not fit to fill the lifetime position of a Supreme Court Justice.
Look. As much as I would hate to have an ultra-conservative SCOTUS justice, I know that President Trump has the right to appoint one. I believe that having a conservative justice of any kind (not just Kavanaugh) would be catastrophic for this country, especially for women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Therefore, I am not just saying what I am saying because Kavanaugh is conservative. Trust me, I have lots of other letters on this blog that address my issues with conservatism and the Republican Party. Instead of focusing on those problems, this letter is going to address why Kavanaugh specifically should not be appointed.
If he was a liberal nominee and exhibited the same behavior, I would argue the exact same thing.
The Supreme Court is the highest judicial court in this country. Throughout the history of the United States, the Supreme Court has settled hundreds of controversial cases and has significantly shaped our country. Yes, they have made several mistakes (looking at you Plessy v. Ferguson), but most of these have been corrected. The Supreme Court has been responsible for pushing progress forward despite backlash. They are a third of our system of checks and balances. They assure that the president and Congress are held accountable.
So, yeah, the Supreme Court is pretty important.
To be a Supreme Court Justice is one of the most prestigious, honored, and, dare I say, sacred positions in the United States. That’s because Supreme Court Justices can hold their positions for life, and their decisions will influence the United States and its citizens for decades to come. Justices are supposed to be as impartial as possible (though, most lean in one direction or another) and are supposed to be civil and dutiful.
Regardless if you believe Dr. Ford or not, you have to agree that Judge Kavanaugh lacks the respect and professionalism that being a Supreme Court Justice demands. The behavior he exhibited during his testimony last week was partisan and flat-out disrespectful. Dr. Ford showed far more poise and self-control than Kavanaugh during her testimony. It’s appalling to me that his nomination was pushed through this morning, with a tally of 51-49.
The anger and resentment that Kavanaugh displayed has no place on our Supreme Court. As a Supreme Court Justice, Kavanaugh would be responsible for dealing with very sensitive cases that would affect thousands of lives, and he simply cannot throw a temper-tantrum when things do not go his way.
If his childish outbursts are not enough to dissuade you from supporting his nomination, there is also the fact that he broke the law.
Since his testimony, it has been proven that Kavanaugh lied under oath, specifically about what was written in his yearbook. How can we appoint a Supreme Court Justice who committed perjury? I honestly cannot think of anything that is more hypocritical than appointing a judge of any degree who lacks total regard for the legal process.
The appointment of Brett Kavanaugh should not be a partisan issue. No matter your views on the #MeToo movement or Dr. Ford, you cannot support Kavanaugh. I have noticed that many of his supporters are passionate patriots. If you truly love your country as much as you claim, then you must respect our system of checks and balances as well as the prestige of the Supreme Court.
Supporting Kavanaugh spits on democracy.
Yours truly,
P.S. Thank you, Matt Damon.