The Courts under Trump - Mega Thread

ZRod said:
How hard is it for him to look her in the eyes, say "I'm sorry for what happened to you. All women should feel empowered enough that they can come forward and confront their accusers through the legal system. That you, and many others, don't feel that way is a very troubling issue in our time."
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Again, I'll borrow from 538 yesterday, because they were an awesome resource. Women don't feel empowered because the legal system is failing them. It is extremely troubling, but neither Flake nor any of his colleagues seem to care to do anything to reform it.

There will probably be a lot of people today wondering about why sexual assault and sexual violence doesn’t get reported more often. According to the Department of Justice, 15 percent of female victims who didn’t report said they made that choice because they felt that police would not or could not be able to help them. And when you look at stats on what happens with reported rape cases — compared to other crimes — there is a pattern of sex crimes being prosecuted differently than other crimes. Out of every 1,000 cases of rape reported to police, 13 get referred to a prosecutor and seven of those end in a felony conviction. In contrast, for other kinds of assault and battery, 105 cases out of 1,000 are referred to prosecutors and 41 lead to felony conviction.
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Someone put it much better than I could ever hope to yesterday:

"Throughout my adult life, the promise of the Republican Party is 'You don't have to care about others.' Today, they proved it."

 
Four thoughts about what I heard yesterday.

1. I didn't really believe his explanation about 'boofing' but kids are weird and come up with inside jokes all the time.

2. I didn't at all believe his devil's triangle explanation. I really wish someone would have asked for a couple rules of the supposed drinking game.

3. There's no way in hell that guy hasn't drank to excess in his college years.

4. His attacks on Democrats in his prepared statement really bothered me when it's supposed to be an apolitical position.

Kavanaugh probably lied under oath yesterday and it's not going to matter because the R's are playing to win. A couple Senators and Reps will lose their seats this fall but that's just collateral damage for locking up a SC Justice for the next 30 years.

 
If this same thing happened to a family member, a wife/husband, a friend, would we all be so quick to judge? 

I think something happened to Ford in the time period she claims. When you let 36 years pass (understandably her choice), it becomes harder to prove, and the evidence/memories fade(s).  

If the #metoo movement does anything, I hope it allows people to come forth quicker to get the justice they deserve. 

 
Waldo said:
If this same thing happened to a family member, a wife/husband, a friend, would we all be so quick to judge? 

I think something happened to Ford in the time period she claims. When you let 36 years pass (understandably her choice), it becomes harder to prove, and the evidence/memories fade(s).  

  

If the #metoo movement does anything, I hope it allows people to come forth quicker to get the justice they deserve. 
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See above. The justice system doesn't give them the justice they deserve.

Remember, this isn't a trial. It's a job interview for Kavanaugh.

 
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Dbqgolfer said:
You are correct that it is miles apart. However, if he truly didn't do this, holding no Ill will is probably the best I could do in his situation.
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You do know that Brett Kavanaugh's career is built on partisan political character assassinations, many of them knowingly unfounded. 

Ill will has been his business for years. 

Of all the people to pity in the world, Brett Kavanaugh doesn't make the list. 

 
Guy Chamberlin said:
You do know that Brett Kavanaugh's career is built on partisan political character assassinations, many of them knowingly unfounded. 

Ill will has been his business for years. 

Of all the people to pity in the world, Brett Kavanaugh doesn't make the list. 
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I feel like it slipped under that radar that he claimed this entire thing was a hoax designed as a ploy to get revenge for the Clintons.

He went completely batsh#t insane yesterday on the calculated gamble that Republicans would come home. It's going to work, too.

 
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Waldo said:
If this same thing happened to a family member, a wife/husband, a friend, would we all be so quick to judge? 
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What exactly are you asking here? So quick to judge who? Ford or Kavanaugh?

If a loved one claimed that they were sexually assaulted, or if a loved one was unexpectedly accused of sexual assault, I suppose we would all lean towards supporting our loved one and presume that our person is telling the truth and the other side is the bad guy. 

But generally speaking, when it comes to matters of justice, I hate it when people ask "what if it was a family member." Justice is supposed to be blind and impartial, determined by reasonable people who are not conflicted by the situation. I am admittedly biased by my liberal mind, but a reasonable and impartial and educated person should be able to see all sorts of problems with Kavanaugh's statements and behaviors, as well as with the political spectacle that got us here.

 
Waldo said:
If this same thing happened to a family member, a wife/husband, a friend, would we all be so quick to judge? 

I think something happened to Ford in the time period she claims. When you let 36 years pass (understandably her choice), it becomes harder to prove, and the evidence/memories fade(s).  

If the #metoo movement does anything, I hope it allows people to come forth quicker to get the justice they deserve. 
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If the same thing happened to a family member, I would have told them they should withdraw, and I'd be pissed at them for the media circus they'd be causing that would undoubtedly be interfering with my normal life.  I'd publicly press for further investigation by a independent body if they didn't and maintained their innocence, because if there's nothing to hide that'd obviously clear them.  If I saw them lie their a$$ off in front of the senate about their drinking and "inside jokes", I'd call that out too.  It's a shame smart phones didn't exist back then.  We'd undoubtedly have a facebook full of video that would instantly disqualify this man from his current job, let alone the SCOTUS.

Look, undeniable proof isn't what is needed here, this wasn't a trial.  This is simply republicans trying to shove in a alcoholic, lying, partisan hack and probably would-be sex offender if he wasn't a member of the affluent, christian, white, entitled boys club into the SCOTUS regardless of any doubts about his character.  At this point its probably half to show they can and half because they don't give a f#&% what anyone thinks because if you aren't one of them or a billionaire donors you don't f#&%ing matter to them.

I'd be embarrassed if he was a family member of mine, or any republican senator involved was.  I'd tell them this is the world they are helping to perpetuate in the face of their own mothers, sisters and daughers.  For what? a "good work" from the slim-ball McConnell?  That's the legacy they're going to leave, a suck-up to Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell, I'd make sure to carve that into their tombstone so history accurately portrays them as the coward they were in their own time.

Family doesn't mean blind allegiance.

 
Fantastic thread on where the rest of us can go from here to dig us out of this hole we've been summarily thrust into. Please read. 

Silver linings exist.


 
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Waldo said:
If this same thing happened to a family member, a wife/husband, a friend, would we all be so quick to judge? 
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I'd rather hold a family member accountable in love than enable them to act dispicably. I would be wary of any close aquaintence accused of such behavior as abusers aren't typically the most truthful people.

 
Nebfanatic said:
I'd rather hold a family member accountable in love than enable them to act dispicably. I would be wary of any close aquaintence accused of such behavior as abusers aren't typically the most truthful people.
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But you don't know if an accused person is an abuser or not, so how can you judge their morality. 

 
Moiraine said:
Seems to me the character requirements for supreme court justice should be higher than the requirements for working at McDonald’s or even Google.
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Shouldn't be in the PC world we live in today. Teachers and cops for example should be held to a similar standard. 

 
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