ART BY KAYTE CHIENConstant political disarray. Countless sexual misconduct cases unreported and unresolved. A legal system in shambles. A society built on ignorance and corrupt institutions.
This is America.
Arguably one of the most prominent advocates for political and social order, the United States is finding itself to be the subject of one scandal after another, with the most recent being that of the Brett Kavanaugh imbroglio.
Just two months ago, President Trump proclaimed Kavanaugh the chosen elect to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy, granting him with a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court. With a spotless reputation and strong Republican views, Kavanaugh was the perfect candidate for the nomination, especially considering the fact that he is a replica of Trump himself, now in more ways than just party values.
This decision, of course, was strongly backed by much of the Republican party, who characterized Kavanaugh as a man of “impeccable credentials” and a “true thought-leader among his peers.”
Yet with all of the praise he received, Kavanaugh was still accused of committing several acts of sexual assault against former classmates Christine Blasey Ford and Deborah Ramirez over thirty years ago.
Easy. Let’s investigate and develop a verdict. Right?
Apparently, it’s not that simple.
What many continue to overlook is the fact that sexual assault is not a political issue; rather, it is a looming social issue with complex implications.
Since then, several claims have disproven these allegations, including a legally binding document advocating his innocence signed by one of the victims accusing Kavanaugh of inappropriate behavior. Following fervent efforts of his victims to give him the punishment he deserves, Kavanaugh has reciprocated just as strongly, rallying the support of numerous passionate Republicans as well as other figures of authority including politicians, senators and other justices.
Not to mention, President Trump’s ardent opinions regarding Kavanaugh’s innocence have become increasingly important in the justification of the allegations, which has, unsurprisingly, created chaos about inconsiderately turning a sex scandal into a political shenanigan.
Beyond the backlash and equally zealous support Kavanaugh has received, one pertinent issue of the entire tribulation is the matter of how long such an underrated matter like sexual assault can continue to be shoved under the rug and disregarded as a mere “political” attempt at slander.
It is no secret that cases of sexual assault are probably one of the most underreported crimes in the United States. This is a direct result of the United State’s long standing history in blatantly ignoring reports of sexual harassment, causing many cases to surpass the statutes of limitation before any real attention or action is taken.
Our society has been built on the idea that sexual assault has been and will continue to be a prominent, yet blatantly disregarded issue that will continue to fail its victims if such indifferent action among the government is not overturned.
Without proper government empathy and an overall more down-to-earth view of the true nature of sexual assaults and the extraordinary human effects it leaves in victims, neither abuser nor victim will ever receive justice, despite efforts to attain such a sense of closure to the situations.
Even today, in a society that constantly advocates for equality, freedom, and especially justice, the nature of the real world has still failed to match such hopeful dreams.
When this dilemma is brought to the very highest point of government in our society—the President–little is done, other than a quick swerve of pointed fingers. Kavanaugh’s case, as with so many similar previous cases, involves a society screaming and begging for a just investigation, only to be led into a far more frustrating and unreasonable dark hole by the people who could have produced change.
For instance, when Kavanaugh’s case began to gain heat and fall under the eyes of meticulous investigators hoping to find a just conclusion to the situation with the help of the President, Trump adamantly disregarded all the work put into the investigation by moving the very obviously social situation into the realm of politics.
To downplay the true importance of simply investigating a top government official by stating that the “politics” in the case were not accurate is completely careless and detrimental even to Trump’s own reputation. Politics is a matter of passing laws and judging constitutionality; it is not a discussion or an investigation of a sexual assault case that could have potentially tainted an innocent victim’s life.
Before all else, Trump must get this important distinction between political and societal issues in order; otherwise, the carefully-built values of the United States of America will soon fall to shambles.
Though the repeated government failure to act on such issues falls on the shoulders of President Trump this time, it is most definitely not to say that countless similar incidents have not also been brushed off in such a manner.
Take a step back into the years of cases and accusations brought upon the infamous entertainment celebrity Bill Cosby, for instance.
Just days ago, Cosby was sentenced and convicted for his numerous offenses committed nearly three decades ago.
With so many accusations and an increasing accessibility to detailed investigation, it’s no surprise that the suspiciously large time gap between accusation and arrest is a common question among those aware of the case.
However, when taking into consideration the current, and traditional, detachment of the government toward these issues, the answer isn’t hard to find: the time gap is clearly a result of a scheming, unmotivated, and insensitive government supposedly “doing its job.”
It is important to realize, though, that no matter how overwhelmed a president or other high government official can get with paperwork and supreme court cases, the government has one job, above all others: to serve the people.
As the country continues to progress when it comes to such social conflicts, America’s political system must keep in mind that to serve the people means to understand the people, rather than to conquer, frustrate, or manipulate the people. With this understood, such events as the current Kavanaugh case, as well prior cases, will no doubt be resolved in a significantly more just and timely manner.