As they say, small minds talk about people, average minds talk about things, and great minds talk about ideas.
I'm going to use the people as a jumping-off point to talk about ideas.
So Kavanaugh was nominated for a pretty high, prestigious, and powerful position- Justice on the Supreme Court of this nation. He is to sit in committee with the eight other justices to interpret the laws as they are tested in court cases brought before the Supreme Court.
In other words, the legislative branch makes laws. Someone contests the meaning of the law by bringing it to trial, and the case ends up being appealed to higher and higher courts (one party disagrees with a judge's decision so they ask a higher and higher court to decide). Ultimately, the case/scenario comes to the Supreme Court. The judges/justices of that court hear the case, and jointly, write an opinion on how the law should be interpreted. They clarify how that law is to be applied.
That's some serious power. Granted he has 1/9 of that power, just over 10% of that power, but that's still a lot! And I get why the people of this nation should have a keen interest in the moral constitution of someone with that kind of power.
I'm not excusing high school or college stupidity. But the reality is it happens. People often make bad decisions when they're young:
"Good decisions come from experience, and experience comes from bad decisions."
And anyone who tries to say otherwise is not interested in compassion for the injured.
On the other hand, from a legal perspective, it's a bad idea to not question allegations brought against someone, no matter who is bringing the allegations against whom. Effective law enforcement and effective court procedure DEMANDS a thorough investigation into the validity of claims of misconduct, criminal accusations, and the like.
And anyone who tries to say otherwise is not interested in justice.
So where does that leave us? Justice vs compassion... Gosh, that sounds familiar!! Justice vs mercy... Yes, compassion and mercy are vital to our lives. Those two traits, practices prove we are human. But I don't think the courtroom is a place for compassion. There's a reason the sculpture of Lady Justice is so often displayed in places of law- legislative buildings and courthouses.
Mercy has its place, but not in the courtroom. Justice, investigation, truth must prevail.
I believe that if an accusation is to be brought against someone, while it can be difficult, it must be based in fact. There must be corroborative evidence, something concrete to back the accusation.
But I guess that's the point. Those who have been the victims, survivors of any kind of assault need to document. Keep a journal, write it down, record it somewhere so that if the time comes to bring those actions to light, the facts are straight.
I really think that can be the most empowering thing- to do something about it. Write it down, date the document, take pictures, organize the report. Share your story, help others in similar situations, support them and help them process and move forward.
