"Hello Christine, I'm very sorry if you think that I had done what you have said here. I'm sorry but I did not do it. I swear to God, My Jesuit mentors have taught me to be honest, to be truthful.
If you think that I had done it and that you have felt very hurt, I'm sorry if I had been a tool, but I am sorry I did not do it."
This is a more gentlemanly way a nominee for the highest court of the land should say -- without admitting any crime or sin.
Unfortunately, Judge Brett Kavanaugh appeared very defensive trying to paint Christine Blasey Ford, as the one in the wrong.
Well, Folks, this hearing has made us riveted into its details so much so that it has made me ponder on the following:
1. Listening to Christine, I saw how she was treated as an object by the person who was trying to rape her, with the full view of his friend.
I've been thinking isn't courtship a part of American society, that women are to be courted with roses, chocolates and invites to Broadway musicals before asking, much more so demanding sex. And what is sex if it is not because of love? Apparently, there is no such thing as love in that instance;
2. The school where Judge Kavanaugh studied in an institution run by Jesuits. I studied my master in communication under the Ateneo de Manila University run by the same order. But there was always an element of ethics in every subject that we were taught. But how come Judge Kavanaugh turned out that way?
An all-male institution could bring up the wrong directions for boys who could be malleable to outside forces much stronger than all the subjects taught in school;
3. Brett studied at Georgetown Preparatory School, a Catholic all-boys high school. With the revelations of Christine, and this case showed that drinking and gang raping were offshoots of parties attended by the kids. I wonder if this is still the way of life in that community and so in which case, shouldn't co-educational system be universalized?
3. Alcohol played a great part in the situation that Christine was driven into. And I think, many of the crimes, many of the accidents is really caused by alcohol. The situation mentioned by Christine happened in the 80's, but it is already 2018, alcohol is still reaping a great many lives, either destroying family relationships, destroying personalities, and even lives;
4. Judge Kavanaugh says people are trying to destroy him. Yet, the only thing needed is for the incident to be proven true or not. And how is that to be done, if not through an investigation that would cover maybe a whole community; a whole society, interviews of many, many people;
5. If this is the way a crime will be solved, by allowing the culprit to deny the crime, then I think that would be the poorest way to do it. Friends of Kavanaugh have texted him to wish him well, but does their action erase the incident? No it doesn't;
6. What is the culture in high school? During my time in the 60's we had viewed Western women as liberated when it comes to sex. This is brought about by Hollywood movies which showed free love as in Camelot, Irma La Douce, Mrs. Jones, and many more. But the action of Christine, during the situation showed that there were still women who valued customs and traditions and would not be readily pulled for a down-and-out activity. In other words, that custom of respecting women, of going through phases of courtship is still important in society;
7. The women's movement is so much more stronger now after this hearing. More women will come out courageously and not feel an ounce of fright to pinpoint the guilty persons who have sexually abused them. The next generation of women leaders will feel so much more confident now to pursue any political position without hesitancy because the case has shown that people (majority of whom are men) who occupy the upper rungs of the government are not that pure. I could pinpoint two judges who acted immorally in their posts -- one was bitten in the ear by a woman who was following up a case with him, right in front of me!. The other one keeps an employee as his secretary and sexytary. to the knowledge of all the people in his court. Do you want to know their names?
8. The Supreme Court is the highest important institution in any country because it provides people the last defense against oppression suffered from other wrongdoings of the other institutions in society. Ergo, any member of the SC should have an unassailable character -- from the time they are born to the time they are nominated. They will be putting their imprint on every case that would need the highest ethical judgment. If the member of the SC has a black mark, then the contending parties in any case will not find the decision or judgment that plausible. In a particular country, the leader is sought for among children who exhibit traits that would prove them to be good leaders;
9. Lastly, Sisterhood will have deeper meaning now because machismo and male bonding have just been displayed and thrashed by the testimony of Dr. Blasey Ford.
Women helping other women, especially the needy, will become a much more important priority in all parts of the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment