AIBU in thinking a drunken 18 year old boy should not be called to account for behaviour 35 years later?

[longwayoff]

I'm conflicted. Brett Kavanaugh, nominated by Trump as a Supreme Court judge, has been accused of locking Dr Christine Blasey Ford in a bedroom and sexually assaulting her. This happened in the early 1980s when they were teens at a party and he was very drunk, she hadnt been drinking. She says she is 100 percent certain he did this. He says wasn't me guv.
Her televised evidence was upsetting and convincing. I believe what she says and feel she should have whatever she needs to help her. BUT. Drunken 18 year old boy/man. All these years later? Is that fair? To wreck his career now? Personally, I loathe Trump and all his works, so politically I'm glad to see a fail. But this is not sitting well with me. I feel I should feel better about this. Convince me please.

Some friends in America have said that they think it happened to her but that it wasn't perpetrated by him.

Had been convicted*

That only happens*

Damn typos

Are you for real?

His career might be wrecked. So bloody what. For people who have been sexually assaulted it is their LIVES that are ruined.

It took me 30+ years to get to court when I was SA as a child by someone supposed to care for me. Thirty years of him denying it and calling me names. Me feeling like shit.

He had thirty years of work, money, freedom, status but in the end he pleaded guilty over and over again and that scared, frightened, alone child finally got her justice. He died in prison. I gained freedom.

You're talking shit.

Why do you need to be convinced? There's another two women who've also come forward, who aren't being called to testify, which should tell you a lot.

This guy, when (not if) he gets voted in, will be the deciding vote on many US laws. He's basically trying to take the moral high ground and has said that one of the first things he'll look at is Roe V Wade, which is basically the provision of legal abortion services (even tho its not actually up for debate atm) along with reducing the mandate of US companies having to provide contraceptives through their health insurance coverage

I have a real issue with the male privilege that goes along with this case, and the supposed 'high jinks' of his college fraternity (the details are repulsive about rape trains, coercive sex ect) and not being called to account on it (and indeed getting away with it) but still be able to have the deciding unimpartial vote that will negatively impact 50% of the population

It's a terrible blow for his career. Apparently the only way it could be avoided is by not sexually assaulting people.

In his opening rant I saw an angry, entitled man who seemed like he was still capable of attacking someone.

she eventually told her therapist & than her husband 6 years ago - I repeat 6 years ago she was only 15. She was ashamed and blamed herself 35 years ago. The attitude of the republicans and the way they spoke really are as much of as a concern as the action of the individual. This judge is against abortion and wishes to revoke women gaining one even, as some states in the USA where women have to GET PERMISSION. In addition Trump is for cutting back on birth control & access to free health care for the poorest in the country. I am of the generation who watched/participated in the rise of our freedom as women - to work - to have equal access to our society - this behaviour I witnessed today is evidence of the retrograde steps for all our freedoms in the right wing attitudes that were expressed. It is appalling - my dh & I watched this this afternoon & were equalled sickened.

I absolutely think he should be held to account.

My only concern with these historic allegations is how can witnesses etc give any reliable evidence?

If someone asked you if you were at a party 35 years ago would you know? Would you reliably remember who was there etc?

I think it then becomes too easy to introduce doubt simply because memories will be hazy or non existent.

I doubt that this is ever going to be proved so where will that leave Dr Ford? She's very brave to bring this forward but I fear it will be too easy to dismiss her allegations just because of the time that has passed.

ginger This is a major Republican defence of the judge over here. Quite why they imagine that the Dr remembers everything apart from the identity of the person who has done this to her I have no idea. It is a more subtle way of saying she is lying.

You can’t be serious?

Haven't read the thread.

Is it fair?

FFS. No wonder these bastards win. No wonder women don't report.

He will get in, OP. Because there are enough people in the US Congress who feel like you.

She hadn’t been drinking. At a party full of people why did she go off to a bedroom or cupboard with a drunk person?

I've been thinking about this a bit, and I've come up with another answer.

I think this is the one you want.

I think she knew that in 35 years he would be potentially up for Supreme Court Judge, and Trump would be president, so she wanted to make sure she'd have a good story ready to stop it from happening.

It's a bit like Obama's family putting a birth announcement in a newspaper in Hawaii just in case he ever wanted to be president, even though really he was born in Kenya.

I haven't read the full thread.

But, YABVU OP.

Kavanagh is hoping to be appointed to one of the most powerful judicial positions in the USA - a lifetime post. he is relatively young to be appointed to this so could be in the post for 40 years.

If he did this - and I believe Ford's testimony - then regardless of his age & condition at the time he committed the offence, it shows a lack of judgment, self-control & morality which certainly renders him unfit for the job.

I have boys his age, they know better than to behave this way. And I'm about the age Kavanagh & Ford were when the alleged incident took place. I knew of a few men who would have behaved that way, but the vast majority wouldn't have.

And then there was his arrogant, entitled, angry performance before the Senate yesterday. A very senior judge should know better.

And why would a man with a legal background be against the FBI investigating the allegations against him?

No way should he get the Supreme Court job without some really detailed investigations first.

It’s not really right it happened. But it shouldn’t have come up now.

It seems that bringing it up now is a deliberate attempt to screw up his career, and nothing else.

AIBU in thinking a drunken 18 year old boy should not be called to account for behaviour 35 years later
Boy you say?
He was a man at that age.

It seems that bringing it up now is a deliberate attempt to screw up his career, and nothing else.
Alternatively, one woman is protecting other women...

And that's wrong because?

Its not a deliberate attempt to screw his career, its to show what an arsehole he is (imo) yesterdays testimony was very telling, and similar to what they do in domestic abuse cases.

You poke the bear enough to see how they'll react - he looked unhinged imo, but sadly the republican senators are all batshit enough to still vote him in.

@Ginger1982 she knew him for months before this happened. She was not drunk. Basically the people saying this realise she's credible and sympathetic and that they'll come off badly if they say she's lying so are trying to claim mistaken identity when it demonstrably can't be the case

But stumpy don't you think that if he did this that this career should be screwed? Is he a fit person to be a Supreme Court judge? The nomination is entirely why she came forward, because of what it shows about him.

@RedneckStumpy it's not really right? Seriously?!? It's plain wrong! It's a crime!!

And there is no time line or "perfect" moment to accuse your attacker. Women get blamed and shouted at regardless if it's the next day,the next month,the next year,30 years,50 years or after he died. There's never a "right" moment.

I agree he should be prosecuted in the same way we would prosecute an 18 year old who did this now, if it is true.

I do think these historical allegations are difficult. In one way we may doubt that evidence is reliable after all this time and should be very careful. As an influential politian this man could have enemies who want to discredit him by bringing these allegations. But time and again we have seen historical abuse cases proven so we can't discount it. As people have pointed out this kind of thing tends to be a pattern of behaviour and we can look for more women to come forward.

Tbh, the precedent for giving sexual predators and harassers a top job, despite evidence of what they've done, is staring us in the face with Trump. There's no accountability to actual voters (altho theres a % of people who think there's nothing wrong with it, I despair)

How can you prove something that happened 35 years ago with no forensic evidence or eye witnesses?
It just becomes her word against his.

Pumpkin/Twatty they are Republican voting friends so I would imagine you're correct!