This past week the Senate held a hearing for the appointment of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. The hearing was unique because it dealt with the testimony of a woman (Dr. Christine Blasey Ford) who had recently accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct during their high school years. (Click here to watch a brief recap of the hearing.)
The hearing on Thursday showed how divided we are as a nation, both politically and by gender. In the past year, many women have come forward about sexual assault or harassment, with Dr. Ford being the latest example of this #MeToo Movement. The reactions to this hearing were very mixed: whereas many Republicans (especially men) describe the accusations as part of a “smear campaign,” Democrats applauded Ford’s courage and claimed her appearance before the committee helped her credibility. A position on the Supreme Court is one of the most important jobs in the United States, so the anger and disagreement among the Senators and national public over this situation represents a crisis for our country. A national crisis such as this one reveals divisions in our nation that can be observed through reactions of different groups of people. The next step in this process will be a vote from the Senate to see if Kavanaugh will be appointed, which will happen after the FBI concludes their investigation of the allegations against him.
After learning more about this event, what are some examples of borders present in our society? Could a figurative bridge connect the different positions and resolve the conflict mentioned above, or will these borders create a deeper divide in our nation?
The hearing on Thursday showed how divided we are as a nation, both politically and by gender. In the past year, many women have come forward about sexual assault or harassment, with Dr. Ford being the latest example of this #MeToo Movement. The reactions to this hearing were very mixed: whereas many Republicans (especially men) describe the accusations as part of a “smear campaign,” Democrats applauded Ford’s courage and claimed her appearance before the committee helped her credibility. A position on the Supreme Court is one of the most important jobs in the United States, so the anger and disagreement among the Senators and national public over this situation represents a crisis for our country. A national crisis such as this one reveals divisions in our nation that can be observed through reactions of different groups of people. The next step in this process will be a vote from the Senate to see if Kavanaugh will be appointed, which will happen after the FBI concludes their investigation of the allegations against him.
After learning more about this event, what are some examples of borders present in our society? Could a figurative bridge connect the different positions and resolve the conflict mentioned above, or will these borders create a deeper divide in our nation?
Great post, Henry. This story is dominating the news cycle and there will be more to come -- especially now that the investigation seems to be done (or almost done).
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Considering the severe tension over this specific topic, I feel that there is no way we could possibly form a bridge here and the border will stay. My personal belief is even though Ford gave a beautifully compelling testimony, sadly the people the supported Kavanaugh before will still support Kavanaugh after the testimony’s. I feel that originally we could have formed a bridge by respecting the testimony of Ford regardless of how you feel, but the personal attacks on Ford by Senators and every day people only grow a greater division between us all.
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