It is hard enough to find qualified, smart people to run for office as it is. I’d bet hundreds if not thousands of well qualified people refused to run for office or judgeships in the 70’s to 90’s due to worry about whether they could pass the FBI’s background checks and polygraph on drug use. No one cares about drug use now, it’s ubiquitous and a fact of life, in large part due to our government’s backwards policies on drug laws. Now the issue is disqualification due to 35-year old groping and indecent exposure allegations dating back to high school and freshman year in college. People are so worked up about it, they are ready to bring out the firing squad. Even though the target of their socially or politically motivated hatred towards their perceived and now-outed offender hasn’t been charged with a crime, convicted of a crime and there’s been no confirmation a crime ever happened.
In other words, people now think it’s just fine to assume the male is guilty of whatever accusation is hurled his way. Why? Because other women chose to suffer in silence at the perceived indignities they suffered way back when and see this as a chance to get even? There’s a big difference between taking accusations seriously and assuming the accusation is true. The former calls for an investigation. Nothing justifies the latter prior to a hearing before a neutral and detached magistrate or tribunal. That’s the law in America. [More…]
Initially, I did not want Kavanaugh to be on the Supreme Court because of how the media portrayed his position on issues. And obviously, if Trump picked him, he’s not going to be good on issues I care about. But unless he’s a masochist for the tar and feather treatment he’s gotten, I don’t see how he avoids withdrawing his name. Every day his reputation falls a little lower. And I care about who will come next. Trump is the kind of revenge-filled person who will purposely choose someone worse so we all have to suffer through a radical right wing appointment for the next 40 years.
What makes me angry is that it is inevitable that the Kavenaugh embroglio will scare off good candidates who have done nothing wrong but don’t want to be put through the wringer like Kavenaugh or take a chance some fly will buzz in off the wall and say they half remember a physical act that the candidate or nominee did to them or in their presence 35 years ago that they now want to reveal for the first time by telling the world about on live TV while sitting in the hallowed halls of Congress.
What I think should be acknowledged is that marijuana is safer than alcohol and less likely to lead to out-of-character aggressive incidents like the two alleged against Kavanaugh. Maybe if the class of Georgetown class of ’82 and Yale freshman class of ’83 smoked more pot and drank less alcohol, there would have been no such behavior exhibited by anyone at house parties and dorm meetings.