On October 6 I took time out of my Saturday afternoon to join about 500 others in downtown Seattle to protest the recent appointment of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. As everyone should know by now, Justice Kavanaugh was accused of attempted rape by the Palo Alto University professor Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. Other women have also come forward claiming he made unwanted sexual advances toward them and also described women in vulgar ways.
Despite mass protests at senate offices and on the steps and inside the Supreme Court, the republican majority (save for Alaska senator Lisa Murkowski) and one (so-called democrat (Joe Manchin) voted to confirm despite poll after poll revealing the majority of Americans don’t trust Kavanaugh or look upon him favorably.
A variety of speakers got up on the podium and spoke to the uneven number of progressive women vs. men and the lack of ethnic minorities serving in public office. While Washington has many fine women representatives at both the local and federal level, we need more. Today congress told women everywhere that their experiences mean nothing. Today they put someone on the Supreme Court who will attack women’s rights and on November 6 they will hear from women everywhere who will make their message loud and clear that their time is up.
Another speaker pointed out how more value is put on the unborn than on the living and that white men have always gotten their way without regard to others and it’s time to end this outdated jock strap boy culture of sexual assault and harassment. This is not locker room talk (which is how Donald Trump explained his grab ‘em by the pussy remarks). Chants of, we will resist and we will persist, followed.
A week ago last Thursday we saw Dr. Ford testify with dignity and calmness while Kavanaugh screamed at senators and blamed democrats for these accusations (with absolutely no proof to his claims). Then the president got up and mocked and insulted every sexual assault survivor a couple days later.
The recent victory in Ireland pertaining to abortion rights was raised as an example of how we too can fight against any laws put forth to restrict abortion or other reproductive rights. We cannot rely on our elected officials. There is no one to save us but ourselves. Several women were arrested for protesting this appointment and we’re tired of being treated like sub-humans for so long. Twenty-four hundred law professors signed a letter stating that Kavanaugh was unfit to serve.
Eighty percent of women report having been sexually assaulted or harassed. But since most of these such crimes don’t get reported, that number may be higher. Further, there are tens of thousands of rape kits across the country that have been sitting on shelves for years untested. And don’t expect action at the top. Donald Trump has been accused of sexual assault by twenty-two women. He calls them all liars (even though he was caught on tape bragging about sexually assaulting women).
The rally wrapped up with statements like, we will be heard no matter our gender, immigration status or socio-economic background. Women comprise fifty percent of the population and we brought the other fifty percent into the world. If we all make calls, knock on doors and reach out to people we can bring about a tsunami of change.
A handful of women got up and told their personal stories of sexual assault or their personal stories of having an abortion. Women don’t deserve to be shamed. They deserve to be believed. Dr. Ford deserves to be believed. Anita Hill deserved to be believed. For every senator who voted for this despicable man, there will be consequences. Change is coming and they will hear us. We need to tell lawmakers to listen to us. The Kavanaugh confirmation is a misogynist action. Republicans have always been hostile towards women and women’s rights and a threat to minority rights. It is up to ordinary people like us to organize and lead the struggle.
We then embarked on a march that was supposed to be to the Federal Building a few blocks south, but after marching two blocks south the march turned course and headed north and then east. I broke ranks at this point. My bad knees had done enough marching. But I could hear the chants of blame the system, not the victim as I headed to the bus home.
