The political landscape of the United States in 2018 is equivalent to a dark and perverted Monty Python sketch that has gone off the deep end. The nomination and subsequent hearing of Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court is an image of this absurdity in real time. It is filled with off the scale partisan politics, self-righteous speeches, and pure hatred and contempt. The review of allegations of sexual assault by Kavanaugh, which have been privately reviewed, has become a trial by emotion and public opinion. It is a media circus that has potentially destroyed the lives of two people, and brought their families in the light of public scrutiny and death threats.
With the election of Donald Trump, a person who could be viewed as the definition of the "Ugly American" incarnate, in 2016, it is as if the grotesque side of American society and politics rose up from the depths. People screaming on both sides of the political spectrum threw tolerance and decorum into the dumpster, while actual racists seemed to be popping out of the woodwork and running for elected office, anyone who remotely agreed with the current administration was branded a fascist. It seemed like even your own opinion, regardless of how mild it was, would garner resentment and anger; even being part of the administration seems political suicide.
Regardless of who President Trumped nominated to the Supreme court, they would have faced a hearing equivalent to a group of angry kindergarteners fighting over a toy. President Obama's last appointment, just before the election was basically shunned by Republicans who pushed any hearings until after the election. One way or another, this was going to be an "eye for an eye", the Democrats were were most likely not going stand idly by and let the Republicans get what they wanted. The allegations against Kavanaugh were revealed in a letter to Senator Feinstein in July and seemingly held on to like a proverbial trump card, until it was leaked after hearings.
In no way am I writing to this to attack Dr. Ford and her allegations, if someone's character is unfit to hold the position of of Justice of the Supreme Court then they should not serve. I look at issues like this with an eye of skepticism, the political climate and the timeline of events that have transpired, and the fact that there has already been an FBI investigation into the candidates back ground, lends a hand to that skepticism. Judge Kavanaugh and Dr. Ford may be unwilling pawns in a political game by two political parties to "one up" each other. The fact that a senate hearing spent timing examining jokes in a high school yearbook is only part of absurdity.
Regardless of what the FBI investigation finds, this event will remain a blackspot on the history of American politics, and an examination of the stupidity of partisan politics. Politicians make themselves look as if they are pillars of our society, do gooders who who are the moral compass of our society; Judge Kavanaugh could possibly be counted among these people due to his time served in the political arena. However when we put people on pedestals we overlook the flaws, the ugly side. Ultimately, the issue with Kavanaugh is not whether we believe women, but whether we're going damn someone without considering their side. It's hard not to look at social media with disgust at how our society treats someone, how we are so willing destroy someone so totally and so brutally, it is as if the age of reason never happened and that we are going to back to the age of public stoning.
I want to end this with the description of an image I saw on Facebook; we treat politics as a game and seem to care little how it effects others as long as it fits with our own personal beliefs. The image was a drawing of a WWI soldier with his hands clasped over his face and the caption read "There is no Politics in the Mud".
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