Michael, first if you have never heard anyone say this before, you are either truly blessed or living under a rock, to be honest. I won’t spend a lot of time here but you can read any of these articles or just Google and you’ll find there’s plenty of people from civilians to lawmakers to police to writers who have said these things and worse.
https://www.marieclaire.com.au/eurydice-dixon-police-warning-not-enough
https://www.stsm.org/myths-and-facts-about-sexual-assault-and-consent
Second, I send my deepest sympathy to you concerning your assault. I understand that an allegation, with no witnesses or physical evidence (as is the case in many assaults) most likely will not–and cannot–be upheld in a court of law for many reasons. But this article is not about whether we can prosecute cases. It’s about the fact that sexual assault victims exist every day from their traumas whether you believe them or not, whether they have evidence or not, whether it’s legally “legitimate” or not. But their experience, and whatever the effects may be, are as real or valid regardless of who will ever know or have proof. I don’t have to believe a word you just said to me about your assault, and you just pointed out that it wouldn’t seem credible and that’s true. But it doesn’t erase what happened to you, which I would expect you to understand. I think it’s a simple idea and I don’t know why it’s so difficult for people to consider that.
After Dr. Ford gave her testimony, there were senators literally saying she didn’t know who her attacker was, she didn’t remember and making all sorts of judgments on her memory with NO PROOF, judgments they never considered making against Kavanaugh’s testimony. They didn’t question his consistent lack of honesty during the hearing, which is why he has an ethics investigation against him now. All of this matters. If Kavanaugh’s motives and proof and ethics were truly scrutinized as much as Dr. Ford’s he wouldn’t be sitting on the Court right now.
It is exhausting trying to make people understand that sexual assault crimes don’t always have the “evidence” everyone wants to have, and that they’re basically blowing smoke if they want to share it. And for the record, accusing women of “hysterically screeching” is an extremely sexist comment.
