The Idiosyncratic Routine

At the very last second of then-Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation process for becoming a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, senator Diane Feinstein informed the country that she was looking into an allegation against Brett Kavanaugh and that the woman wished to be anonymous.

When it looked like this allegation would just be swept under the rug due to no woman coming forward, Christine Blasey Ford did one of the bravest things ever by coming forward to tell her story. And for that, she is a true hero.

It started with a private interview that broke the news. With that one interview, she immediately was put into the national spotlight, since Kavanaugh’s’ confirmation hearing was already a highly polarizing process before the allegation arose.

And with that spotlight came attacks from the Right. People accusing her of being a liar and a political hack. People threatening the safety of not only herself but of her family as well. And people who just called her terrible names in general, simply because she was getting in the way of Kavanaugh’s confirmation, which was otherwise going relatively smoothly.

Then came the public testimony that Christine agreed to conducting with the Judicial Senate Committee. And instead of being a private hearing, it was broadcast live for the whole country to see. Although she volunteered to tell her story, it was still a very difficult thing to do, especially since Brett Kavanaugh was waiting in the wings to tell his side of the story immediately after her. Not to mention that going on live television put a face to the name that was all over the news already.

Christine Blasey Ford sacrificed everything to tell the truth. It couldn’t have been any easier, that’s for sure. But despite all the adversity that she faced, she persevered and stood up for herself and other victims that may have otherwise been unable to speak out against sexual assault on their own.

In fact, after she revealed herself to the world, many other people came out with allegations of sexual assault, not only against Brett Kavanaugh himself, but against other people in all other walks of life. She in essence re-ignited the “Me Too” movement and gave it new life.

Now unless you are living under a rock, you are well aware that Brett Kavanaugh was still ultimately confirmed to the Supreme Court. But that doesn’t diminish what Christine Blasey Ford did. In fact, it makes her actions even more powerful, knowing very well that her testimony could have ended up changing nothing with regards to Kavanaugh’s nomination.

But she knew it was more about her. It was about opening a dialogue about sexual assault when the country needed it most. In that sense, she is quite literally a role model for any women who has been sexually assaulted and needs the strength to come forward and out their accusers. Because if Christine Blasey Ford could do it in front of the entire country, women just like her know that they can do the same on a much smaller (less public) scale.