Is this what unbiased judicial temperament looks like?
October 6, 2018
I watched the speech delivered
live by Sen. Collins on Friday; then I reread it several times.
Of course Kavanaugh--like
all of us--has the precious right to be "presumed innocent until proven
guilty." This is the standard in a criminal trial. But Kavanaugh wasn't on
trial for criminal behavior: he was applying for a lifetime job on the highest
court in our country. So Collins can depend on platitudes that do not apply in
this case, only if she agrees to put into play ALL the aspects of a criminal
trial. That means evidence would be allowed to be gathered and presented
against the accused, and both sides would operate under the same rules of
fairness-- which didn't happen here.
These hearings were
controlled by the Republican Judiciary Committee. Only 24/7/365 press coverage
of their shenanigans prevented a totally paralyzed FBI
"investigation." In the end,
"victorious" Republicans claim, "NO CORROBORATION," when
the White House-- dictating the limits of the FBI probe-- prevented the
interviewing of dozens of potential witnesses trying desperately to be heard
and present their experiences/observations with Kavanaugh to the FBI who were
denied access.
Notice that Collins--
despite her lengthy "presumption of innocence" theme-- ignored
Kvanaugh’s lack of judicial temperament, exhibited before millions last week in
blazing color and deafening volume. He threatened-- clearly and for all to
understand -- that "what goes around comes around." He specifically
named Democrats and the Clintons as his enemy, attacked sitting (Democrat)
senators face-to-face, and behaved like the "ugly drunk" college
student he is repeatedly described as being.
And that is another thing
Collins ignored: Kavanaugh's potential and oft-alluded-to alcoholism.
Kavanaugh couldn't say
enough about how much he liked - and still likes- "Beer." My guess is
that by now he has graduated to drinks stronger than "beer," though drinking
beer exclusively does not preclude being an alcoholic. In any event, studies
show excessive drinking and sexually inappropriate behavior often go
hand-in-hand.
Men like Kavanaugh, are,
when young, and continue to be, as men, sloppy, clumsy, aggressive, and often
impotent sexual beasts. Now Kavanaugh has every possibility to be a drunk,
sloppy, clumsy, unreasonable, aggressive, and vengeful justice on the SCOTUS bench
as his anger and alcohol-tinged tirades demonstrate.
I, for one, don't want
someone with a "wet brain" as it is called in the alcohol treatment
field, making Supreme Court decisions. (I worked from 1970-75 with Dr.
Alan Willoughby - author of The Alcohol Troubled Person- Known and Unknown. I
wrote the first RI grant for what are now widespread alcohol treatment programs
in the workplace to identify and treat "troubled employees." That grant
was for $375K in 1970 – or more like $2.4 million today.)
Finally-- and this is the
tragic un-ringable bell-- Republicans often cite as a sympathy issue for
Kavanaugh the damage done to him, his wife and children by the debate about his
fitness for the bench. Reasonable people share that concern.
Kavanaugh will rise above
the pain with alcohol and a relish for the job he wanted all his life - deserving
or not. What no one cites is the residual damage to a wife and two young girls
who will-- for the rest of their lives-- experience daily scorn and bullying
from millions in this country who feel that their husband/father, through his
history, has no right to make life-altering decisions about average citizens'
lives.
Every news story about
every Kavanaugh vote/opinion from now on will be up for debate and will be a
reminder that these three young women are related to a lying, impaired,
intemperate monster. I predict that a few years from now that innocent wife and
those two young innocent girls-- God help them-- will be showing visible signs
of what their victimization and sacrifice at the altar of Kavanaugh's unbridled
ambition will have wrought. I want to be wrong, but mark those words!
One last thought on
Collins who originally ran for the Senate from Maine on a clear platform and
pledge of term limits. She said many times she would serve two terms then
leave, and that every senator ought to do that. By that pledge she should have
retired more than a decade ago. So much for her credibility
Collins, like too many
politicians, has become a political whore. She tries to kiss the GOP
leadership's collective butt while articulating a "presumption of
innocence" reminder that doesn't even apply in this non-criminal-trial
setting. If it did, and if he were on trial, then We the People (represented by
Dr. Ford as the chief and highly credible accuser) would also be entitled to a
fair trial, the ability to present witnesses, equal access to those delivering
the verdict, and a "fair and impartial" jury of peers - none of which
existed in this case.
Women especially are
angrier than I have ever seen them and with "hell hath no fury"
force, are about to slap the face of an entire nation-- and beyond.
_________________________END_______________________
Mary Ann Sorrentino, (thatmaryann@yahoo.com),
writes from Cranston, RI and Hillsboro Beach, Fla, is a monthly contributor to
The Providence Journal and appears as a freelance writer in The Keene Sentinel
and other publications. From 1977-1987 she was the CEO of Planned Parenthood of
Rhode Island overseeing that state’s first abortion clinic in the most Catholic
state in America. She was publicly declared excommunicated for that work
in 1985.
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