Why do we doubt Kavanaugh's accuser?
A Facebook friend posted this meme and it compelled me to respond.
Boys came forward 36 years after being abused by Priests. No one asks why they waited so long. Why is there a double standard?
I have several issues with this statement but first I always say that an accusation of any kind is just that: An accusation.
In Western Culture we have laid down some simple guidelines that have been in place for centuries for good reason: We have the right to face our accusers and test the evidence. That being said, in the case of allegations against Brett Kavanaugh, she is not accusing him of rape and attempted rape is an almost impossible allegation to prove without some kind of physical evidence.
We have suffered through Inquisitions and Witch Hunts and Lynchings all fueled by a complete and utter disregard for the basic civilized methods of testing evidence.
Next, the timing is just hard to ignore. I understand that she may not have brought this to the public at this time but we just cannot ignore the political ramifications. (If she did not want these allegations made public, she has been victimized by the people who did make this public.)
Time does matter which is why we also have statutes of limitation with so many charges.
Finally, the punishment has to fit the crime. The higher the stakes, the higher level of proof we expect before making a decision. I would be terrified if my life's work hung in the balance based on nothing more than someone else's word from when we were both teenagers. When I was a teenager and a boy went a little too far, he usually got slapped and the girl asked to be taken home.
As for the Catholic priests, These were cases of extreme, long-term and multiple incidents that were verified with church records, eyewitness testimony and, in some cases, forensics. These allegations ranged from molestation to rape. Plus, many, many allegations were made much earlier but the church made payoffs that were based on the silence of the victims.
It wasn't until reporters like me drug these incidents out into the light that so many other victims came out. This was tough for me because I was raised a Catholic and my experiences, however conflicted, certainly did not include any kind of molestation, neglect or abuse.
I also had to interview Priests who were falsely accused and victims who never got justice. Like people, we have to reserve judgment based on our best attempt to gather as many facts and viewpoints as possible and make decisions one incident at a time.
