But Ford's testimony was NOT an invitation. Ford's testimony says that a bunch of powerful people might listen to you if it is politically expedient, and a bunch of others might not because it is politically awkward. Ford's experience in reporting her assault offers almost no
lessons to the millions of people victimized by sexual assault. Most assailants are not important enough for Diane Feinstein to care. Most assaults are not interesting enough to earn you pro-bono representation for a televised hearing of massive national interest. For most
people, there is no GoFundMe to pay for your lawyers, or security to protect you from friends of the accused, or for time off from work to attend hearing after hearing after hearing. Ford's accusation is, quite literally, a one-in-a-million incidence of an accused being important
enough that millions of people will wear "I believe her" T-Shirts in her honor.
No. This is totally irrelevant for sexual assault victims whose recourse is not holier-than-thou defense from Democratic senators, but an indifferent and skeptical justice system that is only of use
No. This is totally irrelevant for sexual assault victims whose recourse is not holier-than-thou defense from Democratic senators, but an indifferent and skeptical justice system that is only of use
if you can produce evidence "beyond a reasonable doubt." There is none of this "she is a hero because she was believable and credible" bullshit: you are getting police officers who have a thousand other things to do and prosecutors who approach you with skepticism because they
know that defense attorneys will be ruthless. Then you will be accused of fabricating your story. Or exaggerating. Or having retroactive regrets about sleeping with someone. You probably drank too much. Or wore the wrong clothes. Or sent the wrong signals. I mean, are you *sure*
you said "no"? How many times? Did you try to push him off of you? You're not injured enough that it looks like you REALLY fought him off. I mean, if someone was trying to rape me, I'd fight to within an inch of my life. I'd be hurt a lot worse than you.
And that, of course, is if you report your assault right away, in time for a rape kit of some other medical examination. Don't even think about taking, like, a shower or something. Or going home and crying for a day because you don't know what to do. No...you need to go to the
doctor right away...I mean RIGHT AWAY...because every minute you wait, the weaker and weaker your case gets. And all of the people who are supposed to help you...the police and the DA...they know this, and they can't be spending their scarce resources on losing cases. It's not
that they're heartless, or don't "believe" you, it's that they deal in evidence and proof, and they can't help you without it.
A 35 year old allegation that came up in therapy, can't be corroborated and includes almost no details of use? You are going to get laughed right out
A 35 year old allegation that came up in therapy, can't be corroborated and includes almost no details of use? You are going to get laughed right out
of the police station. No one in is going to be warm and empathetic and argue that you have a right "to be heard". Nobody is going to give a shit. You are on your own, and it is going to be a cold, lonely, expensive, heartless and soul-crushing experience.
So, no, this is not an invitation to speak out, nor a message that people will listen to you. People will not listen to you, and very few people will either believe you or care. This is a wholly unique situation where it is politically useful for Ford to be heard, so there are
people with the power to make her heard willing to do that. This is utterly useless and not the least bit encouraging for anyone who has ever been assaulted by someone that a natoinal political party isn't currently trying to ruin. /fin
