My ...
So you insist as an absolute rule that people never change. Anyone who ever does something dumb as a teen ... so what do we do, shoot 'em? Exile to Australia? What?
So ... everyone ever sent to prison for a crime, they'll never change ... are you saying lock them up forever? Really?
And I'm the unkind one here?
That is so lacking in Grace or kindness ... or any understanding of human nature that I can see. People are always all over the place. And often need forgiveness, and be allowed the grace to rebuild themselves.
That issue aside ... what is the compelling evidence of Ms. Ford? None of the people she claims witnessed have any memory of this. Period. The tale she told changed several times in the week of the hearing. I hardly find that compelling. She doesn't recall the neighborhood, the house, the month, and no one she claims was involved remembers anything like this ever happening.
I'll reprint some quotes from yesterday's USA Today article headlined "Kavanaugh Confirmed". Note, USA Today is a standard US media news outlet ... staffed by progressives, as well, by any of the many surveys and accounting of journalist's in the US, 90% or more are registered as Democrats, have given to Democratic candidates, or align themselves with progressive causes.
Well into the article ...
But in 2006, Kavanaugh shed his partisan role for a judicial robe, joining the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, a traditional stepping stone to the Supreme Court. By most accounts he has excelled as a judge, becoming widely quoted and acclaimed for the legal acumen displayed in more than 300 opinions. "Former US Solicitor General Theodore Wilson, a giant in Washington legal circles, described Kavanaugh as "thoughtful, gracious, open-minded, respected by his peers and widely praised by the lawyers who appear before him." And Akhil Reed Amar, a liberal law professor and constitutional scholar at Yale Law School, cited his "combination of smarts, constitutional knowledge, and openness - and that's the triple crown." |
A little later ... from a fellow law clerk Nate Forrester (now working in the Justice Department), of 1993 while Kavanaugh was clerking for Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy at the Supreme court: (Kavanaugh) "did stand out as somebody who was on his way to big things."
And ...
And over his 12 years as a judge, Kavanaugh has developed a loyal following of ex-clerks. Lisa Blatt, a liberal appellate lawyer who has argued more cases before the Supreme Court than any other woman, said Kavanaugh "is remarkably committed to promoting women in the legal profession." |
There are many other comments and testimony from this and from other hearings for the earlier judgeship that are out there. Apparently you've not seen those comments. I wonder ... why? Doesn't your media give you full & complete coverage?
As to the smear about his being such a boozer ... I remember my freshman year of college ... in fact, I remember all my years of college. During the height of 'Nam, my freshman year was the last one you could get a draft deferment simply by being in college. There were a ton of guys in the little State college I went to that well ... took basket weaving for the 15th time to stay in school. Spent most of their time working out & chasing girls. With beer around in amazing quantities constantly.
Some of them had pretty decent ethics ... and some well, weren't folks I associated with. (I didn't interest them either so it was decidedly mutual.)
You know, most of them turned out to be great school teachers, administrators, construction contractors, all sorts of careers. Great family men & community leaders.
According to your rather firmly stated belief, that is simply not possible. None of those men should be accorded any respect, should be allowed to lead anything. NO allowance for age. NO forgiveness. Those are your words, not mine.
A young friend graduated from a very well considered private college in the midwest around five years back. Music performance major, near pro-level voice for operatic work. But decided to marry his high-school sweetheart & have a family. Moved back here. Is studying now for an occupational vocal therapy career. Almost one-year-old twin sons ... incredible family man, leader of choirs and other things at a large (and very liberal) church.
At his wedding, we met his frat "brothers" and her sorority "sisters" ... and for several days were regaled with the tales of the parties and drinking 'games' and carrying on ... and watched most of their friends who'd come out for the wedding carry on as in their college days.
Personally, I was stunned. Their routine behavior and activities went so far past anything even contemplated by our crudest drinking group of old athletes.The comments amongst the guys about the gals they knew in college went way past anything Trump was quoted as saying ... and the gals were as bad or worse.
And checking up about their friends recently, how are that lot doing?
Rather well. Most married with kids, either working their way up in great jobs with good firms, or have made their own businesses which are doing well.
They're growing up, of course. Not all do, but most people do.
In Army training for WW11, my father had a buddy ... and the two would go into Marine bars and order beer, just to see how many Marines they could toss out the door before they went flying. Drank a ton. Smashed up a lot of bars. So ... how'd he turn out? He was an awesome Dad, small farmer/businessman, church leader, family man, and hero. Read to my sister and I hours and hours when we were little. Patient and kind ... except if one violated certain rules that were taken very seriously. But always reasonable and just "there".
You wouldn't have to stretch to say that he was a drunken brawler for several years in his twenties. Not at all.
According to the comments in a post above, the man should never have been accorded the respect of a bum.
I can't go "there".
And I can see that the way things are in politics these days. If someone's career is spotless, destroy their personal life. Create a charge, see if it sticks. If not, make a worse one.
To me, that is sadly a highly credible practice in US politics at the moment. The very worst thing actually testified about Kavanaugh during the main hearing to many progressives is that some felt that he might vote to overturn Roe v. Wade if such a direct case came up before the Court. (No such case has actually been before the Court in a long time.) Well, if he did, what would be the result?
The decision would go back to the elected representatives of the Citizens ... where really, it should have been left in the first place. Smelly as democracy is, I do prefer it dearly to autocratic societies. That's the horror hear ... abortion might be back for legislative action, rather than a de facto imposed "law".
I've seen the speeches and articles from those rather out there on supporting absolute abortion "rights" ... anyone who disagrees is a misogynist (male) or duped hater of their own sex (female) ... there is no acceptance that there is even any possibility of discussing this in any other terms. They always use the most polarized, dehumanizing approach to any potential opposition. Ergo, BK must be destroyed. If it keeps him from being confirmed, great. If it can be used to de-legitimize his presence let alone anything he votes or writes on if confirmed, even better.
If you don't at least understand this is part of this confirmation process, well ... it's beyond me.
I'm autistic. A data freak. Analysis is my brain's thing. I can look at and understand the positions of those I do not agree with, completely separate from the emotional side of things. I understand the terror that those of the outside fringe of abortion rights feel, and understand why they feel morally sound in attacking someone whether or not the charges are "true" for that one person being attacked: to them, it's the Big Picture that counts, not individual humans.
Are they sincere? Yes. Do they feel they have a moral authority to do anything to achieve their goals? Yes. Are they intelligent? Yes. Do they have good friends & family? Probably yes.
Do I agree with them? No, on the basic issue: I believe abortion should handled by laws made by a decision of elected officials. The tactics used at times scare me.
I find more credible the people from all sides of the belief spectrum who've worked closely with Judge Kavanaugh. And reported on him in the highest praise.
And ... for anyone who decries the quote attributed from Trump above (which bluntly, I've heard far worse my whole life in high-school & sports/gym locker-rooms) ... if you haven't denounced President Clinton, well ... don't bother your breath. Numerous cases with vastly more corroboration than Ms. Ford's charges.
Now, understand ... I was never a Trump supporter. That said, I do agree with the above comment that "Hilary was compromised" as a mild statement.
We have a huge government. President Obama couldn't destroy it in eight years from "one side",Trump can't destroy it himself either.
So ... cool the hyperbole a bit, is my gentle suggestion.
As to the comment about so many pictures popping up of Kavanaugh X versus Obama ... you are aware that the main press members are people who are quite progressive? This is a group who went into Journalism with a capital J to do something ... to make a difference. The people who found Woodward & Bernstein as their heroes ... who wanted themselves to take down a President some day.
There aren't very many who simply report any more. It's not a conspiracy of press coverage, it's just what happens when the vast majority of people of any group are very much like unto each other in thinking and outlook. To deny the existence of this basic human pattern of behavior is rather ... bizarre, to my mind.
Hence, if you watched videos of Hilary on her stump speech presentations during the campaign, she spent a fair amount of time pointing with her finger whilst vocally blasting her opponent. In some speeches, quite a long time. I don't recall a single image like that used of her during the campaign in newspaper or major television coverage.
Trump could spend most of his speech joking & laughing with the crowd. Make two or three serious points with a finger, and the image and article would be of an angry Trump on parade again.
Neither side was presented as a full panoply of their persona and presence on the stump.
Neil
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