The Daily Athenaeum
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Why should students watch the hearings and what should they look for?
Sexual assault and sexual abuse are rampant in the United States. The hearing tomorrow will give viewers a chance to see how seriously senators consider claims of that kind, and how they think those who claim to be survivors of such abuse should be treated.
Why are these allegations relevant now, and do you believe they should be part of the nomination process?
The hearing is in no way a trial. It’s part of a job interview. And the senators are the people who decide if Judge Kavanaugh, or another Trump appointee, will get the job at stake. The senators have broad discretion and can make their decision on any criteria they wish. But of course tomorrow will also be seen more broadly, not simply as a job interview, but as a key moment in which the Senate will exhibit how it will evaluate claims of sexual assault. And it is quite likely that many survivors will look to how tomorrow unfolds in deciding whether they want to come forward, or believe it’s in their best interest to remain silent. Especially when we’re living through a period when much of the country continues to back a president who close to 20 women claim sexually abused them, a president who admitted on tape to sexually predatory behavior. What tomorrow says about how survivors of abuse can expect to be treated may be much more important than the career aspirations of a single judge hoping to move from the nation’s second highest court to its highest court.
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