The Kavanaugh Hearings: Using Rape And Sexual Assault As Weapons Of War

There’s a lot riding on the Kavanaugh Hearings and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony, which alleges Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her. Not only will it determine if Republicans or Democrats control the House and Senate, but conservatives and the Christian-Right hope to pack the Supreme Court with another judge like them, tipping the balance in their favor and that of corporations for decades to come. And then there’s the impeachment of Donald Trump and the credibility factor. Depending on what the limited FBI investigation uncovers, playing the “See I told you so!” card will be used to discredit the other side. But in the midst of this all-out conflict and partisan bickering, many are missing how rape and sexual assault is being used as a weapon of war.

Silencing Women By Other Means
Indeed, the U.S. has a major problem with men using rape and sexual assault as a weapon of war towards women. True, it’s not exactly the same as wartime sexual violence, where combatants use rape as a form to either terrorize and humiliate and dominate women or cleanse an entire ethnic population of their identity, but the U.S. does have a rape and sexual assault culture. This includes a political culture that’s still largely dominated by men who most often deny women the opportunity to tell their side of the story. Whether it’s paying hush money, verbal intimidation or physical threats of violence, or even brutally murdering women, women have been silenced into not speaking and voicing their injuries from a culture of rape. This includes the many unreported sexual assaults.

Burdened By Fear And Burden Of Proof
Many women moreover live in a state of fear and with a justice system that is corrupt and messy. To be sure, two characteristics of using rape as a weapon of war is lawlessness and impunity. Not that women in the U.S. are sexually assaulted and then massacred as they are in some countries, but they are being killed psychologically and physically. This includes a wartime economy that objectifies women and offers only a meager existence, forcing many of them into institutionalized prostitution or sexual slavery. Meanwhile, the burden of proof is always on the side of those who allege sexual assaults, including gang rapes. This encourages males to form cohesive units to protect each other, something seen with the current male-dominated Congress and executive and judicial branches.

Occupied And Subjugated By A Male Dominated Senate
From day one, sexual assault as a weapon of war has been used in the Kavanaugh Hearings. Not only did Dr. Ford step forward much earlier than many think, but her allegations were kept secret for weeks by the male dominated Senate Committee. Her identity was moreover leaked, followed by many death threats against her and her family. And when it came time for her to testify, the all-male Republican committee hired a “female assistance,” a well-known sex-crimes lawyer to question her. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump wrongly took credit for ordering an FBI investigation, one that is extremely limited in time and scope. It’ll be for only one week. Neither will it include all of the women who’ve accused Judge Kavanaugh of sexual assault.

Some Blessing, Some Victim, And Some Mask
Having already made up his mind that Judge Kavanaugh is blameless, President Trump has even called the investigation “a blessing in disguise.” His base has done the same. They’ve already decided that Dr. Ford’s accusations are either part of a Deep State or CIA conspiracy to oust him, or a dress rehearsal for impeach. Judge Kavanaugh’s testimony took a similar turn when he claimed he was a victim of a Democratic-led conspiracy to sabotage his nomination, warning that “what goes around comes around.” In a culture of rape and sexual assault, there’s no room for bi-partisanship or to address its underlying causes. Nor does American patriarchy ever want to take off its dominant and abusive mask, let alone recognizing the real victims which are most often women.

Fighting To Be Remembered
Judge Kavanaugh may have been fighting for his reputation, but Dr. Ford was fighting to be remembered. She was also fighting to be heard. Consequently, and much like Anita Hill, she’ll be stigmatized forever-another characteristic of wartime rape and sexual assault. And similar to wartime rape and sexual assault which is still an ongoing problem in many countries around the world, Dr. Ford and the others caught up in this debacle will have to live with the fear of revenge, let alone the many excuses that “boys will be boys.” This includes the “wall of silence” that is so prevalent in America’s patriarchal rape culture. It’s also another issue which prevents many women from reporting sexual assault crimes, forcing them to live quietly with their enormous pain.

Like Most War Crimes, We May Never Know
Whether or not Brett Kavanaugh is blameless or guilty of these crimes, he should be afforded the right to be “innocent until proven guilty.” But then those who allege such crimes as rape and sexual assault, like Dr. Ford and others, should’ve been allowed a full investigation and other rights too. Rights such as “taken seriously until proven otherwise.” Consequently, we may never know the truth about Judge Kavanaugh since rape and sexual assault are being used as a weapon of war.

Dallas Darling is the author of Politics 501: An A-Z Reading on Conscientious Political Thought and Action, Some Nations Above God: 52 Weekly Reflections On Modern-Day Imperialism, Militarism, And Consumerism in the Context of John’s Apocalyptic Vision, and The Other Side Of Christianity: Reflections on Faith, Politics, Spirituality, History, and Peace. He is a correspondent for www.WN.com. You can read more of Dallas’ writings at www.beverlydarling.com and www.WN.com/dallasdarling.