To the editor:
In response to Saundra Walter’s opinion on the confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh ("Vote will signal whether senators place man’s success over woman’s trauma," Sept. 29), what has happened to the presumption of innocence in this country — “Innocent until proven guilty”? Did Ms. Walter watch the hearings in their entirety? My husband and I did. No evidence has been brought forward that Kavanaugh is guilty of what Christine Blasey Ford accuses him of doing.
Has what started out to be a good thing regarding prosecution of men who have been sexual predators for years now evolved into if a woman says a man attempted to rape her without any corroboration that it is true and especially after 36 years? So far, all evidence has been in Kavanaugh’s favor. If he is innocent, and I think he is by the exemplary life he has led, no matter what happens now, his reputation and honor have been ruined. Whether he is confirmed to the Supreme Court or not, he will have to live with this accusation and so will his wife and children.
Within minutes of Kavanaugh’s selection by President Trump to be on the U.S. Supreme Court, some democrats came out and said they would fight his nomination no matter what it took. What does this say about them? If Ford wanted to testify in private, how did her letter get out to the press? Even after that, if she didn’t want to testify in public, Sen. Grassley offered to come to her to take her testimony. Delay, delay and finally the hearing was to take place on a Monday, but Ford said she didn’t like to fly, that she would drive to the hearing that Thursday.
Upon questioning by the prosecutor appointed by Chairman Grassley to ask questions at the hearing, it was found she routinely flies all over the place. When asked about Senator Grassley offering to come to her for her testimony, she had to turn to her lawyers as to how to answer that. And it was reported on the news and also at the Ford/Kavanaugh hearing that Sen. Feinstein recommended an attorney to Ford.
Isn’t this a conflict of interest? Why was the letter from Ford not shared with the rest of the Nomination Committee when Sen. Feinstein had it for six weeks or more and then brought up at the last minute? When Ford got emotional over her testimony, she was praised by the Democrats. When Kavanaugh did so, they said when he couldn’t control his emotions he would not be fit to serve on the Supreme Court.
Has he not the right to get emotional over an accusation that will probably affect him and his family for the rest of their lives? Kavanaugh believes in the Constitution and the rule of law, and has spent his life living by it.
Shirley Toney
Franklin
