And the idea that “victims never lie” is one of those generalizations that English teachers used to advise us to avoid; and victims lie for the same reasons that criminals lie: for greed, for anger, for jealousy, for revenge, to protect themselves or someone else; for political motives; for publicity; to settle a score; the list could be lengthened but the point is clear. No, that doesn’t mean every accuser is lying, or even that this accuser is lying – but logic and fairness tell us that “if” Judge Kavanaugh "could" be lying, then Dr. Ford “could” be also.
Of course, there is nothing about the charges leveled by Dr. Ford that should make any reasonable observer think they are true: the circumstances of their origin are suspect; the timing is questionable; their verification is nil; the details are murky and indistinct; and –we know this doesn’t matter to the true believer, but it nonetheless is important – every witness the Professor has named has denied that this or anything like it ever occurred in their presence or to their knowledge; and when we factor in the unusual conditions that Prof. Ford’s attorneys are demanding before she testifies, it sure looks fishy. And there is nothing in Mr. Kavanaugh’s denials that should make any reasonable observer believe they are false.
Well, the US Senate being what it is, and the public opinion polls being what they are, Judge Kavanaugh may not be confirmed, and many “resisters” think they have ample reason to vote against him on judicial or political grounds, but based on what we know right now, the charges made by Dr. Ford (or Ms. Ramirez – whose story is, if possible, even less believable and even less confirmed than Dr. Ford’s) are no reason to vote against him, and any of those resisters should ponder how they would feel if, instead of Judge Kavanaugh, it was a father, brother, husband, son, or other relative, or in fact any man they have respected, who was being accused on flimsy, phony, or concocted charges – 34 years or so after the alleged incident occurred, with no contemporary account. It may be “resistance,” but it isn’t “civil liberties,” and, it isn’t justice.