Film | Women | Trauma | Politics

“Justice” and Kavanaugh

A Sundance film and ethical imperative

Yesterday, a journalist who wrote about the Harvey Weinstein trial in Los Angeles, interviewed me about a past sexual assault and revictimization. In this context, we discussed the 2018 Brett Kavanaugh hearing.

I told her I’d had to cancel everything on my “To Do” list, and tune in to the hearing full-time whether on the radio in my car, or on the TV at home. I mentioned that I’d written three articles about the hearing, and sent them to her, due to her interest.

In a moment of synchronicity, tonight I saw this headline published in the “Guardian”: “‘I hope this triggers outrage’: surprise Brett Kavanaugh documentary premieres at Sundance”.

Are you surprised? Me, too!

The documentary “Justice”, according to the article by Benjamin Lee, continues where the Kavanaugh hearing in September of 2018 left off. The public last viewed Dr. Christine Blasey Ford testifying that Brett Kavanaugh, a U.S. Supreme Court nominee, had physically and sexually assaulted her while she was in high school in the early 80’s.

The hearing had became a kind of psychodrama, with an estimated 20.4 million people watching — participating subconsciously and consciously.

Moved by the events, I wrote an article about my experience of the hearing. I imagined how my childhood TV hero, Perry Mason, would have defended Dr. Blasey-Ford in Perry Mason Defends Christine Blasey Ford at Brett Kavanaugh Hearing. In this piece, I referred readers to the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE in case they were triggered by the hearing.

In the last gasp moments of the hearing, Senator Flake requested an FBI investigation into Kavanaugh. He and Senator Blumenthal offered compassionate words. When I tested, and felt into the sincerity of them, they moved me to sob, and thereby released a part of my life-threatening trauma from a sexual assault decades before.

I was surprised to feel a knowing in myself that talking about it would be helpful, and called the hotline myself! I learned later that three thousand people called the sexual assault hotline during the Friday hearing. I documented my experience in my second article, After the Hearing: I Had A Bi-Partisan Healing.

Whether or not any of the 20 million plus viewers of the hearing, or the half of Americans who are “#MeToo” supporters, thought that Brett Kavanaugh was innocent or guilty of the charges against him, the pivotal point for me is whether it was evaluated in a just way, and if its result was just.

While I am biased, I felt that anyone with an intuition could have felt something, or many things, were amiss in that hearing and, especially with the “narrow” time-frame in which the FBI investigation was to take place — one week!

According to Benjamin Lee, whose article hailed from Park City, Utah, where the documentary premiered, the filmmakers discovered a long trail of witnesses and testimony that the week-long investigation did not pursue. The documentary team conducted interviews corroborated by witnesses, and accusers continued to come forward.

As you may know, the much anticipated Senate vote after the week-long investigation resulted in Brett Kavanaugh being nominated to be Associate Justice of the Supreme Court by the narrow margin of two votes.

Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, whose account resonated in many homes and hearts, was, likely, most impacted. Considered a hero to many, her testimony against the nominee left her with loss upon loss, personally and professionally.

I could almost hear the outcries, disbelief and swear words, and sense the wails and tears of those whose traumas reverberated through the telling of Dr. Christine Blasey’s Ford’s testimony. A different investigation, a different vote, conceivably could have helped thousands of survivors of violence feel consoled and vindicated — even healed from a just process.

On the anniversary of the hearing, which coincided with the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, I wrote another article exploring the significance of justice from Jewish and Baha’i Scriptures. The high ethical standards for pursuing justice, and its rewards for the individual and society were illumined through quotes published in “Anniversary of Kavanaugh Hearing Coincides with Yom Kippur: Reflecting on Scriptures about justice”.

I want to acknowledge the great courage of the Producer Amy Herdy, Director Doug Liman, and Executive Producers Liz Garbus and Dan Cogan, to pursue justice through their documentary “Justice.” Director Doug Liman explained, “…The film examines our judicial process and the institutions behind it, highlighting bureaucratic missteps and political powergrabs that continue to have an outsized impact on our nation today.”

Will you join me in the audience if “Justice” comes to your town? If you do, and you identify as female, you will be among the one out of three women in the world who have endured physical or sexual violence according to World Health Organization statistics.

I expect many in the audience of various cultures, who speak various languages, will be praying at the viewing of the new film that awareness is raised about violence against women, and the cause of justice is raised to a higher bar. Though “Justice” explores a serious topic of sexual assault that can involve trauma, and even death, it can through honest and courageous reporting, be a source of hope and healing, and therein, an occasion for celebration!

“If I am raped, it’s not my shame.” — Leymah Gbowee, Liberian Nobel Prize Winner, 2011

לֹא־תַטֶּ֣ה מִשְׁפָּ֔ט לֹ֥א תַכִּ֖יר פָּנִ֑ים וְלֹא־תִקַּ֣ח שֹׁ֔חַד כִּ֣י הַשֹּׁ֗חַד יְעַוֵּר֙ עֵינֵ֣י חֲכָמִ֔ים וִֽיסַלֵּ֖ף דִּבְרֵ֥י צַדִּיקִֽם׃

“You shall not judge unfairly: you shall show no partiality; you shall not take bribes, for bribes blind the eyes of the discerning and upset the plea of the just.” — Deuteronomy 16:19