What Brett Kavanaugh’s entitled and aggressive testimony says about his character

Following Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony this Thursday, Brett Kavanaugh proved himself to be an aggressive and angry entitled frat boy. And are we surprised?

I won’t shame a man for crying. But I will shame one (if not two men) for throwing a temper tantrum in the midst of allegations of sexual assault.

Both Judge Brett Kavanaugh and Senator Lindsey Graham turned red, raised their voices, whined, and blamed everyone but themselves during the hearings on Thursday, following Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony earlier that day. Dr. Ford’s demeanor was as calm could be, under the circumstances, notably pointed out by Anita Hill, who dealt with a similar situation in 1991.

I am a social worker, working with both victims and perpetrators of sexual assault, and I do my best for both. I know how important it is to be fair, and I know the lasting effects of a sexual assault on everyone involved.

I work with criminals and with good kids who just got mixed up with bad friends. Once confronted, some confess right away and show remorse. Seeing Kavanaugh throw his fit was eerily similar to the times those who did wrong were called out or caught. They cry, they blame, they yell, and they make a mountain out of a molehill. They make themselves the victim.

Kavanaugh and his supporters cried about how all us mean women and Democrats and #MeToo-ers are just trying to ruin his life. It’s confusing, right? Kavanaugh isn’t being punished with a criminal record of any kind. He is not losing his title. He is not losing his freedom. He is not losing his wealth. His life remains intact.

When Kavanaugh called these hearings a “national disgrace,” I saw a spoiled, rich kid who believes he is somehow entitled to one of the most powerful positions available in this country: a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court of the United States.

In what way is his life ruined or will be ruined? He mentioned numerous death threats, but the women on the Supreme Court are no strangers to death threats against themselves and their families. We live in an age where a woman will receive death threats just for existing, as Ford detailed in her own testimony. Ignoring others’ suffering speaks volumes.

In what way has Kavanaugh been treated unfairly? I read a powerful message from a father of a Parkland victim, Fred Guttenberg, who pointed out that he and his kids will be just fine (though it’s not easy to have high-profile parents, either):

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What is left to say, really?

With all the maturity of an upset frat bro, Kavanaugh railed against any insinuation he ever drank too much or could have ever misbehaved as an adolescent. I too went to a “drinking school with a Catholic problem” in the D.C. area, so I’m not sure how you could deny this.

Just watching Kavanaugh spiral when confronted about the times he drank as a youth is frustrating beyond comprehension.

Worst of all? How he combatively answered Senator Amy Klobuchar about drinking, just after he had admitted her own father’s struggle with alcoholism. She asked Kavanaugh if there’d ever been a time he had drank so much he did not “remember  what happened the night before or part of what happened.”

He responded, “You’re asking about blackout, I don’t know, have you?”

Most frustrating of all is the notion that if Dr. Ford had acted at all similar to Kavanaugh, every negative label towards a woman would come out — in headlines, on social media, and more. That did not go unnoticed by many watching and sharing their reactions on social media.

Following Kavanaugh’s testimony, there was both a social outcry and political reaction to his temperament, with many feeling his reactions on Thursday offer proof that he is unfit to serve on the nation’s highest court.

Senator Dianne Feinstein said of Kavanaugh:

"This was not someone who reflected an impartial temperament or the fairness and even handedness one would see in a judge. This was someone who was aggressive and belligerent. I have never seen someone who wants to be elevated to the highest court in our country behave in that manner."

There may be a glimmer of hope though following Thursday’s hearing, and it is thanks to women who did not shut down but instead shouted for their right to be heard.

After the hearing, Senator Jeff Flake announced his support of Kavanaugh. Two women, Maria Gallagher and Ana Maria Archila, confronted him in the elevator, and shortly after his vote, he requested an FBI investigation. The investigation has since been ordered.

I just want to send out a high-five to those women who stood up for themselves. Thursday was not an easy day, nor will be the days to come. But with voices raised to believe women and survivors, we may just see change happen.

If you or someone you know is or has been the victim of sexual assault, please know you can go to RAINN.org or call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 for support.