Making Sense out of Kavanaugh

By Michelle Martin, PhD, MSc, MSW

I don't ever recall feeling such tension in the air as I do right now. I don't ever remember feeling so triggered or seeing so many friends triggered. I don't ever remember going onto Facebook and reading post after post by women disclosing the various ways they've been sexually exploited, harassed, abused and assaulted.

I don't ever remember so much anger. I know many of you, both men and women (probably more men), want this to go away, quickly. It's terrible to live in a state of constant tension like this. Each side is blaming the other for the polarization, and demonizing those who are advocating for their side. I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to name-call, or frame all Republicans as evil, or all Democrats as angels, because they aren't either of those things.

​This isn't as much of a political issue for me as it is a cultural one, with political overtones. So I thought I'd share some of my thoughts on each issue, with the hope that I can contribute to increased clarity, while at the same time validating people's pain. I'm answering both as a woman who has been deeply affected by the Kavanaugh fiasco, as a social worker who has worked with both survivors and perpetrators, as well as an educator/scholar. So here goes:

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