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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 17, 2018)
October 17, 2018 Page 13 O PINION MCS Still in Business Martin Cleaning Service Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Residential & Commercial Services Minimum Service CHG. $50.00 A small distance/travel charge may be applied CARPET CLEANING 2 Cleaning Areas or more $30.00 each Area Pre-Spray Traffic Areas (Includes: 1 small Hallway) 1 Cleaning Area (only) $50.00 Includes Pre-Spray Traffic Area and Hallway Stairs (12-16 stairs - With Other Services) : $30.00 Heavily Soiled Area: $10.00 each area GOP Playbook Was Textbook Abusive Behavior Women who were outraged are mobilized by a nny M artinez Shortly before he became a Su- preme Court jus- tice, Brett Kava- naugh made two things clear: He likes beer. And he’s a self-righteous beneficiary of pre- sumption of innocence. Indeed, Kavanaugh was pro- vided a considerable benefit of the doubt for a man credibly accused of a horrible crime. In an ordinary job interview, much less one for a lifetime appointment to Supreme Court, most people couldn’t count on the same. Kavanaugh defenders said a lot about the presumption of in- nocence. But in truth they were following a much more menacing playbook, common to many abus- ers called out for their behavior. Psychologists call it DARVO: deny, attack, reverse victim and offender. Fielding questions from report- ers the other day, President Trump said this: “It’s a very scary time for young men in America.” And it certainly should be, for young and old men alike that have taken advantage of or degraded women who are now having their moment and speaking out. Trump painted these people as victims, not of- fenders. This tactic was also used by Sen. Lindsey Graham, who compared what Judge Kavana- ugh was experiencing to “hell” and vilified Dem- ocrats for giving voice to his ac- cusers. Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s credible (and polygraphed, might I add) account and moving testi- mony through hours of question- ing was recognized by both Dem- ocratic and Republican senators. That questioning was presid- ed over by Rachel Mitchell, a prosecutor hired to represent Re- publican senators on the commit- tee, none of whom are women. Mitchell delicately handled Dr. Blasey Ford’s testimony for these Republican senators — who then roared back into action when Judge Kavanaugh took the seat. That’s when these senators asked their own questions and used the hearing to defend their nominee. Unlike Trump, most tried not to attack Dr. Blasey Ford directly. But they were unmistak- ably painting Kavanaugh as the victim. Mitchell’s hiring demonstrated that these senators remain badly out of touch with how to engage with allegations of sexual assault. They hired a female prosecutor to avoid accountability, not to en- gage the accusations seriously. Dr. Blasey-Ford had zero to gain and has already sacrificed so much. “I’ve had to relive this trauma in front of the whole world,” she lamented. Yet Republicans still treated her little better than Anita Hill. “Are you a scorned woman?” Sen. Howell Heflin infamously demanded of Hill. Then as now, they showed the same clear dis- dain the GOP has for an empow- ered woman who knows she has the same rights as a man. Kavanaugh has been con- firmed, but Blasey Ford’s testi- mony wasn’t in vain. Her coura- geous and credible account has helped millions of Americans confront the reality of sexual mis- conduct — and how far we still must go in the way these cases are handled. More women are standing up, and more men are standing with them. Fourteen men were arrest- ed in one recent protest against Kavanaugh’s confirmation, alongside many women. One of those male protestors, a hip hop artist named Mysonne General, said this: “By standing for women, we have to acknowl- edge there is a culture of sexual violence, a culture men have ben- efited from, and in order for it to change men have to change it.” A few old politicians are still relying on DARVO. They’re try- ing to take sexual misconduct and violence towards women off the table as a political issue. In ad- dition to exonerating powerful men, they’re protecting rape cul- ture. But outraged women are mo- bilized. And more than ever are running for office. Candidates like Ayanna Pressley, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Nika Edgardo, and Representative Ilhan Omar, to name a few, are showing that uncompromising women can run — and they can win. Anny Martinez directs the Ja- maica Plain Forum for the In- stitute for Policy Studies office in Boston. Distributed by Other- Words.org. (Requiring Pre-Spray) Area/Oriental Rug Cleaning Regular Area Rugs $25.00 Minimum Wool Oriental Rugs $40.00 Minimum UPHOLSTERY CLEANING Sofa: $70.00 Loveseat: $50.00 Sectional: $110 - $140 Chair or Recliner: $25.00 - $50.00 Throw Pillows (With Other Services) : $5.00 ADDITIONAL SERVICES • Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning • Deodorizing & Pet Odor Treatment • Spot & Stain Removal Service • Scotchguard Protection • Minor Water Damage Services Call for Appointment (503) 281-3949
