I don’t know what your week was like, but I am exhausted. Some of it was just life. And then there is the Justice Kavanaugh and Dr. Ford situation. I mentioned the other day how I miss discussing things with people since I left Facebook. I have so much I want to say about that situation.
This morning before I got out of bed I told David I was thinking of going there. As in, broadening my blogging and touching what would be for me the third rail of blogging – culture and politics.
Why?
Part of the reason is I’m bored.
I am bored in the sense of never talking about anything big and culturally significant.
I’ve got all sorts of thoughts about all kinds of things that I’d like to write about because I’m a reader and analyzer. Like when I explained to my friends on Facebook two weeks before the 2016 election that I had come to the fairly confident conclusion that Donald Trump was going to win the election and explained why. (Michael Moore and I looked like Nostradamus.) It was actually viewing a video of him saying he believed Trump was going to win for the same reasons I thought Trump was going to win that convinced me I was right and led me to say something publicly. People thought I was nuts. (Until I wasn’t.)
So I told David this morning I thought about going where I “shouldn’t” go. Writing about culture – women, men, politics, marriage, education, etc.
So here’s my take on the Kavanaugh thing and I’d love to hear what you discern about the truth of the situation.
I watched the entire hearing in real time. I started at 9:45 a.m. and watched all of it, including the coverage afterwards until 11:00 p.m.
I think Dr. Ford believes what she is saying. I don’t think she is being purposefully deceptive but I also wouldn’t stake my life on that take. I wondered about her sincerity before I saw her testify, but I did find her somewhat believable. But there are way too many holes in her story. Something happened to her, but she did nothing to convince me it was Kavanaugh. It is also clear she is a troubled woman. (This is a very interesting article as are the comments with real stories.)
I also think she has been seriously used by her lawyers and the Democrats (which are basically one and the same). When she said she had no idea that the Senate Judiciary Committee had offered to go to California to meet with her due to her fear of flying, I jumped out of my chair and said, “WHAT?!?!?!??!?!” That was when I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt she was being used. She may have come forth to do her duty as a citizen as she said, but she is being used. Either her lawyers betrayed her trust three times with the three emails/letters that made the offer in order to make sure they/the Democrats got their public hearing spectacle or she lied under oath when she said she didn’t know. I don’t think she lied. She seemed genuinely surprised by that information. Or else she’s a fantastic actress. Either way, that is a serious red flag.
The not flying thing has been written about by many people so I won’t elaborate on why that is a big red flag other than to say see my previous paragraph about dishonest lawyers.
The other big red flag for me came in the last five minutes of Mitchell questioning Ford. Mitchell explained how something like this should be done with the two of them in a room where Ford could just talk for a long time. What they were doing was just the opposite. So then Mitchell asked Ford if her lawyers or anyone else had suggested she undergo that more appropriate kind of questioning to get a more accurate picture of what happened. (I don’t remember the official name for it.) Ford said no. All she was advised to do was lawyer up and take a polygraph. A polygraph that is not admissible evidence in a federal court, but “sounds” like it makes someone so credible. If her lawyers really wanted an air-tight case against Kavanaugh, why not have Ford undergo the very best questioning she could that would be considered more legitimate than a polygraph? See my previous paragraph about dishonest lawyers.
Why has Ford not gone to file charges with the Maryland police? That is the legitimate place to start and the statute of limitations has not expired. See my previous paragraph about dishonest lawyers.
The last thing I could not reconcile was how spacey Ford was. My word. She has multiple degrees, including a Ph.D., and teaches at Stanford. And yet she seemed like she couldn’t process what was happening to her. Her eyes looked weird, she was disorganized, and she struggled to keep track of the basic things going on when everyone was treating her with the most delicate of kid gloves. I almost wondered if she was drugged to deal with the stress of what was happening. Again, something just seemed really off. I cannot imagine the amount of stress she felt and am certainly willing to attribute some of it to that. I’ve also read about sexual assault survivors and how their voice will change to a more childish tone, etc. so there’s that. But she just struck me as off in multiple ways. All the pieces did not fit together for me.
So those, for me, were the big red flags while I was watching it live. I found her more believable in real time than I thought I would, but the entire thing on her end is just off. I think her lawyers are snakes and I am firmly convinced she’s being used. I agree with Lindsey Graham that Dr. Ford is just as much a victim as Judge Kavanaugh or else she’s an incredible actress. (And I think Lindsey Graham expressed what MILLIONS of Americans have been feeling and are feeling even more now than when he went on his tirade.)
I believe Justice Kavanaugh because no one has shown me sufficient evidence to doubt his word. I found his statement compelling and moving. I teared up multiple times, especially when he shared the story about his daughter praying for the woman which tells you a LOT about the sincerity of the faith they practice in their home. I did not find his righteous indignation off-putting at all. I’ve been wrongly accused of something more than once. As I told someone this week, when you are a hardworking rule-follower and you are falsely accused of something that questions your integrity, it’s hard to describe how upsetting it is. I’ve had it happen a couple of times and to this day, over twenty years later, I can remember EXACTLY what happened and how I felt when someone basically called me a liar to my face the first time. I’ve got my flaws, but I am NOT a liar and to have my integrity questioned leaves me in the exact same state of mind that Kavanaugh displayed. He had every right to be angry and speak up for himself. The man can’t win. He was damned for not being forceful enough in his interview on TV and then he was damned for fighting for himself in his hearing. It’s a total joke.
Other than pure politics, power, and hatred, I don’t see how they keep Kavanaugh off the Supreme Court unless the FBI finds something new. The idea that an accusation from 36 years ago with no corroborating evidence could take down a man who has an entire life of apparent integrity is CHILLING. I don’t care which side of the aisle you are on. No one should be able to destroy another person just based on an accusation. And, no, not even a claimed sexual assault is enough of a reason to deny someone their presumed innocence. You don’t make up for the past wrongs claimed by people in the #metoo movement by making Kavanaugh a scapegoat for every jerk or even criminal who has hurt a woman. That is the antithesis of everything America stands for.
If I had a son, I’d be scared spitless for what I see unfolding if this is allowed to happen to Kavanaugh. And not just a son. Your husband, brother, father, or friend could be accused of almost anything now by a woman and he is automatically assumed guilty because the accusation is coming from a woman. That is insanity. There are plenty of horrible and dishonest women. Being a woman does not make you an oracle of truth and righteousness any more than being a man makes you a depraved criminal who should always be assumed guilty. It’s madness to even contemplate going down this path.
I also seriously question the Democratic Party’s commitment to men. They are rapidly becoming the anti-men party with leaders such as the Senator from Hawaii telling men to “shut up.” Seriously? The Democratic Party has been commandeered by the most extreme elements, especially those who truly hate men and I DO mean HATE men, especially white men. I think they have way overplayed their hand with this situation.
My freshman year of college I was subject to sexual harassment. I didn’t even realize that’s what it was until many years later. I just thought of it as a guy who was a jerk and embarrassed me in my class. The professor thought that I was a willing participant but I was not. When she spoke up about it in class, I was MORTIFIED. But I was too naive to know what to do. It was a completely different time. Attitudes and communication were very different. But I can tell you in detail pretty much everything that happened including:
- the class it happened in (small and very specific – very few of them offered)
- the hall it was in
- where I was sitting
- where he was sitting
- his first and last name and what he looks like
- a very specific organization he was involved in on campus
- my instructor – can’t remember her name off the top of my head, but I can describe her in detail including a significant life event that had just happened in her life that fall and she was probably the only woman in that department teaching this class
- two other people in the class who witnessed it – a guy whose first name I remember and the name of the fraternity he was in and a woman whose first name I remember as well as the sorority she was in. I could describe both of them in detail physically so there is no doubt who they are.
All that and I remember almost nothing else about my freshman year classes. Nothing. Maybe if I looked at my calendar and grades more would come to me. (Yes, I’m a dork like Kavanaugh. I have all my calendars and such from that far back.) But I remember all those details. They are etched in my brain. This was the fall of 1985 so almost as long ago as the events in the headlines. I remember plenty of details and my harassment wasn’t even as “traumatic” as Ford claims hers to be.
I certainly hope we don’t continue to ruin a man’s life with no supporting details. I’m sorry for whatever happened to Dr. Ford and the obvious pain in her life. But I sincerely fear for our country if the Democrats are allowed to delay this to the point where Kavanaugh is destroyed. I sincerely fear for our country if the Republicans can’t find the intestinal fortitude to do what is right. People who can’t see how much is at stake in terms of our very existence as a constitutional republic are blind. Pure and simple. And, no, a sexual assault claim does not negate the incredible value of the way our legal system is set up. Period.
So I am angry. And I am stressed. I think there is a lot at stake here and it sickens me deeply that people cannot see it. We cannot become a country that is run by feelings. As Ben Shapiro says, “facts don’t care about your feelings.” We’re a constitutional republic that governs by truth and facts, not a democracy of mob rule based on feelings. If I hear one more person say we are a democracy, my head is going to explode. We are specifically and purposefully not a democracy. We’re a constitutional republic governed by the rule of law, if we can keep it. I hope we can. Or God help us all.
Truly.
Create A Quiet Time Routine
Apparently she lied about being a psychologist
https://www.dangerous.com/49836/records-show-dr-ford-is-not-a-licensed-psychologist-may-have-committed-perjury/
I’m just adding comments as I think about other things. I would like to know why she scrubbed her social media and deleted her Linked In profile.
Interesting
https://youtu.be/uGxr1VQ2dPI
If she was visiting her parents while she was looking for a lawyer, why was she doing it out in cars and parking lots? If she was going through something this significant, why does she seem to not have the support of her family? I thought it was weird that she was looking for lawyers and making calls in parking lots. Pretty sure that’s what she said in the hearing.
This whole thing has been a travesty. It’s nothing but grandstanding and is horrid for all involved.
Hi Ticia,
It is a travesty and horrid. Caroline said while I was watching it, “You’re still watching that?” I told her it was one of the most important things to happen in my lifetime. I do believe that is true. People always hype elections like they are the most important ever. This time, it’s true with these mid-terms. There are two paths before us and they could not be more different. That is clearly on display for everyone to see.
Look at the difference between what played out with the nominations of Merrick Garland and Brett Kavanaugh. Agree with it or not, the Republicans stopped Garland getting on the Supreme Court through procedures. They did not destroy his life and reputation. They simply didn’t allow Obama to get his person through due to being able to delay it. People might not have liked it, but Republicans had the legal ability to do it without destroying Garland’s life and reputation.
What the Democrats have done to Kavanaugh is so far on a different level that it’s mind boggling.
Sallie
Sallie–thank you for your observations, thoughts, and feelings! I was not able to watch very much of the hearing, so it was good to read what you noted about it.
I feel like I need to remind you that YOU are the expert in blogging, with years of professional-level experience in what has worked in the past and what hasn’t, along with unusually good insights into what might work in the present and on into the future. You should be the one writing the how-to articles and books!!
I’ve been sporadic in my own blogging lately, having been going through one of those times of wondering who I am and where I’m going…because if those aren’t clear, then why bother doing any of the other stuff?
And culture and politics play into those questions, heavily, even as Christians. We are called to bring the truth to the world, and to love the people in it, but it is very hard to find truth and love accepted together in any one place in our culture these days.
I also was falsely accused at one point in my life, and was unable to get the people in charge to address it justly. The Kavanaugh hearings have stirred up many of my memories of that time.
I am varying temperatures of furious at the way the confirmation process has played out so far. You’re right that the automatic assumption of guilt is a negation of the rule of law, in a way that is very perilous both to individuals and to the nation as a whole.
I don’t land on Psalm 119 very often in my Bible readings, but I did tonight and it is a good one for encouraging steadfastness. (Perhaps God reserves it for unusually trying times!)
Hi Peggy,
Thank you for your kind words. The only “blogging experts” people will listen to are people who make six figures and/or have a huge following. I have neither. Although I have been thinking more big picture about blogging in the past year now that I see the shift happening on a more widespread basis. And then there is the whole imposter syndrome thing which I fight against even though I know all about it. I have never felt like a “real” blogger because a “real” blogger = money and influence. I know it’s not true, but I still find myself trapped in that mindset.
“it is very hard to find truth and love accepted together in any one place in our culture these days.”
and
“varying temperatures of furious”
Such true words.
Thank you for the reminder of Psalm 119. I will get that out today.
Thank you for being such an encouragement to me for so many years. I truly value our online friendship.
Sallie
I will be back to comment at length (not getting notifications for some reason) but want you to know that I look forward to reading your take on culture!
Hi Cristy,
I would love to hear your thoughts – especially at length! LOL! I love long comments!
Thanks for mentioning the notifications thing. I switched to ConvertKit for my mailing list and they have an RSS feature I can set up that will send out posts when I write them or I can set it up to do a digest on certain days. I hesitated to set up either because I don’t want to annoy people with too many notifications. But I think I may turn on the post RSS so it goes out each time I write a post.
So many ways to potentially offend, annoy, and otherwise alienate people nowadays…. LOL!
Sallie
Cristy,
I just set up the RSS to go out each time I create a new post. Let me know if you receive it or not.
Thanks,
Sallie
Just finishing up at a shower, but yes, the notification was a welcome interruption! More soon!
And I did receive your new post on Homemaking. So it’s working well.
I just added this to my post, but am also putting this here. This was one of the most compelling things I’ve ever seen. He is exactly correct.
Wow, that is, and this is the only word to use, so I apologize, damning of the Democrats and this entire sham.
No need to apologize. It is damning. During the live hearings, Senator Graham spoke to reporters in the hall during a break. It was right after some of this information came out during Ford’s portion. He seemed genuinely surprised and upset about some of the facts that had come out so I was not surprised he went off like this.
It brought tears to my eyes and I cheered and clapped when was done. The Democrats were just badgering Kavanaugh relentlessly on the most ridiculous things. It was disgusting. Senator Graham’s portion changed everything.
Jordan Peterson , just found him in the past few days and have taken an interest in his point of view , which he puts much better than by my ramblings to my husband have been ! I also have been on You Tube lately , trying to leave “my real humans ” out of my ongoing irritated comments ( I am sure it is difficult to live with ! ) . Yes I have disagreed with some of your comments on doing church ,I guess that is how I’d put it , but realizing you are from a more conservative area of the state while I struggled to find a church that thought the Bible had relevance today . I am concerned about a lot of things in our culture , some of it would be funny if it weren’t scary that people believe it.
Hi Karen,
Jordan Peterson is really interesting. If you find him interesting, I would check out the other two men I mentioned as well. They are all quite different. Ben Shapiro is a conservative/libertarian Orthodox Jew. Dave Rubin is a gay man who was part of The Young Turks (uber leftists) and moved way to the middle and is more of a classical liberal. He brings in a wide variety of people to talk to. The people on the left attack him as a sell-out because he – gasp! – brings conservatives in to share their thoughts. Oh the humanity! LOL! The three of them clearly disagree about certain topics in varying degrees, but they have interesting discussions. Jordan Peterson and Dave Rubin just came to Grand Rapids for an evening thing and I so wanted to go, but we couldn’t.
Re: the church thing. That has been one of the most difficult things I’ve had to sort out in my life. I’ve had to remind myself it’s the perfect storm that I’m living in – my health needs, Caroline’s needs, and the church going through some major stuff in the midst of the culture going through some major stuff. As I’ve said to David, we look back on church history and refer to different things such as the Reformation or whatever and we fail to recognize that there were real people dealing with these real events in real time for months and years. I think we’re going through something similar now in the Christian faith. We’re just so caught up in the moment we don’t even fully realize it in the arc of history. But I’m thankful that even if you disagree with me, you keep reading. I don’t expect my readers to agree with everything I write. Ever. I just share my thoughts and insights. People can do what they want with them.
Sallie
Karen,
Here’s a little introduction to Dave Rubin with John Stossel.
I would like the FBI to look up Ford’s grades during her junior and senior years of high school. She said this happened when she was 15. She also said she had a difficult time academically at the University of North Carolina because of what happened.
Her grades in high school were good enough to get her into UNC which I’m assuming even then was fairly competitive. So how did she have the ability to get the grades in high school to get her into UNC for the two years following the attack but then fell apart at UNC?
Yay!!! You’re back!!!
I have to admit, that due to having friends visiting from out of state, and also the simple fact that I have to protect my mental health from getting TOO involved in this, I’m not up to date on all of the known facts. So, presently, I cannot comment on this with any sort of understanding (not that that has stopped millions of other people from throwing in their ‘opinions’).
What I DO know is that there have been SO many red flags in this that all I see is red!
I think if I had chosen a career path I would have made a great historian. I like to wait until an event is long past and then go searching for details – factual details – from numerous sides. Is this my INTJ personality, or my Enneagram 5 with a 6 wing? Maybe. Or maybe I just believe in truth, and seek to find it. I’m not sure.
Anyway.., now I’ll go back to trying to figure out how the FIRST American Civil War could have been prevented…
Hi Judy!
Good to see you! It’s really hard to balance being informed with protecting your mental health nowadays. I totally get it.
I’d love to know how the first Civil War could have been prevented. I’m guessing it couldn’t. Some things seem to be inevitable and necessary in order to move forward. But tell me what you find!
Sallie
I agree COMPLETELY! I was so upset when watching the hearings last week that I broke my rule about not talking politics on my personal Facebook account and each day since then (except today… yet), I have posted something about the hearings.
This whole this whole thing has chilled my soul and made me doubt the future of the Republic if the Democratic leadership wins. I think we are doomed as a nation if that happens. The one hope (besides God, of course) is that this whole nonsense is seen for what it is and turns off the moderates in the Democratic party.
They are very well organized. We have friends who are life long liberals, Bernie supporters in the last election, and they have been crazy busy in meetings throughout the state organizing to fight him becoming a part of the Supreme Court.
Hi Brenda,
Have you been following the news on the #walkaway movement? I think a number of moderate Democrats have walked away. It would be interesting to hear their take on this situation.
And did you see the scathing letter Senator Grassley sent to Bernie this weekend? I have to find it and post it here. He basically told him to drop dead in a very polite, Senatorial way.
Sallie
Here is a link to an article with the letter. This made me more optimistic than anything that unless something new turns up from the FBI, Grassley has had it and isn’t going to allow any more delays.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/36502/grassley-chews-bernie-sanders-and-spits-him-out-hank-berrien
This is a pivotal event in US history. If the democrats win this one everything will change. The understanding of law and justice, and even more significantly, of truth will be undermined. Truth as a reality will be the first casualty.
The Judge Kavanagh ‘lynching’ is upsetting on several levels: the destruction of a man’s reputation and life is despicable; the undermining of truth and justice; and the ruination of any integrity in the political process. All this has really upset and angered me!
Hi Grainne,
You mentioned truth as a reality and that’s another thing that simple drives me insane, right after the idea that the USA is a democracy – when people say that a person needs to speak “her truth” or “his truth” or some such nonsense. There is no such thing as “her truth.” There is her version of the truth or her perspective. And then there is the truth. Period. They may be the same and they may overlap. But no one has “her truth” or “his truth.” Good grief. Don’t get me going on that one. LOL!
Re: the lynching of Kavanaugh… It is a lynching. As Justice Thomas said of his hearing:
“This is not an opportunity to talk about difficult matters privately or in a closed environment. This is a circus. It’s a national disgrace. And from my standpoint, as a black American, it is a high-tech lynching for uppity blacks who in any way deign to think for themselves, to do for themselves, to have different ideas, and it is a message that unless you kowtow to an old order, this is what will happen to you. You will be lynched, destroyed, caricatured by a committee of the U.S. Senate rather than hung from a tree.”
In Kavanaugh’s case, he has the unfortunate luck of being a straight white man with a Christian faith who was nominated by a president who has sent irrational people over the edge. So he’s getting lynched for other reasons, but it’s still a lynching.
Sally,
It is good to hear your opinion. I’m happy to hear more from you on politics and culture! I occasionally catch YouTube videos of all three guys you mentioned in your post and I enjoy them. I like listening to the Weinstein brothers, Eric and Bret, as well since they seem to represent mentally and emotionally rational versions of leftist ideas. Jordan Peterson’s book, Maps of Meaning, is on my list of books to listen to on audio.
I wonder if the tactics being used against Kavanaugh will ultimately backfire, but I’m not in a good place to evaluate the public response.
Hi Jessie,
I am familiar with the Weinstein brothers, particularly Bret after the Evergreen State College fiasco. I am fascinated by the fallout at colleges and universities that have been decimated or have started down the slippery slope by giving into social justice warriors (Mizzou, Evergreen, Oberlin, Kenyon, etc.).
I’ve been trying to get a read on the public response this weekend since Flake flaked out on everyone. I think most reasonable people are not pleased with the entire thing, no matter which side of the aisle they are on. I’m cautiously optimistic this might actually work out well in the end. But then this is D.C. we’re dealing with so who knows what could happen next.
Sallie
Are you familiar with the Free Staters movement that happened several years ago in the Libertarian community? (Essentially, a bunch of Libertarians organized a migration of their people to the State of New Hampshire.) The thought occurred to me this evening that a similar effort could be made with institutions of higher education. Maybe it would be most manageable for people who are past child-rearing or in retirement. We could go back to the universities, target the humanities, and be a voice for reason and free speech. Admittedly, this idea needs more thought and refinement. Just tossing it out there.
Hi Jessie,
I read a bit about the Free Staters movement a few years back, but that’s about all I know.
I think the way we change things is starting in our own homes, in our circle of influence, and on our knees. That is a list of things everyone can do no matter where they live.
Sallie
I’m of the persuasion that the tactics of the left will backfire. In 2016 I was encouraged early on that the election could turn out the way it did when I saw the early primaries consistently showing a pattern. Out of 14 candidates, the same three were taking a combined 70% or so of the vote: Ben Carson, Ted Cruz and Donald Trump. It was obvious what that meant: outsider/non-establishment types that spoke boldly with no reserve and a disdain for political correctness. Three completely different personalities, but the same basic message. Too many people are tired of the progressive/leftist message and consequences and were ready to do something about it. That hasn’t ended. I can easily see that happening again.
I mentioned to Sallie today that you have to factor in all the #walkaway people that have joined that movement. That’s a lot of former Democrat voters who are very ready to vote their new affiliation.
Rush Limbaugh said a couple months ago that he felt the events that would affect the mid-term election had not happened yet. I’m convinced that they are happening right now.
Sallie.
It sounds like you’re having a blog crisis just like me! Yes, we can get bored of what we’re doing and start to question if we’re going in the right direction. Maybe we have to make some changes otherwise we’ll give up.
The other day, I was listening to a podcast and heard the advice that we have to strong in our opinions. We can’t sit on the fence trying to please everyone. Some readers will like what we have to say. Others won’t. But it’s better to have a reaction to our posts rather than write wishy-washy words that don’t speak to anyone. I don’t like to alienate readers. I want everyone to feel comfortable on my blog. However, I think I need to be more open about my opinions too. I shouldn’t be afraid to say what I believe.
I’m sure you’ll feel more passionate about blogging when you’re writing about the things you’re passionate about! I look forward to reading more!
Hi Sue,
Glad to see you back on your site even though I haven’t left a comment on your new design. I went there the other day when you were down for remodeling and hoped you wouldn’t be gone long. I admit I also laughed when I saw you were down for a redo break because it’s so great to know another blogger who wrestles with blogging as much as I do. LOL!
I hope you will be more open about your opinions as well. I was thinking about your comment and realized that I would read pretty much anything you wrote, even if I didn’t agree with it, because I find you an interesting and authentic person. I need to allow myself to realize that my faithful readers feel the same way about me. Thank you for making me realize that.
Sallie
I’ve got to say I LOVE this article. You have said everything that I and many others I know have been saying. Bravo to you that you’ve decided not to be politically correct! This world needs more people like you that finally come out and express the disgust they have with this government. If all Christians stood up and opened their mouths with the truth we might make a difference!
Hi Janet,
I’m glad you liked the post. I’ve never been politically correct. LOL! I just haven’t been really open about it on my site. But David and I are both very unPC.
We all need to stand up and say what we know is the truth – kindly but forcefully.
Sallie
Thank you Sallie and commenters! This was just what I needed to instill hopefulness and restore my sense of living in a civilized society. God bless you!
Hi Susan,
There are so many of us out there. We need to speak up.
Remember the pollsters got it all wrong during the 2016 election. The media tries to mislead us all the time. Another important thing to look at with polls is whether or not they oversample Democrats. They frequently do so they get the result they want.
Sallie
Good morning Sallie. Let me begin by asking a question, why are you censoring yourself? Your an intelligent, well spoken person and too many of us are doing just that, censoring ourselves. The world we live in, at least some parts of it, has become so politically correct in the misguided attempt to be “fair” and “inclusive”. As a result you can no longer have an intelligent conversation or debate that doesn’t quickly deteriorate into finger pointing and name calling. Keep your opinions to yourself and parrot the current status quo. Or like me, you simply stop participating. I know so many bloggers who have either disappeared off social media or are around only in a very limited way because they didn’t see the point any more.
Freedom of speech has been replaced by fear and division. I can’t help but wonder who benefits from creating that sort of an atmosphere.
I would be very interested to subscribe to a YouTube channel or podcast you created where we could discuss things like rational people.
Hi Alison,
Thanks for asking such good questions. My censoring of myself has been for many reasons.
One, I don’t like conflict. It’s like poison to my body. So to invite it into my life via online was something I did not want to do with everything else demanding so much of me (which follows). Two, I’ve had health issues that have taken a lot of my time and energy. Three, I have a daughter with learning needs who has taken a lot of extra energy to homeschool and parent up until now. Fourth, our family has been slammed financially for the past several years due to much of the above. This website is my job since I am unable to work outside the home. My husband is also self-employed ( https://davidandsallie.com/ ) so everything I do online has to have a financial benefit. I’ve had to focus on things that would help us financially since we needed it.
With that as background, I have been trying to evaluate where to go next. There was something about passing a certain birthday (ahem) that was really freeing in that I feel much more free to speak my mind. I feel like I have the life experience and credibility to say what I want now.
I’ve thought quite a bit about a podcast over the past year, but haven’t been able to land on a topic. I’m not really comfortable with the video thing, but I’ve thought about it. I’ve thought about setting up a Patreon account so I could do a podcast.
I think about all these things and if I did not have to participate in supporting my family, there is so much I would do. But David and I work together and that’s the choice we’ve made. I wrote a lot more about that here if you didn’t see it.
Thoughts on Motherhood, Making a Home, Homeschooling, and Working at Home
Sallie
New article details that special prosecutor Mitchell would not prosecute Kavanaugh. Not enough evidence – by a mile.
In memo, outside prosecutor argues why she would not bring criminal charges against Kavanaugh
From the article:
Prosecutor That Questioned Ford Shreds Her Case In 5 Page Memo
This is what I said!!!!!!
#believewomen
#always?
#yesalways
#butwomenliesometimes
#notheydont
#Hillaryclintonliedalot
#youreamansojustshutup
#butwhatiftheresnoevidence?
#itdoesntmatterbelievewomen
#okayIbelieveanncoulter
#dontbelieveher
#whynot?
#shelies
#canIbelievekellyanneconway?
#absolutelynot
#why?
#sheliestoo
#howaboutsarahhuckabeesanders?
#nosheliesconstantly
#butIthoughtyousaidtobelievewomen
#notthosewomen
#thenwhichwomen?
#christineblasseyford
#whatifblasseyfordisamanwhoonlyidentifiesasawoman?
#youstillhavetobelieveher
#wellwhatifbrettkavannaughisawomanwhoidentifiesasaman?
#stopityouremakingmelooklikeanidiot
#Ibelieveyou
I told David this morning Kavanaugh could make all this end immediately. All he has to do is show up in a dress and carry a sign that says, “I vote pro choice every time” and the Democrats will pass him through so quickly your head will spin.
Sallie,
I’m not sure when or how I stumbled onto your website, but I’m so glad I did. I homeschooled my daughter for the past two years and now she’s in a private Christian school. But I still read your blog when it pops up in my email. This post did me so much good. It’s a relief to take a break from my depressing Facebook feed (you have definitely inspired me to drop it once and for all) and read an intelligent post about the Kavanaugh Circus from a kindred soul. You can’t be all things to all people — so go ahead and speak your mind because there are women out here who appreciate your insights. Thank you!
Hi Amy,
Thank you so much for your kind and encouraging comments. Leaving Facebook is such a personal decision, but I admit that I’m always happy to hear when people decide to leave.
I’ll keep writing if people keep commenting. LOL!
Sallie
Oh, my dear (online) friend, I am finally able to sit down and write the response I wanted to write when you first published this post! It’s been a chaotic time, and I’ve had just blips of time online, mostly reading all the fabulous comments of your followers here and relishing what is beautiful on Instagram. I’m thrilled that to a one everyone here wants you to express your opinions and rightly argue for civility and intelligence. I add my vote to theirs.
My delay in responding has been due to general homeschooling craziness, but also the passing of my dear friend/neighbor, Tommie. I’ve been visiting her for the last 6 months at the local rehabilitation center, and transporting her 90 year old husband back and forth daily so he could be with her as much as possible. While a rather bawdy gal for most of the 15 years I’ve known her, she assured me of her hope in Christ over the last couple of months, and in her dying, has helped me to put my focus more importantly on people rather than ideology.
I am not a huge fan of YouTube because it doesn’t give me the ability to jump to information within videos that I wish to have, like blogs or websites do. It also doesn’t seem very genuine? Video is quicker, I suppose, but also, anyone can record a video; a writer must be good to hold my attention, and I can scan quickly for information as I need it, if they are not! I dabble a little on Twitter, but it is nearly as irritating as Facebook. I probably don’t follow nearly as many annoying people as I did with Facebook, and I almost never read comments. (A side note: Fox News is even making me a little crazy, just checking daily for updates and finding nothing but Kavanaugh coverage! Is nothing else happening in the nation?!), So really, the “pretty” is on Instagram. I want beautiful things mostly. I am leaning into a few podcasts, and believe you should look into it. It would take practice to feel entirely comfortable with the format, but perhaps a Q and A with David might be a good format for you. I’d love to hear from you that way.
I subscribe to Ben Shapiro’s materials because I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone give a quicker retort in my life! Listen to the conversation between him and Bill Maher below (who I believe to be personally repulsive, but was astonished at the civility in this conversation.) Shapiro is just a well-reasoned man. I’m not sure I understand all the desire to limit his speech on campuses, unless they are so very much threatened by his reasoning, but he’ll always have a voice in this country. Intelligence is hard to ignore. He does do his research.
https://youtu.be/SGcdPakoytg
This video also reminds me of family gatherings when I was young. The Irish side of my family walked all sorts of political aisles, but came together at holidays to discuss, cajole, argue, and at visit’s end, hug and part. My 2nd cousins on Dad’s side were and are far, FAR left liberal, and I miss most conversing with them on Facebook. They could hold family close, and disagree. They knew I loved children, respected the law, and fought for their right to their opinion. They were respectively, a social worker and a court appointed advocate for children. They would poke at my right-leaning opinions, but ask me to explain myself. (Interestingly, I stayed off their pages LOL.) But they were the exception, not the rule. I have two sisters who no longer talk to me or my parents as a result of the last Presidential election. They are emboldened to lose sight of all respectful speech, and insist they can behave as they like no matter where they are or who they are with. Bad behavior aside, I am FINE with what they think and believe, it really is their business and we live far enough away that it doesn’t impact my life much, except as it upsets my parents. One sister is well-versed in liberal politics and disagrees with just about everything I believe in; the other is not well educated or willing to be educated, and spends most of her energy railing at things she has not investigated seriously. Both will be sad that they have not placed a higher priority on family. I know, because I’m in the front row of watching my neighbor’s family regret their uninvolvement in the last year.
So, how to take speech into the public arena? I think that the POTUS is actually showing us HOW to continue to exercise our right to freedom of speech. I’m not in any way, shape or form a fan of his Presidential style, but perhaps we all, as citizens of this great nation, need to exercise our freedom as he does. Write, speak, lobby as we see fit, and ignore those who lob ridiculous arguments against us. My dad used to say that cursing was a sign of ignorance; I think arguments without reason, fact or intelligence are also a sign of ignorance. What if we simple said what we believe, support it with fact, and ignore the repercussions? I am appalled that sitting Congressional representatives are encouraging mobs to harass civil servants in public restaurants, but believe that any restaurant that doesn’t call law enforcement to move disruptive influences from their establishments deserves to be the subject of boycotts. Act civilized, follow the law, or suffer the consequences. It applies to ALL sides of the aisle. Can those being antagonized call the police? I surely would.
Re: Kavanaugh. I have had three different women, all sexually assaulted at some point in their lives, come to me (nearly in tears, most) asking HOW this could be happening. (They are aware of my own history in this regard.) Some may think he is perpetrator; others struggle with Ford’s inability to remember facts that are clear to THEIR MEMORY even 25 years later. All are being traumatized by the fact that this is somehow open to the world to pronounce judgment. Their single common question to me is WHY is this played out publicly? Why do I feel so slimed by all of this? How can I be removed from this, and HOW are these women who comment on the whole situation being so insensitive to those of us who HAVE been assaulted?
Do I think this woman was assaulted? Probably. Do I know if Kavanaugh was the one? No, and I don’t think anyone will ever be able to prove he did any of the things he is accused of. He is innocent until he is proven quilty. That’s the law. There is no evidence. Do I think she is most definitely being used by the Democrats? Yes. Anita Hill was, as well. Is it one of the most distasteful things I have seen Congress do in a really long time? Absolutely. I don’t think anyone in those hearings except the two principles themselves can ever accuse another party of slinging feces again. It’s ridiculous and embarrassing. I’m so glad Graham went nuts in the hearing. Someone needed to. And I do believe the Democrats will pay a steep price in the next election. Those who call for civility will be rewarded. Here in Ohio, we see jobs and construction and our elected officials (finally) looking at opioid addiction and education needs. I think we are ALL tired of this here. I’m appalled at the potshots taken at the children and families of all these public employees. Civility kept them off-limits for a long time. It needs to stop again.
I could go on a rant about the #metoo movement. I’ll leave it to “it’s hypocritical,” for now. I’d love to read a post from you on it, i.e., expand your thoughts on it from your one paragraph in this post.
So my answer to all of the anger, the stress, the boredom and the exhaustion is the same as to the women who contacted me this week. Turn away from the rabble rousers, find that music that ushers you into the presence of God, bask in it’s beauty (maybe looking at Instagram too? ;( ), then pick up pen and write. We’ll read. Gladly.
But seeking and finding peace in God. Priority one.
~Cristy
Why I don’t believe Kavanaugh’s accusers
Interesting my dad just told me that my uncle was also arrested for rape falsely, because the woman and her husband didn’t like being kept to a signed contract for work performed at my uncle’s house! That was 15 years ago. My father happened to have been flying out of Boston that day and my uncle’s parking stub and his testimony exonerated him. False accusations have been a weapon for a very long time.