It has been almost five years since Justice Bret Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court after an intense FBI investigation concerning an accusation of sexual assault in his college years.
At no time in his past — including a past Senate confirmation to the federal courts – were such accusations ever advanced. There were not even rumors of misconduct. The FBI found no credible evidence to support the belated claims of Christine Blasey Ford, a left-wing political activist — and Kavanaugh was confirmed.
That should have been the end of the controversy, but those on the left do not take defeats comfortably. They harbor grudges that manifest themselves from time to time – and Kavanaugh’s hatred has been on simmer since his confirmation.
As a free constitutional society, we respect the right of people to assemble and peacefully protest – with emphasis on peacefully. But the left’s anger at the Supreme Court in general – and Justice Kavanaugh specifically – has led the most radical faction to exceed proper behavior and constitutional rights.
A recent prosecutorial-style documentary fired up the nutcase contingent on the left. They gathered at both the Supreme Court and the Kavanaugh home to resurrect the old issues and demand his removal from the Court.
In many ways, the documentary by Doug Liman was intended to stir the passion and promote the public protests. It was nothing less than a prosecutor’s brief (propaganda) in the court-of-public-opinion – a presentation that would have never prevailed in a court-of-law.
The documentary offered supposedly new evidence – although it fell far short of real evidence. Just more after-the-fact accusations from folks who have less credibility than Ford.
Although the protests were more of concocted political stunts without a clear achievable goal, the gathering at the Supreme Court was well within the constitutional rights of the assembled. One does not have to have a worthy or practical cause with an achievable goal in order to protest.
It was the appearance for the aggrieved outside the Kavanaugh home that was beyond decency and constitutional protection. They were actually breaking the law – although they are laws that are routinely broken by demonstrators.
Chanting outside of the Justice’s home at night was not a protest. It was harassment. They were not only disturbing the peace of the Kavanaugh family but of the neighbors. Falsely shouting that Kavanaugh is a rapist within earshot of his children is a despicable act. It is a lie.
Protestors at Kavanaugh’s home were not veiled in their desire to harass. One of the main chants was “no privacy for us, no peace for you” – “privacy” refers to the basis for the original Roe v. Wade decision. The “no peace for you” concedes their motivation – harassment.
And yes … Kavanaugh is not a rapist. He has the right to be considered innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. And he is not even under investigation or indictment for rape or any other crime – and never has been. If Kavanaugh were not a public figure, he would have every right to sue the accusers for slander.
The accusation against Kavanaugh was subject to two intense FBI investigations – more than such accusations would have been investigated if he was an ordinary citizen. The FBI investigations did not lead to subsequent criminal investigations because there was no cause to proceed further. Case closed.
Increasingly, the freedom to protest has evolved into personal harassment. Public figures have been accosted on the streets … in restaurants … and at their homes. While protestors may get an inflated sense of self-importance and empowerment, harassment does not reflect well on the protestors or their cause. That is not within their constitutional rights. Perhaps it is time for law enforcement to uphold the law.
So, there ‘tis.