“8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9
I must admit, I was definitely feeling perplexed as we were all exposed to the insanity of the Supreme Court Nominee confirmation hearings these last few weeks. It was disheartening, unbelievable and infuriating to see justice trampled under the feet of enraged people who were somehow convinced that everything wrong with the relationships between men and women resided in the accusations of one woman, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford.
America was founded on strong Christian principles of morality, fairness, justice, and compassion; and despite the onslaught of negativity in the media, her people still hold true to those standards. When now-Justice Kavanaugh was randomly accused, maligned, slandered, and then criticized for his righteous indignation, a small percent – a fraction of a percent of a percent – of our country were given unlimited media attention to spew their hatred and misguided rage.
Lord knows I had to pray myself to a place of peace in the face of such cruelty, deceit, injustice, and lies. Whether or not you agree with the President or his choice to nominate Judge Brett Kavanaugh became a back seat issue: injustice is still injustice, regardless of who is on the receiving end. The obvious plan to not only destroy Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court appointment, but to end his career, his teaching, his coaching, and his integrity as a person was difficult to watch. How could people be so cruel?
Hard Pressed On Every Side
With news stories, pundits, reporters, social media, and coworkers espousing the same programmed rhetoric, it was difficult not to feel hard pressed on every side. And that’s as an outsider looking in. I can’t imagine how Kavanaugh and his family and friends must have experienced this relentless attack. Then there were the Senators on the Judiciary Committee being pressured to give in, compromise the principle of innocent until proven guilty, and to abandon their positions lest they and their families be the next subjects of vicious verbal and libelous attacks. Even Dr. Ford, the accuser, may have had second thoughts about participating in such a public spectacle in light of the reported threats that were levelled against her.
Perplexed
Initially, I wondered if it was even reasonable to bring up something from so long ago. It just seemed like a stretch and I couldn’t help but think back in my own mind to what I recall from my high school years. Although there were a few vivid memories, they were only snippets of much bigger pictures. The rest was just fog and mist. If it weren’t for my pictures and memory books, many things would be relegated to the sealed places of my memory. Yet, here were these vague, unsubstantiated and thoroughly uncorroborated – in fact, refuted – allegations being touted as if they were proven facts.
Not only was I perplexed, but I was dumbfounded that people would take one person’s vague story and turn it into a mob of hatred and threats of violence, with little concern for the truth. Were the media and Democrat detractors saying that I, or anybody, could simply write a letter or get in front of a camera and say whatever despicable things we wanted to say about someone?
Persecuted and Struck Down
Justice Kavanaugh was the first one persecuted in this debacle, but he certainly wasn’t and won’t be the last. Senators that wanted time to examine the evidence before rushing to judgment were lambasted and Maine Senator Susan Collins reportedly received death threats and promises to be stalked for the rest of her life as a result of her statement of support for the nominee. Have we really exhausted all verbal communication skills to the point where all that some people have left is bullying and violence?
Everyday Americans are being verbally persecuted as well. If you argue that one cannot presume guilt from someone’s uncorroborated memories or say that Dr. Ford’s accusations are unsupported, you must prepare to be ostracized, shamed, or met with unreasonable anger. Too many scenes were broadcast showing angry mobs, some with violence, threatening or harassing elected officials. This is not the same as exercising our constitutional right to protest; it is instead threatening, provocative and designed to incite violence.
With unrelenting, biased media coverage and newsprint, enemies of the Supreme Court Nominee worked around the clock to strike down the validity of the nomination and steal the Senate’s right and duty to vote on such.
Not Crushed … Not in Despair … Not Abandoned … Not Destroyed
The President, some on the Judiciary Committee, former colleagues, employees, and friends did not abandon Judge Kavanaugh in his time of great need. While he was being dealt one cruel and unjust blow after another, there were people standing firm for his right to be deemed innocent until proven guilty. I’m sure he felt the weight of all attempts to crush and destroy him, yet he stood firm in his unequivocal statement of innocence.
As for the decent, fair-minded people watching this professional and character assassination, we surely felt the pressure of injustice and evil on display before our eyes, and among some of our own neighbors and coworkers. The battle for righteousness was won in this situation; the battle for all to be presumed innocent. Although many tried to make it about women’s rights, sexual assault, and #MeToo, that is not at all what this whole attack was about was it?
This triumph shows that despite the loudly biased shouts forced upon her, America’s ear is still honed to the sound of truth; but make no mistake, evil is simply regrouping and waiting for a more opportune time to strike again. We must recharge our spirits, rededicate to trust in God’s sovereignty, recharge for the continued battle to defend good, and stand firm in truth, love, and the American way.
#notafraidtothink #reunifyourcountry #presumedinnocent #Godissovereign
EmmSix 