By Donald V. Watkins
©Copyrighted and Published on October 4, 2018
In 1857, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its infamous Dred Scott v. Sandford decision. In a 7–2 ruling that was authored by Chief Justice Roger Taney, the Court declared that:
“[Black Africans imported as slaves] had for more than a century before been regarded as beings of an inferior order, and altogether unfit to associate with the white race, either in social or political relations; and so far inferior, that they had no rights which the white man was bound to respect; and that the negro might justly and lawfully be reduced to slavery for his benefit. He was bought and sold, and treated as an ordinary article of merchandise and traffic, whenever a profit could be made by it. This opinion was at that time fixed and universal in the civilized portion of the white race. It was regarded as an axiom in morals as well as in politics, which no one thought of disputing, or supposed to be open to dispute; and men in every grade and position in society daily and habitually acted upon it in their private pursuits, as well as in matters of public concern, without doubting for a moment the correctness of this opinion.”
For more than two centuries after America was colonized by European settlers, women in the United States fared no better in their legal standing than African slaves. Like slaves, men could beat and abuse women, at will. Like slaves, women had no legal rights that men were bound to respect.
Today, women in America are rapidly approaching a modern-day Dred Scott moment and destination. Their fate is being decided in Washington within the context of the Senate confirmation battle involving President Donald J. Trump’s U.S. Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh. The Republican controlled Senate is determined to confirm Kavanaugh as the next Supreme Court Justice, despite a growing controversy involving sexual assault allegations leveled by Dr. Christine Ford against Kavanaugh that occurred when both of them were teenagers.
Under pressure from undecided senators, President Trump ordered a supplemental FBI background investigation last week into Dr. Ford’s sexual assault claims. The agency’s investigative report was released to senators today.
As expected, the FBI investigation was incomplete and "scripted" to favor Kavanaugh. Agents did not conduct routine interviews with material witnesses who possessed relevant information regarding the alleged sexual assault incident in question. Furthermore, the agents did not interview Dr. Ford and Kavanaugh.
For all practical purposes, the FBI investigation was a “sham” exercise that was designed to provide law enforcement "cover" for Republican senators who need a political reason to justify their vote for Kavanaugh.
President Donald Trump, who defined the parameters of the FBI investigation and who has browbeat the agency throughout his presidency, is leading the charge for delivering American women to their modern-day Dred Scott destination. In Trump’s world, women have no rights that men are bound to respect. This view applies to Trump's sister, daughters, successive wives, mistresses, and women across America. Trump wants their votes and bodies, but not their political voices.
Trump, who views women the same way Chief Justice Taney viewed slaves, enjoys calling them “dogs” and “pigs.” He brags about grabbing women by the “pussy” and kissing them without their permission. He gave radio shock jock Howard Stern permission to call his daughter Ivanka a “voluptuous”, “piece of ass”. He cheated on third wife Melania with porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal.
Nineteen different women have accused him of various incidents of sexual misconduct beyond cheating on his wife. According to Trump, all of these women are lying. Yet, Trump’s propensity to lie is unparalleled in the annals of recorded history for an American president.
Earlier this week, Trump openly mocked Dr. Christine Ford, who took and passed a lie-detector test on her sexual assault claims against Kavanaugh. Ironically, the FBI did not ask Kavanaugh to take a lie-detector test on this subject.
Trump also claimed that “this is a very scary time for young men in America” because they may have to answer to credible sexual assault allegations lodged against them by the victims of these assaults. “Think of your son”, he told an enthusiastic crowd at a campaign rally two nights ago in Mississippi while talking about the Ford’s sexual assault claims against Kavanaugh.
If the Senate confirms Kavanaugh, this seminal event, alone, would signal to the world that American women have finally arrived at their modern-day Dred Scott destination. President Trump and his political supporters (male and female) would have achieved their life-long goal of putting women in their proper place -- renewed subjugation in American society. The “very scary time for young men in America” that Trump so elegantly described in his Mississippi speech would be over.
In the new world order under President Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and others of their ilk, American women and girls will have no rights that men are bound to respect, especially women and girls who become sexual assault victims.
PHOTO: American women may have to prepare for a new world order under the Trump-McConnell-Kavanaugh modern-day Dred Scott-like existence.
Donald V Watkins
I hope you had a chance to listen to Sen Collins (a woman) speech on the floor of the Senate.
I cannot remember hearing a more erudite, astute speech.
Her decision was made after thoughtful consideration based not on mob rule and emotion but based on concepts rooted in the rule of law. Nor did it appear that her decision was made based on allegations of witness tampering by Ms Fords camp as revealed in the supplemental FBI investigation and reported in the Wall Street Journal., let alone the damning letter by Ms Fords paramour of 6 years.
Since you are a student of history, as you will recall, mob rule often results in accusations without corroboratio…