In the wake of multiple sexual assault allegations concerning SCOTUS nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Republicans across the nation have rushed to the aid of Trump’s embattled contender. Rather than defending his innocence, many prominent Republicans are attempting to deny the seriousness of Kavanaugh’s alleged crimes and, in the process, are trivializing the gravity of sexual violence at large. Take, for example, Joe Walsh’s suggestion that “every male politician in Washington, DC” has engaged in comparable behavior:
By downplaying rape allegations as “stupid, bad, or drunken behavior,” Walsh takes an alarmingly permissive position on one of the worst crimes known to humankind. Even more disconcerting is Gina Sosa’s defense of Kavanaugh, perhaps in part because she is a woman disregarding sexual violence against other women. Sosa, who came in last place in the nine-candidate FL-27 Republican primary last month, first sparked outrage via her comments on Twitter:
Tweet from Gina Sosa’s personal Twitter account. The account has since been set to “private.”
Sosa immediately came under fire for challenging the validity of holding teenagers responsible for sexual assault. Her subsequent appearance on CNN, during which Sosa further normalizes sexually violent behavior by doubling down on her earlier claims, resulted in even greater criticism. Sosa makes a number of highly controversial statements in her crusade to dismiss the seriousness of Kavanaugh’s suspected atrocities, including, “We’re talking about a 17-year-old boy, in high school, with testosterone running high. Tell me what boy hasn’t done this in high school. Please—I would like to know.”
In the aftermath of Sosa’s problematic comments, FL-01 Democratic House Candidate Jennifer Zimmerman chose to publicly speak out. The constituents of Florida’s 1st congressional district may have welcomed clarification from her opponent, Republican firebrand Matt Gaetz, whose stance on supporting victims of sexual assault is murky at best. After all, Gaetz himself drew criticism earlier this year after he struggled to defend Congressman Jim Jordan against sexual abuse allegations by claiming his victims were affiliated with “the deep state.”
Gaetz has also been an unapologetic proponent of Kavanaugh’s virtuous character, proclaiming, “I have no doubt that, when confirmed, Justice Kavanaugh will serve America’s highest court with honor and integrity.” Gaetz continues to be outspoken in his support of Kavanaugh, even as accusations against the nominee have grown increasingly damning in recent weeks. Appearing on CNN opposite Chris Cuomo, Gaetz brushed off the suggestion that the American people deserve a full investigation of the disturbing charges against Kavanaugh, asking “What is it we hope to find in the seventh investigation about an alleged event that maybe happened 36 years ago?”
Gaetz’s appearance has been categorized as pathetic at best, and perhaps even dangerous in its failure to communicate the gravity of the situation Ms. Ford and all of America face in the coming days. Is Gaetz still reeling from this less-than-stellar appearance? Or, is there some other reason he has chosen not to come forward in light of fellow Florida Republican Sosa’s viral commentary? Northwest Florida is left wondering.
In the meantime, Zimmerman has readily joined the conversation with a clear declaration of her values and priorities as a candidate. In direct response to Sosa’s question of, “We’re talking about a 17-year-old boy, in high school, with testosterone running high. Tell me what boy hasn’t done this in high school. Please—I would like to know,” Zimmerman released the following statement:
“Though my opponent, Rep. Matt Gaetz, has chosen not to come forward on this pressing issue, I am happy to answer your question, Ms. Sosa. My two sons, who are now 23 and 18 years old, were raised to respect all women. They have four aunts and four female cousins. They are protective of their younger sister and grandmother. I can assure you that when they were 17 years old, they did not assault any females, nor would they ever consider it in the future. “
Refusing to participate in the normalization of sexual violence, Zimmerman rejects the idea that teenage boys simply can’t be trusted around their female counterparts. She argues that Kavanaugh’s past crimes are not representative of young male behavior, and thus his assaults cannot be invalidated through false equivalence.
Zimmerman also expressed her personal experience with supporting young sexual assault survivors:
“As a pediatrician, I have evaluated young victims of assault. Not only is there anger and fear in their eyes, but often there is shame, as if they were made to feel that way by the perpetrators. Most hide this secret for years and live in denial so no one else has to know. When someone has been assaulted, they may act as if it never happened, but believe me, they never forget.”
Perhaps Zimmerman’s most compelling reply was not her answer, but a question of her own:
. . . since you presume that increasing levels of testosterone in adolescence give young men license to hurt other human beings, then I will counter your question with another one, addressed to my opponent: Tell me, Matt, did you do this in high school? Please—I would like to know.”
Gaetz has yet to offer his answer.
You can learn more about Jennifer Zimmerman below.
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-Laura Herbek, Staff Writer