Can We Talk?

I’m afraid to write anything on Facebook. That’s the real reason I started a blog. 

I love my family. I love my friends. I don’t want them to be mad at me. But I do want to speak my mind and live my truth. 

Im pretty sure I disagree with about 90% of Americans right now. 

(Quick summary. I’m a pro-life, anti-Trump, former Republican who believes in liberty for all, with a soft spot for children, refugees, and immigrants seeking a better life.)

I want to talk about this. I want to have conversations with people who disagree with me. But, I don’t want angry yelling, name-calling, or fistfights at Christmas.

I’m trying so hard not to live my life from a place of fear. I truly believe that fear has put us in the unpleasant place where we are today. 

I’m a firm believer in 2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

I believe that love and a sound mind will go a long way toward restoring the equilibrium of our country. 

I’m also a sexual assault survivor who doesn’t think we can just “believe all women”. Oh! That sounds harsh! I don’t mean to be harsh. If someone says they were molested, abused, attacked, harassed, raped, I will be supportive! I promise! I will hug you and hold your hand and listen to your story! But I’m not 100% sure I can convict a man of a sex crime without evidence beyond she said he did it. 

I have no proof of my own personal story. I don’t remember the dates or a lot of other details of what happened. I definitely remember who did it, and that a perfectly adorable little playhouse sat unused for very ugly reasons. 

I appreciate the outpouring of support when I was finally able to say it out loud! (Does it mean anything that that all of the responses and all but 2 of the reactions on a related FB post were from women?) I’m so glad that no one questioned my motives or feelings. I would never lie about something like this, and I’m sure that neither would you! But I’m also sure that it could happen. People lie, cheat, steal, murder, even women. 

People keep asking, why would a woman lie about such a horrible thing? Well, why would a woman commit murder or make up illnesses for her child? It’s beyond reason! 

Please believe that this isn’t a judgement on Dr. Jones! I didn’t watch a single second of the hearings. I don’t know how we could possibly judge which of them is telling the truth! And maybe someone who’s been accused of sexual misconduct shouldn’t be on the Supreme Court, but I think the slippery slope there is fairly obvious, right?

From what I’ve seen, people have pretty much decided that the person they agree with politically is telling the truth. How is this possible? 

I honestly don’t have an answer. I wish I did. It would make this so much easier if I could just say...Look you dummies! So and so is telling the truth and the other one is lying! 

(J/k, I would never call you dummies!) But I can’t, and I’m not sure how anybody can.

I’ve heard one theory, that she is right and he was too drunk to remember. This is usually followed by, but he hasn’t shown any remorse, so he doesn’t deserve to be on the Supreme Court! Um, why would he show remorse if he doesn’t think he did it? 

Of course this is all just rambling! But this is the point I’m trying to make. Why can’t we have this conversation in public? Do I hate women and have no empathy or understanding for survivors because I don’t automatically believe that Kavanaugh is a rapist? Am I a raging liberal because I think we should question him about what happened and hesitate to rush through confirmation? 

Can you tell me why you believe the way you do? Can we have a conversation about it? 

Are you mad at me?