Readers React: Mr. President, the country owes no apology to Brett Kavanaugh

To the editor: President Trump has no sense of shame but plenty of nerve. He actually stood there in the White House, apologizing “on behalf of our nation to [Supreme Court Justice Brett] Kavanaugh and his family for the terrible pain and suffering you have been forced to endure.”

Kavanaugh will have to endure being paid a annual salary of about $214,000 to hold his lifetime seat. He will help decide serious and life-changing issues that will affect Americans’ lives for decades. He has already demonstrated his bias very loudly and belligerently.

Meanwhile, Christine Blasey Ford and others had the courage to come forward with their allegations of sexual misconduct at great risk to themselves and their families. For this, they were ridiculed and made to feel as if they didn’t matter.

The apology is owed to Ford. She and the #MeToo movement are the real profiles in courage.

Frances Terrell Lippman, Sherman Oaks

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To the editor: Trump correctly stated that one “must always be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.”

However, his claim that Kavanaugh was “proven innocent” was erroneous. More accurately, if anything was proven, it was that Kavanaugh was “not guilty” rather than innocent.

Unfortunately for Ford, to overcome the legal presumption of innocence, she had to produce strong and convincing evidence to support her compelling allegation of sexual assault. And for the 50 senators who voted to confirm Kavanaugh, this burden was too difficult to overcome.

Hopefully, those unhappy with this decision can look forward and try to elect those who will support their goals and objectives. Any attempt to reverse this confirmation would probably be a waste of time and energy.

Irwin Zeke Warsaw, Marina del Rey

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To the editor: Hey ladies, did you hear it? The sound of us becoming second-class citizens (again)?

The message was sent last week loud and clear. Women don’t matter. Your opinion doesn’t matter. Why else this close to the midterm election would the Republican Party risk alienating half the population?

Let’s face it: The political strides we thought we had made in the last 30 years are simply not there. We still make less money for the same work and we still are worrying about our right to choose being taken away.

Being a second-class citizen in this country includes almost all of us now — black, brown, Muslim, sexual assault victims, immigrants, hurricane survivors and war heroes. The only ones left with a real voice are the far left and the far right. When did they get all the power?

Women need to send the message now that we have a voice, and that comes in the form of a vote. In less than 30 days, we should show these men that we won’t head back to the kitchen without a fight.

Sharon Petris, Huntington Beach

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