×

Letter questioning Ford blamed victim

I was very disappointed by the Oct. 2 Letter to the Editor from Ms. Hansen. By the second paragraph I added surprise to disappointment, as she stated her profession as a therapist and a survivor.

I believe, by the tenor of the letter, that Ms. Hansen thought this was a trial. This was a Senate hearing and there was no burden of proof required on either side.

None of us have to “relate” to Ms. Ford’s “fuzzy earlier recall of detail of the actual abuse.” Peripheral memories after trauma may never be fully recovered, yet it can and should not minimize the abuse. Of course, this would be looked at differently in a court case.

The point made by Ms. Hansen that upset and angered me the most was the accusation she made that questioned Ms. Ford’s professionalism “by not processing her trauma earlier.” That is blaming the victim and that is unprofessional, in my opinion, on the part of a therapist and especially one who is also a survivor. It is the survivor’s story to tell when they are ready and feel safe to do so. It is not on anyone else’s timeline.

The last paragraph helped me to understand the previous ones. The Bible quote, the trust issue with the FBI and the slam to Hillary Clinton seemed to come straight out of Trump’s playbook.

How this plays out has huge consequences to the future of our democracy, our children, abuse survivors and especially women. When the President openly mocked Ms. Ford at a rally, it screamed out loud clear that he, along with his supporters, believe women have no value and are not to be believed.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today