Letter from the Editor - Fall 2019, Print Edition No. 2

Illustration by Drew Andersen

Across the worlds of American politics and sports, there’s one unfortunate yet very true reality. Politicians and athletes, many of whom hold positions that millions of young people look up to, have an alarming lack of accountability and too often don’t set a good example for future generations. More specifically, this negligence of responsibility is commonly present within cases of sexual misconduct.

One person who is a prime example of this is Brett Kavanaugh. Kavanaugh, who was confirmed by the Senate as a justice on the U.S. Supreme Court in October 2018 after one of the most controversial confirmation processes in our country’s history, has slipped past three sexual misconduct allegations.

The first allegation came in September 2018, as the Senate Judiciary Committee neared a vote on sending President Trump’s nomination of Kavanaugh to the Senate for approval. Christine Blasey Ford, who attended a Washington-area high school near Kavanaugh’s, accused him of sexual assault 36 years prior. Kavanaugh vehemently denied the allegations.

Julie Swetnick – who grew up in the same Washington suburbs as Kavanaugh – also came forward, claiming to have seen him participate in sexual misconduct at parties during the early 1980s. Then, former Yale student Deborah Ramirez became the second woman to state she had been sexually assaulted by Kavanaugh. Kavanaugh said he didn’t know Swetnick and denied Ramirez's claims.  

Throughout his testimony, Kavnaugh referenced how if Ramirez’s allegations were true, they would’ve been “the talk of the campus.” A recent essay in the New York Times’ “Sunday Review” section reported the incident was discussed amongst students on campus, stating that at least two of the seven people who claimed to have heard of Ramirez’s experience were Yale students. 

The Times also reported a third allegation against Kavanaugh. One of his classmates, Max Stier, claimed he saw Kavanaugh committing sexual misconduct against a female student. The FBI was notified, didn’t investigate, and declined to comment publicly. Kavanaugh also declined to answer questions about Steir’s assertions.

With all of the above being said – whether you believe Kavanaugh committed these acts of sexual misconduct or not – it’s important to realize the alarming precedent this ongoing situation has set. It’s a bad reflection of the culture within U.S. politics and fails to show competency inside our nation’s highest offices, setting the stage for future generations of politicians to abide under the same culture.

What’s even more disturbing about this issue is that it transcends politics and bleeds into other arenas. Two recent examples from the world of sports are the actions of Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt and recent allegations against former New England Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown. 

Hunt, who led the NFL in rushing during the 2017 season, was cut by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2018 after video surfaced of the 24-year-old shoving and kicking a woman inside a hotel lobby. Despite the footage and Hunt being suspended for the first eight games of 2019, the Cleveland Browns signed Hunt last February.

In a separate incident involving a professional football athlete, All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown was hit with sexual assault allegations. Brown’s former personal trainer  Britney Taylor accused him of rape, stating he assaulted her on three separate occasions. Brown – who’d been released by the Oakland Raiders and then signed by the New England Patriots mere hours later – was soon cut by the Patriots after text messages leaked showing he’d threatened a female artist who accused Brown of making unwanted sexual advances.

At the end of the day – in each of the Kavanaugh, Hunt, and Brown situations – the issue of athletes and politicians not taking appropriate accountability is kept alive. Simply put, those with the power to influence others as role models must behave better. 

In knowing this, as college students here at Santa Monica College – some of whom are soon-to-be politicians, athletes and in other admirable careers –  we need to also hold each other accountable for our actions. We’re the ones who can change the toxic culture that currently exists within important fields such as politics and athletics. By maintaining responsibility and fighting to create positive change together, we’ll lessen instances of losing accountability and make tomorrow’s world a better place than the one we live in today.