Before Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court, I worked with my classmate, Samantha Todd, to get students’ thoughts on the hearings, sexual misconduct allegations and FBI investigations that surrounded this moment in history.
While live tweeting, we used the hashtag #QuestionsOnKavanaugh. We believe that the hashtag has two benefits. One, it is short and has sound repetition with the first and last word, making it easier to remember. Two, it quite literally describes the event, as we were asking students our “Questions on Kavanaugh.”
We gathered opinions on the basis of three questions. First, we connected Kavanaugh’s political history to the controversy surrounding further FBI investigation into his life.
The question read: “The FBI is looking into the sexual misconduct allegations against Judge Brett Kavanaugh. The White House has authorized the FBI to interview anyone the FBI thinks is necessary. Kavanaugh served in the George W. Bush White House. Over the course of his career in the federal government, Kavanaugh has undergone six background checks. The FBI has previously done a background check on him as part of the White House’s review process of vetting him for the Supreme Court. Do you think it’s necessary for the FBI to investigate Kavanaugh again? Why or why not?”
We asked this question, in large part, to add context to the debate. I’m unashamed, even as a journalism major, to admit that I knew little about Kavanaugh’s past before the U.S. Senate hearings. We did not want to assume that students knew everything there was to know about the judge before going into this discussion. Whether or not Kavanaugh should undergo another FBI investigation was a major question leading up to his confirmation. Therefore, we wanted to know what students thought about it.
The four students interviewed all agreed that the FBI should proceed with another check into Kavanaugh’s past. Students said, if the FBI did not investigate, they would be less trusting of Kavanaugh.
“I think it would be very reassuring for the country if another investigation was launched,” said Liam, a sophomore public relations major.
We followed that question by asking, “Do you think Kavanaugh should be nominated to the Supreme Court. Why or why not?”
We asked this question because, after providing context, we wanted to give students an opportunity to take part in the dialogue or the central question. Three out of four of the students seemed to agree that, in that question, there were many aspects to consider. Ultimately, they said, the findings of the Senate and FBI would determine their answer.
Veronica, a senior creative writing major, expressed her mixed feelings on the topic. “How do I have faith in a justice system if I don’t trust one of the highest powers,” she said. “But, at the same time, if he’s innocent, then I feel bad.”
Thomas, a junior history major, said Kavanaugh should not be confirmed because, in the wake of these allegations, Kavanaugh’s credibility is damaged in the eyes of many Americans. He explained that Kavanaugh’s confirmation would, in turn, change the way people view the Supreme Court for the worse.
Lastly, we asked students if they believed the Senate would proceed with Kavanaugh’s confirmation. We ask this because we wanted students to look ahead to the future, take all the components we talked about and reach a final conclusion.
Again, three of the four interviewees said the Senate was likely to push Kavanaugh through, as he had both Trump and Republican Party backing.
Even though Kavanaugh is now officially a justice of the Supreme Court, his confirmation is meeting continual backlash. I regularly see pictures of protesters’ signs on social media as they display their discontent around D.C.
Our interviews provided a sample of beliefs on the issue in an attempt to make sense of this contentious time.
Julie's Corner 