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On Heroism

People are often punished for bravery.

That's especially clear on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; MLK was murdered for having challenged an evil system.

When rituals are entrenched, there is a wish to keep quiet. "Sure, this isn't ideal, but rocking the boat is so obnoxious. Just accept things as they are." You see that in the movie "Spotlight," and in other pieces about the Catholic Church. (In the midst of allegations, one Church official actually said, "It's better that seven victims suffer quietly than seven million believers lose their faith.")

Today, on MLK Day, I'm remembering a hero who spoke up recently, and who was punished in ugly and predictable ways.

That person is Christine Blasey Ford.

A detail people don't dwell on--a detail that seems especially chilling to me--is what "Mark and Brett" did immediately *before* the attack. They turned the music up. They wanted to drown out any screams.

They pinned the young woman to a bed. They covered her mouth. They ran their hands over her body. They piled on top of her and "grind-ed" into her. (She feared suffocation.) They attempted to remove her clothing.

After Ford testified, her father--her own father!--called Kavanaugh's father to say, "Congratulations to your son, for securing his seat on the Supreme Court!" (Imagine that. People hate when the boat is rocked.) 

I remain awed and inspired by Ford's courage; it seems one of the greatest gifts this country has received, from anyone, in any form, in the last few years.

Happy MLK Day.
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