Sue Gibson
Jefferson City
Dear Editor:
For two weeks, a group of us have demonstrated downtown on Fridays; expressing our fear, anxiety and feelings of vulnerability heightened by the accusations against Brett Kavanaugh, his aggressive intemperate response, and the unflinching support given him by elected officials who are supposed to represent us. We feel that we have the right to expect public officials like Cole County Commissioner Sam Bushman, Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley, and U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt to believe and protect us from abuse and harassment. Instead, they have betrayed us.
This week, we visited with Sam Bushman and asked for a public apology for his having signed a letter stating that there was no aspect of Kavanaugh’s character that should have prevented his confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court. Character matters to honorable people; it’s shameful that it isn’t a qualification or even a consideration in the minds of privileged white men in power.
Sam Bushman listened to us explain what life is like for vulnerable people when men who attack and harass are not held accountable. His response was to deflect and excuse his statement devaluing character and to be dismissive of our feelings and the dangerous world we inhabit, which is quite different than the world inhabited by powerful white men.
We left Sam Bushman’s office feeling that he has no empathy for our experiences and perspective. In short, we feel taxed without representation. Our demand is that Cole County Commissioner Sam Bushman, Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt and other elected officials begin to listen to those of us who have experienced abuse, wake up to our reality, stop protecting abusers, and prioritize our safety and inclusion.