Back in September, thousands of Americans were calling current Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh unfit to serve, following the accusations of sexual assault by Christine Blasey Ford. Ford is a psychology professor at Palo Alto University and a researcher at Stanford University, making her a credible source. Kavanaugh was deemed fit by the committee to serve and is currently sitting on the highest court bench in the country.
In Virginia, Gov. Ralph Northam (Dem.) is now in question. He was pictured wearing blackface for a party when he was in medical school. Next in line for governor is Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax (Dem.). Fairfax was accused of sexual assault. Third in line would be Attorney General Mark Herring (Dem.) who also admitted to wearing blackface at a college party.
When first brought up, Northam denied it was him in the yearbook picture, yet later claimed that he wore black tar on his face to dress up as Michael Jackson for a dance contest. Northam’s actions should not have been excused in 1984, and it should not be tolerated in today’s culture, especially when leading a state that was victim to white supremacist and neo-Nazi rallies in the not-so-recent past. Many are calling for his resignation.
Fairfax appears as an acceptable replacement for the Democrats in Virginia and was seen as the future of the party in the state, until two women brought forth allegations of sexual assault and rape. The first allegation came out last week when Vanessa Tyson accused Fairfax of forcing her to commit an act of oral sex prior to the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Tyson works at Stanford University as a research fellow.
The second allegation came this week from Meredith Watson, a classmate of Fairfax at Duke. Watson accused the lieutenant governor of raping her in 2000 and filed a restraining order in 2008. Both accusers are are willing to testify in court. Many are also calling for his resignation before steps toward a trial need to be made.
Mark Herring admitted to wearing blackface in 1980 as a 19-year-old college student. He claimed that he blackened his face with friends to dress up as rappers for a party. He claimed full responsibility for his ignorant actions, yet many are calling for his resignation.
Articles of impeachment have begun for all three, as none seem expected to resign any time soon. Fourth in line for the Commonwealth’s governorship is Kirk Cox (Rep.), the speaker of the House of Delegates. Should all three resign for their actions, Cox would assume the role of governor and flip the control of the Virginian executive mansion.
While democrats would prefer not to have a Republican in office, it is better than having a racist or a rapist governing the Commonwealth. There should be a no-tolerance policy put in place for all elected leaders. Should all three step down or be sacked, the Virginia Governorship should set a precedent for higher offices in the US, showing no tolerance for racist and misogynistic views. Racism and sexual assault were never acceptable then, and they absolutely should not be tolerated today.
By Matthew Villanueva, Contributing Writer
villanjv18@bonaventure.edu
