After seeing the Republican Party rally around misogynists like President Donald Trump, child molesters like Roy Moore and now alleged sexual predator Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, it’s never been more obvious that the GOP is full of a bunch of rape apologists.
Over the last several days, we’ve seen the president and several prominent Republicans attack Kavanaugh’s accusers, using ridiculous arguments to protect their coveted Supreme Court seat. One of the most pervasive and offensive arguments the GOP has been using in its defense of Kavanaugh is the idea that Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and the other accusers have faulty memories of their incidents — despite all the evidence we have about how the brain processes and remembers traumatic events. Fortunately, psychiatrists aren’t standing for this and are coming forward to blow the lid off these harmful misconceptions.
Earlier today, Dr. Richard Friedman, a professor of clinical psychiatry at the Weill Cornell Medical College, went on CNN to defend Ford and Kavanaugh’s other accusers, stating there is almost no chance in hell that Ford’s recollection of Kavanaugh assaulting her is inaccurate. During his interview with CNN’s Alisyn Camerota, Friedman explained that it is entirely possible to accurately remember a traumatic experience, even if it had happened decades ago. Friedman said:
So long as that memory is formed under intense emotion, they won’t forget it. We have different systems in the brain for different types of memory. If you have an experience which is emotionally upsetting, like an assault or a sexual attack, you’re not going to forget it, because what happens is you have a ‘fight-or-flight’ response, you get a surge in stress hormones… and under that influence, the brain retains the memory with a vividness and persistence which is unlike other memories.”
Friedman also backed Ford up further, stating that her testimony was right in line with what other victims of sexual assault have displayed. He said:
I thought it was completely legitimate and credible because she never forgot it.”
And as if speaking to Kavanaugh and his defenders directly, Friedman added that it was highly improbable that Ford thought Kavanaugh was someone else.
Thank goodness. It’s about time someone shut down the GOP’s lies and stood behind these brave women. You can watch the segment below:
Featured image via screen capture
