This is what Kavanaugh should answer

Don’t say that my suggestion for what the candidate Supreme Court Judge should say is too long an answer. He likes long answers. I suggest the following.

I have categorically stated that I didn’t do anything of the sexual violations that I’m accused of. I want to be more precise.

Protection and Honor for Accusers

In the recent year, we learned the great difficulty and the value of women and minors coming forward with sexual abuse allegations. That fact that now I’m accused doesn’t make me detract from this principle.

Alleged victims of sexual violence must be supported to tell their stories. To come forward is painful enough which should not be aggravated by voicing disbelief, counter-accusations or harsh interrogations.

While people accused are innocent until found guilty, accusers still deserve initial blanket respect and support.

That my first accuser has been threatened does not only sadden me – it infuriates me. How dare people threaten her?! These intimidations must be investigated and the perpetrators should face the courts!

Respect for accusers is ever more demanded when the accuser is a widely respectable member of society, as in the case of my two present accusers.

NB: We must even make sure we grant esteem and safety to accusers who are “less respectable,” as some “high-class” sexual abusers especially go after the socially weak so that when accusations surface, they won’t be believed so easily.

Four Types of Men

Not to get lost in he/she’s, I’ll restrict myself to talk about the majority of sexual predators, men, although there are also sexually abusive women, whose abuse may not be less painful, though they are less likely to kill.

1. There are men who are serial sexual predators. They are dangerous around women, girls, boys or men – or combinations – and they should be reported and receive life in jail without any possibility of parole. Having such people walk around freely is too costly to our society.

2. Then there are men who are even more sneaky and despicable since they combine being supposedly saintly with their habit to hurt others sexually. To mind comes this sport’s coach who from his own money erected an orphanage and gave the most talented boys a chance to excel in sports. This all to get the image of a saint while selecting boys he would molest. They too should sit in jail without a possibility of parole.

3. Then there are men who may have sexually violated others one or a few times. They are not addicted to the thrill of violating someone. They should pay penalty to victim and society and after that reintegrate to be valuable members of society.

4. Last but not least, are the men who will never be accused or convicted of sexual misconduct for the simple reason that they never abused anyone. Their numbers are often overlooked in the media and in our minds.

The whole dispute around my youthful conduct has been if I belong to 3. or 4. Let me address this.

My Accusations

I’ve been accused of having acted outside of character, a few times, many decades ago. I’ve not been accused of being a serial sex offender.

The accusations against me fall now outside of the statute of limitations. That doesn’t absolve us from convicting such alleged behavior.

What I’m accused of is, until today, not unheard of among university students but it’s wholly unacceptable. Prevalence does not lend consent.

May the accusations against me, first of all, be a warning to all present-day students that is you don’t want to hurt others and if you don’t want to be haunted later in life by such allegations, make then sure that your sexual conduct is impeccable, also when you’re “only” a youngster.

Being drunk is no accuse. Who allowed you to be drunk but you?!

I have denied the accusations but it’s also stated that I was dead drunk. That would be a good explanation for me not remembering, so my denial doesn’t mean it didn’t happen or I lied. Let me for arguments’ sake say that I did as alleged. Should that disqualify me?

I want to say that, though I was never prosecuted or convicted, if I acted as accused, I did rehabilitate myself all my professional life. As I’ve detailed in the hearings, I have liberally beyond any call of duty, supported women around the courts. I’ve been a practical advocate for women and their careers all my working life, which I will stay.

While the accusations are serious and deserve regret, it’s a bit late for a conviction, but I’ve proven for decades that I’m not a threat but rather a source of support for all women around me.

I do no longer reject the accusations. If I did do any of them, I regret them and I’m humbled by them. But still, I want to say that I’ve proven to be beyond such conduct since then and safe and generous towards women. Therefore I think that I qualify for the job of Chief Justice.

About the Author

MM is a prolific and creative writer and thinker, previously a daily blog contributor to the TOI. He often makes his readers laugh, mad, or assume he's nuts—close to perfect blogging. He's proud that his analytical short comments are removed both from left-wing and right-wing news sites. None of his content is generated by the new bore on the block, AI. * As a frontier thinker, he sees things many don't yet. He's half a prophet. Half. Let's not exaggerate. Or not at all because he doesn't claim G^d talks to him. He gives him good ideas—that's all. MM doesn't believe that people observe and think in a vacuum. He, therefore, wanted a broad bio that readers interested can track a bit what (lack of) backgrounds, experiences, and educations contribute to his visions. * This year, he will prioritize getting his unpublished books published rather than just blog posts. Next year, he hopes to focus on activism against human extinction. To find less-recent posts on a subject XXX among his over 2000 archived ones, go to the right-top corner of a Times of Israel page, click on the search icon and search "zuiden, XXX". One can find a second, wilder blog, to which one may subscribe too, here: https://mmvanzuiden.wordpress.com/ or by clicking on the globe icon next to his picture on top. * Like most of his readers, he believes in being friendly, respectful, and loyal. However, if you think those are his absolute top priorities, you might end up disappointed. His first loyalty is to the truth. He will try to stay within the limits of democratic and Jewish law, but he won't lie to support opinions or people when don't deserve that. (Yet, we all make honest mistakes, which is just fine and does not justify losing support.) He admits that he sometimes exaggerates to make a point, which could have him come across as nasty, while in actuality, he's quite a lovely person to interact with. He holds - how Dutch - that a strong opinion doesn't imply intolerance of other views. * Sometimes he's misunderstood because his wide and diverse field of vision seldomly fits any specialist's box. But that's exactly what some love about him. He has written a lot about Psychology (including Sexuality and Abuse), Medicine (including physical immortality), Science (including basic statistics), Politics (Israel, the US, and the Netherlands, Activism - more than leftwing or rightwing, he hopes to highlight reality), Oppression and Liberation (intersectionally, for young people, the elderly, non-Whites, women, workers, Jews, LGBTQIA+, foreigners and anyone else who's dehumanized or exploited), Integrity, Philosophy, Jews (Judaism, Zionism, Holocaust and Jewish Liberation), the Climate Crisis, Ecology and Veganism, Affairs from the news, or the Torah Portion of the Week, or new insights that suddenly befell him. * Chronologically, his most influential teachers are his parents, Nico (natan) van Zuiden and Betty (beisye) Nieweg, Wim Kan, Mozart, Harvey Jackins, Marshal Rosenberg, Reb Shlomo Carlebach, and, lehavdil bein chayim lechayim, Rabbi Dr. Natan Lopes Cardozo, Rav Zev Leff, and Rav Meir Lubin. This short list doesn't mean to disrespect others who taught him a lot or a little. One of his rabbis calls him Mr. Innovation [Ish haChidushim]. Yet, his originalities seem to root deeply in traditional Judaism, though they may grow in unexpected directions. In fact, he claims he's modernizing nothing. Rather, mainly basing himself on the basic Hebrew Torah text, he tries to rediscover classical Jewish thought almost lost in thousands of years of stifling Gentile domination and Jewish assimilation. (He pleads for a close reading of the Torah instead of going by rough assumptions of what it would probably mean and before fleeing to Commentaries.) This, in all aspects of life, but prominently in the areas of Free Will, Activism, Homosexuality for men, and Redemption. * He hopes that his words will inspire and inform, and disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed. He aims to bring a fresh perspective rather than harp on the obvious and familiar. When he can, he loves to write encyclopedic overviews. He doesn't expect his readers to agree. Rather, original minds should be disputed. In short, his main political positions are among others: anti-Trumpism, for Zionism, Intersectionality, non-violence, anti those who abuse democratic liberties, anti the fake ME peace process, for original-Orthodoxy, pro-Science, pro-Free Will, anti-blaming-the-victim, and for down-to-earth, classical optimism, and happiness. Read his blog on how he attempts to bridge any tensions between those ideas or fields. * He is a fetal survivor of the pharmaceutical industry (https://diethylstilbestrol.co.uk/studies/des-and-psychological-health/), born in 1953 to his parents who were Dutch-Jewish Holocaust survivors who met in the largest concentration camp in the Netherlands, Westerbork. He grew up a humble listener. It took him decades to become a speaker too, and decades more to admit to being a genius. But his humility was his to keep. And so was his honesty. Bullies and con artists almost instantaneously envy and hate him. He hopes to bring new things and not just preach to the choir. * He holds a BA in medicine (University of Amsterdam) – is half a doctor. He practices Re-evaluation Co-counseling since 1977, is not an official teacher anymore, and became a friendly, powerful therapist. He became a social activist, became religious, made Aliyah, and raised three wonderful kids. Previously, for decades, he was known to the Jerusalem Post readers as a frequent letter writer. For a couple of years, he was active in hasbara to the Dutch-speaking public. He wrote an unpublished tome about Jewish Free Will. He's a strict vegan since 2008. He's an Orthodox Jew but not a rabbi. * His writing has been made possible by an allowance for second-generation Holocaust survivors from the Netherlands. It has been his dream since he was 38 to try to make a difference by teaching through writing. He had three times 9-out-of-10 for Dutch at his high school finals but is spending his days communicating in English and Hebrew - how ironic. G-d must have a fine sense of humor. In case you wonder - yes, he is a bit dyslectic. If you're a native English speaker and wonder why you should read from people whose English is only their second language, consider the advantage of having an original peek outside of your cultural bubble. * To send any personal reaction to him, scroll to the top of the blog post and click Contact Me. * His newest books you may find here: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AMoshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&s=relevancerank&text=Moshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1