Trump, Ford and Kavanaugh

One catalyst for this blog even being around during the period I seriously wondered if I actually needed it was the need to have somewhere to talk about trends in current affairs that didn't belong on the other blogs.
It's hard to get into a warm fuzzly little girl feeling while there's grown up stuff around war, politics and gender discourse going on all around you.
Anyway the whole business around Brett Kavanaugh while still subject to FBI investigation does give me some cause for concern.
One difference between the UK and the US is the Head of State in the UK doesn't appoint representatives to the Supreme Court nor does a serving Prime Minister appointments being made by a non political panel and judges not being aligned to one political party.
This means such appointments rarely cause political controversy of themselves and the appointee is seen to be above  politics without stopping discussion of views on topical issues being stifled.
Brett's appointment in the context of the U.S. system was therefore likely to prove controversial for being seen as the Presidents choice AND their conservative views around such staples as Abortion in what was a finally balanced chamber.
In that context the party whose President was in office  was always likely to have their candidates background looked deeply into and that typically would involve their own lives.
The allegations of  Professor Christine Blasey Ford and Deborah Ramirez of attempted sexual assault and of indecent exposure in that context were always likely to surface as were accusations of lying about drinking all around the period he was in his teens and in university.
All three may be true - I don't profess to know one way or the other - and do tell tell us something about Brett's character  but the question one has to ask here is: in the long intervening years has he changed?
How many of us did things that were unacceptable in our teens that no one involved at the time acted upon either through law or the disciplinary systems of schools, colleges and universities?
A good number I suspect and the bigger question is have they learnt anything from from that and have been clear of such behaviours in adult life since?
If these acts were part of a pattern that still are part of Brett's life there would be good reason to consider if he should stand for Supreme Court and be appointed but if not one cannot put them in that tiny list of things that no matter how long back ought to be investigated such as the abuse of a minor by a adult.
Remember accused and accusers were all in their teens and early twenties at the time.
The Donald's public ridicule of Ford's testimony while this investigation is ongoing is something that concerns me as a former part of the prosecution process quite seriously.
In order for an investigation to be fair AND seen as such, all parties need to keep their comments within that and no politicians attempt to sway opinion in advance of that not least if there is any possibility of a trial.
The failure to can lead to a situation for the accuser not be seen to get a fair trial and for the whole business to become politicized.
That is never acceptable. The politicians set the law complete with guidelines and THEN  leave the running to the justice system.
Donald Trump may have a point when he suggests some have an issue with men plus may have a anti-male agenda and it is possible raising such matters may have an element of political opportunism but the interests of justice are not served by such outspoken behaviour during the investigation, Ever.

Toy ad rules - some thoughts

One thing that's been in the news here are new regulations governing gender stereotyping in advertising be it in print, on tv or online which have brought many varied responses from people.
Most of us can agree some of of these stereotypes such as mom at home, dad at work or dad does things for himself, mom cooks and runs the house are out of date, do promote less co-operative ideas about how males and females can get on productively and so shouldn't be pushed to children still forming their own ideas.
There are still some situations though where certain scenes generally won't happen.

That whole necessary conversation between daughter and mom as they play would never be the same even if we had dad playing with dolls with her so should a ad like this from nineteen sixty-five be banned or totally degendered if someone came up with something similar?
Equally is there anything wrong in itself with an ad showing a boy engrossed repairing a bike with dad or an uncle where often there's more going on than fixing the bike, like fixing how to be the best boy and in time being the best adult male he can?
I'm totally for gender neutral play and fighting the tyranny of pink and blue but this kind of relating actual aids kids form relationships and make good connections with adults that help move them on in time toward maturity.