A question for Brett Kavanaugh: who gets a second chance? | Arwa Mahdawi

Who gets a second chance?

Let me tell you a tale of two Bretts. The first is supreme court justice Brett Kavanaugh. In 2018 Kavanaugh was credibly accused of committing sexual assault when he was a 17-year-old; a culture war promptly broke out. Liberals largely argued that the accusations should preclude Kavanaugh from a lifetime appointment on the supreme court. The right, meanwhile, cried “cancel culture”. Even if Kavanaugh was guilty of what he was being accused of, they argued, what you did as a teenager shouldn’t ruin the rest of your life.

“I do not understand why the loutish, drunken behavior of a 17-year-old, for example. “I am not the same person I was at 17. This is a terrible standard to establish in public life.”