On October 6, Brett Kavanaugh was officially sworn in as a Supreme Court justice with a vote of 50-48, after facing enormous backlash following accusations of sexual assault. Now, an alleged rapist holds power in the Supreme Court. The Colt staff believes that Brett Kavanaugh should not only never have been allowed to become a Justice of the Supreme Court, but should be held far more responsible for his actions.

When the news first broke that Kavanaugh had been accused of sexual assault during his confirmation process, the outrage that the public responded with was impossible to miss. It is not only a massive disappointment, but an embarrassment to this country to have him be a Justice of the Supreme Court. Those who voted for him should feel extremely ashamed of themselves for allowing a person as revolting as him to obtain that kind of power. It is utterly nauseating to watch this man be rewarded even after multiple women have shared their stories detailing accounts of assault via Kavanaugh himself.

Kavanaugh has no business being a lifelong judge for the highest court in the nation. The decision is a mistake that has been made too many times. Our generation has been shown a crude justice system. To young girls growing up, situations like this are the future. No matter what is said, women will continue to be mocked and treated unequally. Boys will turn into men, who will continue to slide every accusation under the rug.

The mess that was Kavanaugh’s trial should have led to him not being confirmed in the first place, for matters almost entirely separate from the sexual assault allegations. While justice for the victims is necessary, the way that Kavanaugh presented himself during the trial was entirely inappropriate for someone who will be presiding over our courts potentially for the rest of his life. Kavanaugh frequently showed anger towards fellow justices and started the hearing with a rant. It is hard to understand why the Republican party would want to keep pushing Kavanaugh, even though he’s only one from a list of many who, according to the Federalist Society, would all be equally a good choice for senate judiciary. Kavanaugh’s attitude during the hearing should have been enough to switch him out for another candidate. If it was left up to the general public to vote, then there is a high chance he would not have been confirmed, which leads one to believe that there is a flaw in the nomination and election system. The court is supposed to represent the enforcement of the law, and the law is supposed to represent the people.

Thanks to the endless access the internet provides, our generation is more involved in politics than any generation before. We have the ability to directly impact the way that information is distributed and how the government is structured. Hopefully, the outrage over Kavanaugh might actually spur on young people to get involved in the process of influencing who is in charge of our government and helping to make a real impact on structural policies that are far too outdated for our more progressive future.