Teen girls pen open letter supporting Kavanaugh accuser: We imagine you at that party and ‘see ourselves’

Three 15-year-old girls in Idaho have penned an open letter supporting Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when the two were teenagers.

The letter, created Wednesday by teenagers who identify themselves as Layla, Charlotte and Jessica, is being driven by Change.org, a website that allows people to start and sign petitions that “call for social change.” 

The petition, which has a goal of 1,000 signatures, had reached 723 signatures by Thursday afternoon.

{mosads}In their letter, the three teens commend Ford for going public this week with her allegations. Ford has accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her at a party when the two were in high school in the 1980s. Ford originally made the accusations anonymously, but identified herself Sunday in The Washington Post after her accusation was brought to light.

“We are fifteen-year-old girls. Fifteen,” the teenagers wrote. “The same age you were when seventeen-year-old Brett Kavanaugh assaulted you, when he put his hand over your mouth so no one could hear you scream.”

“We imagine you at that party, so young and vivacious, with your whole life ahead of you, and we see ourselves,” the letter continues. “Our hearts break for the fifteen-year-old girl who walked in, and how different that girl was who walked out. We feel connected to the 15-year-old girl still living inside of you, and are outraged by the seventeen-year-old boy still living inside of him.” 

The teenagers wrote that Ford’s decision to speak out was “powerful” and said they couldn’t trust Kavanaugh “to make decisions that will impact girls.”

“We realize the effects of what happened are impacting him as it has impacted you, only he has not been living with the consequences. He denies it ever happened.”

“We know the possibility of Kavanaugh being in a powerful position has made it necessary to speak up, yet we haven’t heard if you will testify on Monday,” the girls wrote. “We know how scary that must feel—and we know you are probably tired of people feeling things for you. We hope you will take this chance to make your voice heard, to speak on your own terms, in your own way.” 

“Now is a courageous time and a brave time, too, to finally let your voice be heard. Telling your truth will get us one step closer to the world we want to live into; one where seventeen-year-old boys are taught that it is not ok to exploit girls and that fifteen-year-old girls know their bodies are their own,” the letter continued. 

“You are strong and the fifteen-year-old girl in you is strong. We are with you and so is everyone who signs this letter,” the teens added.

Kelly Miller, the executive director of the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence, told The Hill that the teens, who are also activists with the Idaho Coalition, decided to pen the letter because they felt the “voices of 15-year-olds and the impact of sexual assault on adolescents” were being “lost in the national conversation.”

Layla, one of the teens behind the letter, said she hopes the letter will “inspire young women to tell their stories no matter how long it’s been or if they fear the person’s position — we want them to have the courage to come forward and tell their truth.”

GOP lawmakers have pushed this week for Ford to appear before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Monday to review her allegations. But Ford, through her lawyer, has said she will not testify until the FBI investigates her allegations of sexual assault against Kavanaugh.

The FBI has not opened a criminal investigation, saying the allegation does not involve a federal crime. The White House has not directed the FBI to reopen Kavanaugh’s background investigation, despite calls from Democrats.

Kavanaugh has denied Ford’s allegations.

President Trump has also defended Kavanaugh following Ford’s allegations, saying on Tuesday that there are “few people that I’ve ever seen, that I’ve ever known … have been so outstanding as Judge Kavanaugh.”

The president also said he doesn’t think the FBI should be involved in the case “because they don’t want to be involved.”

Democratic lawmakers have slammed Republican colleagues in the wake of the allegations against Kavanaugh. Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono (Hawaii) on Wednesday slammed the party over its handling of the case. 

In an interview with ABC News, Hirono said Republicans’ claims that they have done everything they can to reach out to Ford “bullshit.”  

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) also said this week that Ford should not be “bullied” into testifying Monday without an FBI investigation.

The teens said that they hope Ford will be able to “share her story on her terms and everyone should respect it.”

“She shouldn’t have to do anything she doesn’t feel comfortable with—but her speaking her own truth is important,” they added in the statement.