Justice should not have an expiration date

In the aftermath of Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation, many questions are being posed. How will such a conservative judge affect the balance and integrity of the highest court in the land? How should the media cover events like this? Should the mistakes someone makes as a teenager follow them throughout their life? The writers of The Samohi tried to pose answers to those sizable questions.In light of the recent trial and subsequent confirmation of Supreme Court Judge Brett Kavanaugh, a nation-wide debate has sparked over the validity of the allegations made against him and whether actions made decades ago should impact his life as a Supreme Court Nominee. Many on the right argue that if the allegations are correct, it was still a blunder made in high school, and we should not track this one mistake all his life. This argument is incorrect.Those who support his confirmation often argue that Kavanaugh was only a child when these events took place, and he should not be judged in his adulthood. The fact that he was a child, however, only adds to the horror of his actions. The idea that a teenager would have already become this morally repugnant can only serve to show what kind of a person he has grown into. People should be judged for actions committed in their adolescence, if they are of this magnitude. It does not facilitate an environment of fear, as some claim, in the minds of young men, because in most cases this is not an issue. God forbid we teach young men that there are serious repercussions to sexual misconduct. However, there is something to be said for progress towards a world with more accountability. At the time of the assault, there was little use of documentation of everyday life. Rather than today's world, in which constant social media and pictures document nearly everything, there were very few records. With such a lack of substantial evidence when allegations were made, there were few cases where the offender faced punishment. Because of this lack of accountability, it taught young men that they basically had legal immunity.Nowadays, social media is a large part of almost every younger person’s life. It would be difficult to go a day without appearing in some form of social media post in the background, or leaving a mark that could be traced back. Because of this, there is much more evidence when an assault occurs, but this is far from the solution. Regardless of the overflow of information, the statistics are still disheartening. According to a study from the RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network) Organization covering data from 2005-2010, out of 1,000 rapes, only six rapists will be incarcerated. This abysmally low number has no one root cause, but rather is caused by a combination of deep-rooted sexism and a (justified) lack of faith that the authorities would help, causing many women to not report the assault in the first place.With the #metoo movement, more and more sexual offenders are being exposed. Many say that it’s a scary time for men, with so many facing punishment. We have witnessed several household names become social pariahs after their actions were made public, like Louis C.K. and Bill Cosby. A common belief refuting the #metoo movement is the claim that good, honest men will fall prey to false claims of sexual misconduct and be seen as guilty without proper course of law. However, according to a number of studies made by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) over the last two decades, the percent of completely fabricated accusations is a measly 4 to 5 percent. It is not a scary time for men. It is a scary time for sexual offenders. Men who live honest, respectful lives have no reason to be afraid. And thats why so many powerful men are.What is the solution? As with a number of problems, the solution resides in education. In their youth, students should be taught an emphasis on empathy and sympathy, two of humanities’ greatest traits. Core morals are all it takes, even in a small degree, to keep these horrendous acts from occurring, then going unnoticed. With proper education and a trust that the victim is usually correct, the United States can see to it that another Kavanaugh does not make it to the highest honor a judge can attain.