Destroying a Man’s Life

 

What is the value of a man’s soul? What is the worth of a man’s reputation? Most of us would say that both are priceless: the first is a gift from G-d, the second created by the toil and sweat of the person who lives a productive and honorable life.

But the Left believes the destruction of a reputation and soul is inconsequential if they determine the cause is just.

And thus they have decided to sacrifice Brett Kavanaugh.

Judge Kavanaugh was a man who had worked as a public servant most of his life, dedicating his efforts to being of service to others. His spotless character elicited sneers from the Left, which called him a choir boy. His years of coaching girls, nurturing not only male but female friendships, and hiring women to work for him were meaningless in the face of the Left’s desire to fatally malign him. This entire disgusting display by the Left shows how deeply the secular has poisoned our society.

Dennis Prager was quoted as saying the following about our good and bad deeds:

Every one of us has a moral bank account. Our good deeds are deposits, and our bad deeds are withdrawals. We therefore assess a person the same way we assess our bank account. If our good actions outweigh our bad actions, we are morally in the black; if our bad actions greatly outweigh our good actions, we are morally in the red.

By all accounts — literally all — Brett Kavanaugh’s moral bank account is way in the black. He has led a life of decency, integrity, commitment to family and commitment to community few Americans can match. On these grounds alone, the charges against him as a teenager should be ignored.

And yet the Left says his reputation is worthless.

The Bible teaches that destroying a man’s reputation is as bad as killing or stealing or lying: we kill a man’s soul when we degrade him; we steal his credibility and honor when we promote unsubstantiated slurs; we create a living hell for him when he is forced to live in a culture that lies about him and his contributions to society.

Brett Kavanaugh is not the only one whose reputation is damaged. His wife, Ashley, his two daughters, Margaret and Liza, are wounded, perhaps irreparably; his parents are devastated by the vitriol and slurs against him; his colleagues, friends—in fact anyone whose life has touched his life have been dirtied and wounded. Every person in the media, every Senator who has not promised to support him against this travesty, every human being who not only condemned him before he originally testified to the committee, but in the face of the absence of facts are not persuaded that he has been unfairly judged on the sexual assault of Christine Ford, have committed not only a terrible injustice, but will carry the sin of their behavior for the rest of their lives. For any of them who may be religious, they have sinned against Kavanaugh and his family and against G-d Himself. And there is no making amends.

I found this story that I believe speaks volumes to where we find ourselves as a nation in how we have allowed the Left to destroy Brett Kavanaugh:

A Chassidic tale vividly illustrates the danger of improper speech: A man went about the community telling malicious lies about the rabbi. Later, he realized the wrong he had done, and began to feel remorse. He went to the rabbi and begged his forgiveness, saying he would do anything he could to make amends. The rabbi told the man, ‘Take a feather pillow, cut it open, and scatter the feathers to the winds.’ The man thought this was a strange request, but it was a simple enough task, and he did it gladly. When he returned to tell the rabbi that he had done it, the rabbi said, ‘Now, go and gather the feathers. Because you can no more make amends for the damage your words have done than you can recollect the feathers.’

Where will we find the Constitutional traditionalists who are willing to risk having their lives destroyed?

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  1. Seawriter Contributor
    Seawriter
    @Seawriter

    Good name in man and woman, dear my lord,
    Is the immediate jewel of their souls.
    Who steals my purse steals trash; ’tis something, nothing;
    ‘Twas mine, ’tis his, and has been slave to thousands;
    But he that filches from me my good name
    Robs me of that which not enriches him,
    And makes me poor indeed.

    Othello Act 3, Scene 3

    • #1
  2. Jon1979 Inactive
    Jon1979
    @Jon1979

    When progressive politics is your religion, you see no problem in destroying the heretics, especially those potentially ascending to positions of power. To the left, any collateral damage Kavanaugh’s wife, children or other family members suffer is inconsequential (and the angriest on the left can actually work themselves into enough of a lather to think they deserve it just for being Brett Kavanaugh’s wife, children and family — we’ve seen that play out for a century now when the angry left gains power, when not only the Enemy of the State, but his family members are also eliminated to pay the price for his or her sins and as a warning to others not to follow their lead).

    • #2
  3. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Seawriter (View Comment):

    Good name in man and woman, dear my lord,
    Is the immediate jewel of their souls.
    Who steals my purse steals trash; ’tis something, nothing;
    ‘Twas mine, ’tis his, and has been slave to thousands;
    But he that filches from me my good name
    Robs me of that which not enriches him,
    And makes me poor indeed.

    Othello Act 3, Scene 3

    Excellent, @seawriter. Said so much more poetically than I. All our material possessions are nothing when we lose our names. Thanks.

    • #3
  4. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Jon1979 (View Comment):

    When progressive politics is your religion, you see no problem in destroying the heretics, especially those potentially ascending to positions of power. To the left, any collateral damage Kavanaugh’s wife, children or other family members suffer is inconsequential (and the angriest on the left can actually work themselves into enough of a lather to think they deserve it just for being Brett Kavanaugh’s wife, children and family — we’ve seen that play out for a century now when the angry left gains power, when not only the Enemy of the State, but his family members are also eliminated to pay the price for his or her sins and as a warning to others not to follow their lead).

    So true, @jon1979. The selective compassion (and cognitive dissonance) of the Left is appalling. Anything goes when it comes to the Progressive dogma. The ugliness is awful. Thanks.

    • #4
  5. PHenry Inactive
    PHenry
    @PHenry

    When your core beliefs revolve around access to abortion, is one mans reputation really a concern?  The destruction of a good man is minor in comparison to the motive for doing so…

     

    • #5
  6. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    Susan Quinn: His wife, Ashley, his two daughters, Margaret and Liza, are wounded, perhaps irreparably; his parents are devastated by the vitriol and slurs against him; his colleagues, friends—in fact anyone whose life has touched his life have been dirtied and wounded.

    I saw there was a political cartoon using one of Kavanaugh’s daughters.  Absolutely shameless . . .

    • #6
  7. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    PHenry (View Comment):

    When your core beliefs revolve around access to abortion, is one mans reputation really a concern? The destruction of a good man is minor in comparison to the motive for doing so…

     

    That’s exactly right, @phenry. And tragic.

    • #7
  8. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Stad (View Comment):
    I saw there was a political cartoon using one of Kavanaugh’s daughters. Absolutely shameless . . .

    That makes me ill. I almost start to cry, too, when I think of his mother sitting behind him at the hearing, crying.

    • #8
  9. KentForrester Coolidge
    KentForrester
    @KentForrester

    Susan, that is a perfect story with which to end your post.  Absolutely perfect.

    You know what bothers me.  How come the country hasn’t risen up to denounce the big shot Democrats who have slandered and slimed Cavanaugh?  

    The famous question, “Have you no sense of decency?” from the McCarthy hearings, keeps coming to my mind.  The whole nation should be asking that question.

    • #9
  10. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    But Susan,

    We cannot stop them. We have to nobly suffer. That is all we can do. They are so evil and dirty, we can only win by playing along with them. Eventually, the ref will step in.

    • #10
  11. tigerlily Member
    tigerlily
    @tigerlily

    Excellent post Susan. You hit the core of the issue.

    • #11
  12. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Bryan G. Stephens (View Comment):

    But Susan,

    We cannot stop them. We have to nobly suffer. That is all we can do. They are so evil and dirty, we can only win by playing along with them. Eventually, the ref will step in.

    You can nobly suffer, Bryan! I. Will. Not! Take that! 

    • #12
  13. I. M. Fine Inactive
    I. M. Fine
    @IMFine

    “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!”

    —  John Proctor in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, upon (ultimately) refusing to make a written public declaration of the false accusation of witchcraft

    • #13
  14. Arthur Beare Member
    Arthur Beare
    @ArthurBeare

    KentForrester (View Comment):
    The famous question, “Have you no sense of decency?” from the McCarthy hearings, keeps coming to my mind. The whole nation should be asking that question.

    A lot of people are, but have no public forum.  Except the ballot box.  .  

    • #14
  15. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    I. M. Fine (View Comment):

    “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!”

    — John Proctor in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, upon (ultimately) refusing to make a written public declaration of the false accusation of witchcraft

    Wonderful, @imfine. I love seeing these quotes that speak to this travesty, this tarring of the man and his family. I hope others, as you and @seawriter have done, will share quotes that illustrate this situation. Thanks.

    • #15
  16. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    tigerlily (View Comment):

    Excellent post Susan. You hit the core of the issue.

    Thanks, @tigerlily. It just seemed like the condemnations were spot on, but they didn’t get underneath where the evil reasons lay. It finally came to me that all of this is not only ugly, but evil in a deeply religious and spiritual sense.

    • #16
  17. MarciN Member
    MarciN
    @MarciN

    Ms. Blasey-Ford is stuck in the past, to her detriment. She cannot change it. Furthermore, she cannot change anyone but herself. The cool thing about growing up is that it is liberating. You are finally the captain of your own ship, and people can’t hurt you. The downside of that, of course, is we are our own worst critics. But being better people is something we can achieve. Think Corrie ten Boom. It takes work, but the result is worth it.

    I think Kavanaugh nailed it when he said something bad had probably happened to her at some point, but he was not the author of that pain. His acknowledging that something is wrong with her is the most convincing thing to me in his innocence. If he were guilt ridden, he would not be able to step back and see what’s causing this problem in her.

     

    • #17
  18. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    MarciN (View Comment):
    What bothers me the most about Ms. Blasey-Ford is that her suffering should have strengthened her resolve to not hurt other people. Instead, it has made her a vengeful person who enjoys seeing people suffer. And, wow, she has been a whirlwind of punishment for everyone around her. And in her wrath, she is causing far more harm than was ever done to her. She doesn’t care who is hurt by her actions or how much suffering she causes.

    Wow, your whole comment is powerful, @marcin. I know there are some who are trying to examine Ford’s past, and I welcome their discoveries; they may shine a light on how puzzling her whole accusation is. Your analysis sounds very credible (oops, is that a bad word now??) I especially liked this segment of your comment. She has certainly done a whole boatload of damage, from which some people may never recover. Thanks.

    • #18
  19. MarciN Member
    MarciN
    @MarciN

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    MarciN (View Comment):
    What bothers me the most about Ms. Blasey-Ford is that her suffering should have strengthened her resolve to not hurt other people. Instead, it has made her a vengeful person who enjoys seeing people suffer. And, wow, she has been a whirlwind of punishment for everyone around her. And in her wrath, she is causing far more harm than was ever done to her. She doesn’t care who is hurt by her actions or how much suffering she causes.

    Wow, your whole comment is powerful, @marcin. I know there are some who are trying to examine Ford’s past, and I welcome their discoveries; they may shine a light on how puzzling her whole accusation is. Your analysis sounds very credible (oops, is that a bad word now??) I especially liked this segment of your comment. She has certainly done a whole boatload of damage, from which some people may never recover. Thanks.

    Oh, Susan, I reread it and realized it is purely speculation. I deleted most of what I wrote.  

    I’m sure I’m right, but I shouldn’t be inflicting my guesswork on my Ricochet friends. 

    Thank you for reading it. :-)

    • #19
  20. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    MarciN (View Comment):
    Oh, Susan, I reread it and realized it is purely speculation. I deleted most of what I wrote.

    @marcin, we’re all speculating! I was clear that you were giving an opinion, which is appropriate on Ricochet. At the very least, she certainly showed the symptoms of alcoholism in her background.

    • #20
  21. RightAngles Member
    RightAngles
    @RightAngles

    The feather story says it all. A great post. So sad.

    • #21
  22. OldPhil Coolidge
    OldPhil
    @OldPhil

    very person in the media, every Senator who has not promised to support him against this travesty, every human being who not only condemned him before he originally testified to the committee, but in the face of the absence of facts are not persuaded that he has been unfairly judged on the sexual assault of Christine Ford, have committed not only a terrible injustice, but will carry the sin of their behavior for the rest of their lives.

    I hate to say it, but they are doing evil things.

    • #22
  23. Arizona Patriot Member
    Arizona Patriot
    @ArizonaPatriot

    Susan Quinn:

    Judge Kavanaugh was a man who had worked as a public servant most of his life, dedicating his efforts to being of service to others. His spotless character elicited sneers from the Left, which called him a choir boy. His years of coaching girls, nurturing not only male but female friendships, and hiring women to work for him were meaningless in the face of the Left’s desire to fatally malign him. This entire disgusting display by the Left shows how deeply the secular has poisoned our society.

    I think that he’s a terrific man, but the “public servant” thing always strikes me as a bit overstated.  He has been an extraordinarily talented and ambitious man.  He probably has had his sights set on the Supreme Court since law school.  This is not just selfless service.  I am not at all critical of this.

    This is ambition harnessed in service of the good, which is better than relying on an instinct toward selfless service.  This is what our Founders understood when they constructed a system of checks and balances and faction counterbalancing faction.

    • #23
  24. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    Bryan G. Stephens (View Comment):

    But Susan,

    We cannot stop them. We have to nobly suffer. That is all we can do. They are so evil and dirty, we can only win by playing along with them. Eventually, the ref will step in.

    You can nobly suffer, Bryan! I. Will. Not! Take that!

    I can suffer sarcastically, too. 

    • #24
  25. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Arizona Patriot (View Comment):
    This is ambition harnessed in service of the good, which is better than relying on an instinct toward selfless service. This is what our Founders understood when they constructed a system of checks and balances and faction counterbalancing faction.

    That makes sense, @arizonapatriot. I defer to your clarity and your point. Thanks. I wonder if the Founders had any inkling at how determined some people would be to ruin their fine work? Maybe that’s why Franklin said (I think it was Franklin) it’s the best system–if you can keep it.

    • #25
  26. Arthur Beare Member
    Arthur Beare
    @ArthurBeare

    Seawriter (View Comment):

    Good name in man and woman, dear my lord,
    Is the immediate jewel of their souls.
    Who steals my purse steals trash; ’tis something, nothing;
    ‘Twas mine, ’tis his, and has been slave to thousands;
    But he that filches from me my good name
    Robs me of that which not enriches him,
    And makes me poor indeed.

    Othello Act 3, Scene 3

    Quite true, 

    But we all know who said this, right?  

    • #26
  27. Seawriter Contributor
    Seawriter
    @Seawriter

    Arthur Beare (View Comment):

    Seawriter (View Comment):

    Good name in man and woman, dear my lord,
    Is the immediate jewel of their souls.
    Who steals my purse steals trash; ’tis something, nothing;
    ‘Twas mine, ’tis his, and has been slave to thousands;
    But he that filches from me my good name
    Robs me of that which not enriches him,
    And makes me poor indeed.

    Othello Act 3, Scene 3

    Quite true,

    But we all know who said this, right?

    Didn’t make him wrong.

    • #27
  28. Rodin Member
    Rodin
    @Rodin

    Susan Quinn: Where will we find the Constitutional traditionalists who are willing to risk having their lives destroyed?

    This is the real Democratic victory regardless of the outcome of the confirmation vote. Before it was simply make sure no one wants to work with or for Trump. Now it is to make sure no one will take any position of responsibility who is not ideological pliable or in sync with the progressive agenda.

    • #28
  29. Unsk Member
    Unsk
    @Unsk

    Great post  Susan!

    To Progressives any individual who dares to challenge Progressive Orthodoxy is equivalent of an Apostate Muslim and subject to a figurative death by any means necessary.   Death to the Individual. The Progressive State is everything and those who dare not to kowtow shall be punished. 

    • #29
  30. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Unsk (View Comment):

    Great post Susan!

    To Progressives any individual who dares to challenge Progressive Orthodoxy is equivalent of an Apostate Muslim and subject to a figurative death by any means necessary. Death to the Individual. The Progressive State is everything and those who dare not to kowtow shall be punished.

    Indeed, @unsk. In many respects, they regard us as the dhimmitude. Very insightful.

    • #30
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