>>> AMID SPECULATION ABOUT WHETHER DR. CHRISTINE BLASEY
FORD WILL ATTEND MONDAY’S
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE HEARING, AN
ENDLESS DISCUSSION OF THE
POLITICAL TACTICS AT PLAY, IT’S
IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THE HUMAN
BEING AT THE CENTER OF IT ALL.
A WOMAN WHO TRIED DESPERATELY,
FROM WHAT WE CAN TELL, TO AVOID
THE EXACT SITUATION SHE NOW
FINDS HERSELF IN.
A WOMAN WHO NOW FINDS HERSELF
SUBJECTED TO INTENSE NATIONAL
SCRUTINY, INTIMIDATION.
SCRUTINY, INTIMIDATION. AS SHE PUT IT, ANNIHILATION, ALL
BECAUSE SHE SAYS SHE WAS
SEXUALLY ASSAULTED.
SEXUALLY ASSAULTED. IN A LETTER SENATOR CHUCK
GRASSLEY, HER LAWYER WROTE SHE
HAS BEEN THE TARGET OF VICIOUS
HARASSMENT AND EVEN DEATH
THREATS.
THREATS. AS A RESULT OF THESE KINDS OF
THREATS HER FAMILY WAS FORCED TO
RELOCATE OUT OF HER HOME.
HER E-MAIL HAS BEEN HACKED AND
SHE HAS BEEN IMPERSONATED
ONLINE.
ONLINE. HER ATTORNEY’S LETTER ALSO
MENTIONED THAT DR. BLASEY FORD
HAS RECEIVED MESSAGES OF
SUPPORT.
SUPPORT. AN OPEN LETTER FROM THE 1984
ALUMNI OF HOLTON-ARMS, THOSE
WOMEN WROTE, QUOTE, WE STAND
WITH OUR FRIEND DR. CHRISTINE
BLASEY FORD AND ADMIRE HER
HONESTY AND RESOLVE ON BEHALF OF
OUR NATION.
OUR NATION. WITH ME NOW, SAMANTHA GUERRY.
DESCRIBE YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO
DR. BLASEY FORD.
>> CHRISTY AND I MET IN SEVENTH
GRADE.
GRADE. WE’VE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR 40
YEARS.
YEARS. WE WERE FRIENDS IN -- YOU KNOW,
FOR THE SIX YEARS WE WERE AT
HOLTON-ARMS, AND WE’VE SAID IN
TOUCH LOOSELY SINCE THEN.
OUR CLASS IS A PRETTY TIGHT
CLASS AND WE’VE STAYED IN
COMMUNICATION FOR WHAT IS IT, 35
YEARS NOW.
YEARS NOW. >> IT STRIKES ME IT’S A PRETTY
TIGHT KNIT SCHOOL, IT’S A SMALL
SCHOOL AND PEOPLE ARE PRETTY
CONNECTED.
CONNECTED. IS THAT FAIR?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THE RESPONSE
THAT THE SCHOOL HAS HAD ON A
NUMBER OF LEVELS IN THE LAST FEW
DAYS.
DAYS. >> WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN
SHE CAME FORWARD THIS WEEKEND
AND PUT HER NAME TO THIS
ACCUSATION THAT HAS BEEN
FLOATING OUT THERE ANONYMOUSLY?
>> I’M NOT SHE DID PUT HER NAME
TO IT.
TO IT. I THINK THAT IT GOT LEAKED, AND
THEN SHE HAD TO RESPOND IN ORDER
FOR IT NOT TO KIND OF COMPLETELY
SPIN OUT OF HER ASK TO BE IN TH
SITUATION SHE IS IN NOW.
SHE ASKED FOR CONFIDENTIALITY.
BUT APPARENTLY THAT WASN’T
POSSIBLE.
POSSIBLE. SO WE WERE ALL OBVIOUSLY SHOCKED
THAT IT WAS SOMEBODY THAT WE
KNOW AND RESPECT.
>> READING THE ACCOUNT THAT SHE
PROVIDED, BOTH IN THE LETTER AND
IN THE INTERVIEW SHE CONDUCTED
WITH THE "WASHINGTON POST" AS
SOMEONE WHO MOVED IN THE SOCIAL
CIRCLES SHE DID, WHO WAS FRIENDS
WITH HER IN HIGH SCHOOL, HOW DID
IT STRIKE YOU?
>> WELL, IT STRUCK ME AS TRUE.
IT STRUCK ME AS SOMEONE WHO HAD
TO MAKE A REALLY PAINFUL
DECISION TO ESSENTIALLY, AT THIS
POINT, FORFEIT HER PRIVACY AND
HAVE TO RELIVE A TRAUMATIC EVENT
IN A VERY PUBLIC AND TRAUMATIC
WAY.
WAY. >> DID YOU KNOW EITHER BRETT
KAVANAUGH OR MARK JUDGE WHEN YOU
WERE IN HIGH SCHOOL AT
HOLTON-ARMS?
HOLTON-ARMS? >> THEY WERE ACQUAINTANCES OF
MINE.
MINE. THEY WERE GOOD FRIENDS OF GOOD
FRIENDS OF MINE SO YOU KNOW HOW
THOSE CIRCLES KIND OF GO OUT.
BUT I DON’T HAVE ANY SPECIFIC
RECALL OF EITHER OF THEM, AND
I’M NOT ABLE TO COMMENT ON
THEIR -- ON THEM SPECIFICALLY
FROM THAT TIME.
>> IN TERMS OF THE SOCIAL
NETWORKS YOU WERE EMBEDDED IN,
THEY WERE AROUND AT THE
PERIPHERY, THIS IS NOT
IMPLAUSIBLE THAT THEY WOULD BE
AT A PARTY TOGETHER OR SOMETHING
LIKE THAT?
LIKE THAT? >> OH, NO, THEY WERE DEFINITELY
AT PARTIES TOGETHER.
I THINK THAT -- AND I SAY THAT
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IN TALKING
WITH A LOT OF MY CLASSMATES, YOU
KNOW, OUR SENSE IS THAT BETWEEN
THE SUMMERS THAT THEY WERE
INVOLVED IN A VARIETY OF
DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, COUNTRY
CLUB ACTIVITIES AND SPORTS AND
JUST THE GENERAL DIAGRAM OVERLAP
OF OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR DANCES
AND EVENTS AND FESTIVALS AND
THINGS, THERE WAS JUST QUITE A
BIT OF OVERLAP.
AND PEOPLE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT
THESE ARE CLASSES OF JUST LIKE
65 PEOPLE.
65 PEOPLE. WE’RE NOT TALKING ABOUT
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.
SO YOU REALLY KNEW EACH OTHER.
YOU REALLY DID GET TO KNOW EACH
OTHER.
OTHER. >> HAVE YOU SPOKEN TO YOUR
CLASSMATE CHRISTINE RECENTLY?
>> I HAVE NOT SPOKEN TO HER
DIRECTLY.
DIRECTLY. SHE HAS BEEN COMMUNICATING WITH
ME AND SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE
THROUGH ONE OF HER BEST FRIENDS
WHO’S A GOOD FRIEND OF OURS.
>> DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF HOW
SHE’S DOING?
SHE’S DOING? >> SHE’S A STRONG WOMAN, AND SHE
HAS A STRONG FOUNDATION WITH HER
FAMILY AND HER FRIENDS.
SHE’S TREMENDOUSLY GRATEFUL FOR
THE SUPPORT THAT SHE’S GOTTEN
FROM EVERYONE.
FROM EVERYONE. I THINK THAT’S IMPORTANT TO HER
SO THAT SHE DOESN’T FEEL THAT
SHE’S JUST HANGING OUT TO TRY
HERE BY HERSELF.
>> AS SOMEONE THAT’S KNOWN HER
FOR AS LONG AS YOU HAVE THERE
ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO THINK
THAT SHE IS EITHER MAKING THIS
UP, EITHER FABRICATING IT, OR
SHE IS MISREMEMBERING WHAT
HAPPENED, BOTH OF THOSE THINGS
HAVE BEEN SAID BY FOLKS.
AND I WOULD LIKE YOU TO SAY,
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY TO
THOSE PEOPLE?
THOSE PEOPLE? >> I THINK THEY SHOULD BE
ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES.
TO SUGGEST THAT SOMEONE WHO’S
BEEN SEXUALLY ASSAULTED ISN’T
REMEMBERING THIS CORRECTLY IS --
JUST MAKES MY HEAD EXPLODE.
I THINK IT MAKES A LOT OF WOMEN
FEEL THAT WAY.
SEXUAL TRAUMA IS REAL AND DEEP
AND LIFELONG.
AND LIFELONG. IT’S SOMETHING THAT CHRISTY HAS
SPENT HER LIFE TRYING TO FORGET.
THIS ISN’T A MISTAKE OF IDENTITY
OR EXPERIENCE.
OR EXPERIENCE. AND WE NEED TO STOP SUGGESTING
THAT WOMEN WHO COME FORWARD WITH
THESE EXPERIENCES AND TELL THEIR
TRUTH ARE SOMEHOW MISTAKEN.
>> AS SOMEONE WHO WENT TO SCHOOL
WITH HER, AND THINKING ABOUT
CHILDREN, THERE ARE FOLKS IN
THAT SCHOOL RIGHT NOW AND MANY
OF THE ALUMNI WHO ARE NOT FROM
THAT YEAR SIGNED A LETTER OF
SUPPORT AS WELL.
WHAT KIND OF MESSAGE DO YOU
THINK IT SENDS?
WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT FOLKS
MOVING IN THE SOCIAL CIRCLES YOU
DID AS A TEENAGER AT GEORGETOWN
PREP AND HOLTON-ARMS ARE GOING
TO LEARN ABOUT HOW THEY SHOULD
CONDUCT THEMSELVES BASED ON WHAT
THE CONGRESS DOES?
>> WELL, IT’S AN INTERESTING
QUESTION, REALLY.
QUESTION, REALLY. I THINK THAT TO THE EXTENT THAT
WE STILL LOOK TO OUR PUBLIC
LEADERS FOR ANY KIND OF
GUIDANCE, WHAT CONGRESS DOES NOW
IS GOING TO REGISTER IN THE
DEBATE ABOUT HOW THESE THINGS
ARE HANDLED IN OUR COUNTRY, HOW
WOMEN COMING FORWARD WITH THESE
TYPES OF EXPERIENCES ARE
TREATED.
TREATED. AND WHETHER THEY CAN BE
DISMISSED OUT OF HAND, OR
WHETHER THEY ARE GOING TO BE
TAKEN SERIOUSLY.
TAKEN SERIOUSLY. AND I THINK I STAND WITH MY
CLASSMATES, AND MY SCHOOLMATES,
AND SAY WE EXPECT TO BE TAKEN
SERIOUSLY.
SERIOUSLY. WE HAVE TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY.
AND WE WILL FIND A WAY TO BE