Christine Blasey Ford Accepts the ACLU's 2019 Courage Award - 'I Was Simply Doing My Duty as a Citizen'

On Sunday night, the American Civil Liberties Union — an organization with the expressed purpose of protecting every American’s civil rights — gave an award to Christine Blasey Ford.

Christine, of course, is the new millennium’s Anita Hill — that is, she was brought into the national spotlight by the Democratic Party in order to prevent a conservative Supreme Court confirmation.

Did she accurately describe things as they’d occurred, at a party in 1982?

Nobody knows — perhaps not even her or Kavanaugh. It happened almost 40 years ago.

Which makes the award, one might say, odd.

Maybe Brett’s trophy’s in the mail.

As for Christine, she got to accept the Rodger Baldwin Courage Award in front of an enthusiastic crowd — at the ACLU of Southern California’s Bill of Rights Awards Dinner.

The ACLU of Southern California is proud to present the Roger Baldwin Courage award to Dr. Christine Blasey Ford for her brave testimony before Congress last year, a shining act of courage. #ACLUhonors #WeBelieveSurvivors pic.twitter.com/8MmUXpdmrB

— ACLU SoCal (@ACLU_SoCal) November 18, 2019

From the podium, the Palo Alto University psychology professor explained that she didn’t feel brave when she accused Brett in the Fall of last year:

“[W]hen I came forward last September, I did not feel courageous.”

According to her speech, that whole accusation thing was just about being a rock-solid American:

“I was simply doing my duty as a citizen, providing information to the Senate that I believed would be relevant to the Supreme Court nomination process. I thought anyone in my position, of course, would do the same thing.”

Then came a ton of applause, prompted by, “I had the example of Anita Hill.”

She also thanked Mom and Dad:

“I have the values instilled in me by my parents, and growing up in Washington, D.C.”

Back to five-star patriotism:

“I had a responsibility to my country. To my fellow citizens, to my students, to my children. To live the values that I try to teach them.”

She teaches her kids if someone picks on them in First Grade, tell the teacher when they’re 42?

Christine knew her entrance into the confirmation hearings would create a ruckus:

“I understood that not everyone would welcome my information, and I was prepared for a variety of outcomes — including being dismissed.”

But she soldiered through it. And she wants people to continue protecting rights:

“That’s why it means so much to me to be recognized by you tonight. Because I know you will continue the work of protecting sexual assault survivors and preventing sexual assault. You will continue the work to protect personal privacy and the rights of citizens.”

Christine’s following in Anita’s shoes in more ways than one: Ms. Hill received the PEN Courage Award — for “helping to catalyze a global movement that is essential to the achievement of equality” — this year.

As for the ACLU, they’re really in a high-fiving mood lately — as evidenced not only by their recognition of Ford, but also Tuesday’s praise of men all over the planet. Especially these kinds:

There’s no one way to be a man.

Men who get their periods are men.

Men who get pregnant and give birth are men.

Trans and non-binary men belong.#InternationalMensDay

— ACLU (@ACLU) November 19, 2019