Last week, in solidarity with Dr. Christine Blasey Ford – who I believe was sexually assaulted – and other survivors, I told my own story outside Sen. Susan Collins’ office and again at a Portland vigil. Recounting my story was hard for me, and I shook as I told it, but I came out so that other survivors would know there’s nothing to be ashamed of.

All we want is a fair and reasonable investigation as to whether there is any merit to the allegations against Brett Kavanaugh. If Merrick Garland’s Supreme Court nomination could sit for a year, why is there such a rush to confirm Kavanaugh? We strongly suspect it’s so Kavanaugh can hear the October case before the court that could vastly expand presidential pardon power, and President Trump expects Kavanaugh to vote in Trump’s favor as payback.

Last Friday, two brave women confronted Sen. Jeff Flake in an elevator. Later that day, he announced that his approval vote for confirming Kavanaugh would be predicated on a limited FBI investigation. It isn’t much.

But we sexual assault survivors, and we who support them – Marie Follayttar of Scarborough; Tierney Lynch-Tucci of Pownal; Brunswick residents Abby Swormstedt King and Eileen Poulin; Pam Cunningham of Boothbay; South Portland residents Joan E. Herzog, Rev. Cindy Maddox and Sarah Gay; Pam Collins White of Hope; Portland residents Susie Crimmins, Aura Russell-Bedder and Tamara Cooper; and Margaret Schick of Topsham – ask our own senator to not only support this investigation, but demand that the FBI inquiry include all of the women who have publicly accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault or misconduct.

And if there’s even a chance that any of the assaults occurred, or that Kavanaugh lied under oath about anything, we ask Collins to vote against confirming this unfit, ill-tempered and entitled man to the highest court in our land.

Dini Merz

Falmouth