The biggest news in recent weeks has been centered around Brett Kavanaugh and the sexual assault allegations brought upon him by Christine Blasey Ford. Although I can go into a deep rant about the he-said-she-said aspects of this case, my main focus has been, ‘Why is this case different?’

Every 98 seconds, a person is assaulted in America. It doesn’t matter if it happened yesterday, last week, or 34 years ago; when a report is made, it shouldn’t be viewed lightly because of the time frame.

Sexual assault allegations should not be taken lightly, and with this case, I believe that the severity of the allegations is being buried due to the difference in political views.

From this past presidential election, we have seen now more than ever how the Republican and Democratic parties have had it out for each other, and it saddens me that this has played a major role in this case. When it comes to sexual assault, no matter who it is or what circumstances it is under, politics has no place. Assault is assault and the way in which you vote and the party you represent should not be a factor in determining what happened.

There has been a lot in the news regarding the “Republican vs. Democratic agenda” and there shouldn’t be. At the time of the alleged assault, there were no politics in play, and there shouldn’t be any in play as of now. Although Kavanaugh is in the political spotlight, the spectators, reporters and supporters of the case shouldn’t be using political views as a defense.

The words, “she only accused him because he’s a Republican,” should not be left as comments on any news article or a status on social media platforms. The case should be taken as is: a woman stepping forward about an unlawful sexual encounter.

Men and women should not be afraid to step forward and report any type of crime that was acted against them. Their political views or age should not be used as a weapon against them. We are lucky to be living in a country that allows and supports the right for its citizens to have a political say and that right shouldn’t be taken away because of timing or job description.