If you’re like me, last Saturday was rather difficult.

In all honesty, I did not want Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation in the slightest. The whole situation was handled extremely poorly at the hands of the people whom we offer our most sacred trust and the reliance of our well-being. It would be extremely difficult to say that this nomination and confirmation was done with the majority of the American people in mind. If anything, most Americans were unsure how to feel about the situation and were skeptical of the intentions of both sides.

That fact alone should have defeated his nomination. I want to be proud and confident of the record and reputation of all nine of the Supreme Court justices. I’m not sure I can say that about all of the current justices, but I am certainly unable to say that about the most recent appointment.

The power that the Supreme Court wields is absolute, only checked by the arduous process of ratifying an amendment or a separate dissenting opinion made by the same court. Most people don’t truly grasp the control this branch contains. Their decisions aren’t like the type of laws that Congress makes. Their rulings are interpretations of the American democratic system, having the power to affect almost every part of America, or at least other elements within government which impacts the choices that are available to us. And because of the sheer breadth of their decision making, every person on the court should not only have the advice and consent from the Senate, but they should be able to boast the overwhelming approval of the American people.

There were few people that didn’t sympathize with Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony, which you can tell from Kavanaugh’s low approval ratings. It bemuses me how several Republicans, as well as one Democrat, were willing to jeopardize their chance at re-election for this confirmation. There are a plethora of other people qualified to perform the tasks required of a Supreme Court justice, many of whom were listed alongside Kavanaugh on President Donald Trump’s short list. I would hate to admit that this is political corruption, but if you look at the separate parts that made up the journey to filling the vacant seats on this Supreme Court, it is hard, if not completely incorrect to say otherwise.

I also hate to bring up the situation that unfolded with Merrick Garland because this isn’t an attack article. But, it is impossible to ignore the blatant evidence that persists, where the Republicans stalwartly refused to hold hearings to “advise and consent” on President Obama’s nomination. If we want to talk about corruption, let us begin there instead of fishing around uncorroborated claims that the Democrats and Dianne Feinstein used a victim as a ploy to derail the confirmation hearings.

What is most upsetting is watching the president mock a victim and then to witness his supporters laugh along with him. If anything, I had hoped that it wouldn’t come to this. No one besides Ford and Kavanaugh know the truth, but what we have been presented with is a victim, someone who claims to have been powerless, targeted and taken advantage of. And to see this horrific situation stir laughter within some of my fellow Americans is incredibly gross and marks a deeply dark moment in this country; one that I’m sure wouldn’t have happened in the previous administration.

I think we would all appreciate if this country were “great again.” The time period we’d individually reference, however, is the matter that’s up for debate.