The big picture: For many, this news cycle has felt like an excavation of the wounds of women. While the #MeToo movement was focused on sexual harassment at the workplace, the reaction to Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony — separate even from the politics of the confirmation battle — took many women back to their girlhoods, to high school and college, to now-distant worlds with different moral codes and long-buried pain that is scarier to face.

Nearly every woman has experienced, or has friends or family who have experienced, an unwanted sexual encounter. The resulting confusion, shame and distrust were etched into their memories and became defining moments in formative years.

That’s why Ford’s testimony has touched off something bigger than Kavanaugh — women are revisiting these experiences, sharing them on Facebook and group texts, even calling into C-SPAN.