they are what make us unique among nations. there have been sit-ins, protests and writings and the committee has received letters of opposition from 400 different civil rights organizations, 1,400 law professors, a thousand law students, a broad task force of organizations that oppose domestic violence, 70 reproductive health organizations and many, many others. all these letters express deep anxiety about the direction of this country and whether this nominee will enforce the law fairly, evenly without personal bias. so i hope today's questions are probing and the answers are fulsome. ladies and gentlemen, this is the only way we have to know