The recent letter from Royce Haynes regarding Mike Pence's religious "chivalry" vis-a-vis emerging sexual assault allegations from women toward men borders on the preposterous. It is hard to know where to begin to address the issues he raises. Moreover, his ridiculous premises overshadow the one valid point his letter makes: there is a danger in any rush to judgement.
But, Mr. Haynes, your "fix" is, to be kind, misguided. To say that Mike Pence is "living his religion" by avoiding being alone with another woman is to say that he simply cannot handle temptation.
Really, we would be a better society to follow his example? How? By segregating the sexes? Does Pence avoid dogs because he suddenly could be stricken by bestiality? Does he avoid children because one never knows when the onslaught of pedophilia might occur? This is how ludicrous you sound, Mr. Haynes. But perhaps your most ignorant and incredible statement is reserved for how men might react to the new norms being imposed on them by women finally confronting them on their aggressive, abusive behavior. You say some may "retreat to the relative safety of homosexuality." If you truly believe a man can simply "retreat" to being gay, then your ignorance is simply appalling. Even more appalling is that you equate what was "in my youth" a matter of "flirting," with the sexual assault women are forcing men to confront.
If you "flirted" by forcing yourself on women, masturbating in front of them, kissing them without their consent, then you must have been one helluva date.
Sharon Miken
Lewes
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