I expected blowback for my post on Brett Kavanaugh, and I got a hurricane of it. But I knew I was courting trouble, arguing that Kavanaugh’s alleged behavior as a drunken teenager in the early 1980s shouldn’t automatically disqualify him for the U.S. Supreme Court.
What I didn’t expect, however, was how much the negative/positive reaction would be divided along gender lines. Many women took strong issue with my post. Here’s a sampling:
- You just excused his alleged behavior through rape-culture stereotype excuses … Shame on you!
- I have followed your column for years. I find this one abhorrent.
- You are tone-deaf about sexual harassment.
- Your article is exactly why girls and women don’t speak up about their situations like this.
