I held my tongue when Brad Brigham defended the “deplorables” in a recent letter. He made some rational points and espoused some decent values such as saying “no” to “mindless consumption and excessive spending.” However he ended by saying “much of what Trump espouses… makes sense to many Americans ” while describing himself as “a misguided, angry white guy in a wheelchair who shoots chipmunks.”
But his latest letter shows such ignorance and misogynistic contempt for women that I am compelled to respond. Brigham excuses Brett Kavanaugh’s drunken attack on Dr. Ford as “what adolescents do during the transitional years between childhood and adulthood … the Socialization Process” and asks “wouldn’t there be cause for greater concern were we to learn that he didn’t act out during the hormone years?” He ends with the outrageous claim that this despicable behavior allows us to “learn boundaries and socially appropriateness — empathy and humility.” This misguided apparently adult male is actually proud of those who become inebriated and assault defenseless young girls, for asserting their alleged manhood. It is this antiquated and dangerous thinking that helps perpetuate such unacceptable behavior.
Perhaps he himself partook in such supposedly innocent teenage high jinks, and perhaps like his namesake Brigham Young, he would have women totally subservient to their men. Fortunately the great majority of us, in this area at least, disagree and champion the women’s movement and equality between the sexes and under the law.
David Fersh
Charlemont