Opinion: For these men, women sharing their experiences with harassment has been eye-opening

To the editor: Over the last two years, my perceptions of prejudice against women have been challenged by both public display and personal experience. (“Sexual misconduct goes far beyond Harvey Weinstein and Hollywood. How do we make it go away for good?” editorial, Oct. 26)

First there was the sexism used against Hillary Clinton in her presidential run, in stark contrast to rewarding Donald Trump’s egregious behavior with the presidency. Now our screens are filled with the latest news of Harvey Weinstein and others who allegedly used their positions as platforms for sexual assault.

Let’s honor the strength of the countless women who endured these and similar abuses and resolve to speak out when we see it happening.

I battled end-stage liver disease for the last two years, culminating in a lifesaving liver transplant this summer. My hepatologist, anesthesiologist and transplant surgeon shared one commonality: They were all women. And they saved my life. If any one of them had folded in the face of our pervasive societal misogyny, it might have meant the end of my life.

Seen through this lens, it’s clear that standing up and ending sexism could be a life-or-death decision for us all.

Rob Humrickhouse, Chicago

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To the editor: As a white male in a 46-year marriage, and especially as a retired social worker, I am sad to reflect upon the fact that the problem of sexual harassment and assault is just now coming onto my radar screen.

I have always considered myself a women’s rights advocate, even as a young Republican in college. In a position of professional responsibility over the past 40 years, I have taken care to treat women employees equally.

But other than experiencing the “ick” factor in the occasional sensational case that made headlines, I continued to be ignorant of the pervasiveness of this problem. Over the last few weeks I have moved from ignorance to sadness and now outrage.

In the movies, monsters get destroyed. Now that we have begun taking down monsters on this front, perhaps there will be fewer of them in the future — or at least I hope so.

Bob Warnock, Eagle Rock

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