Women and Violence

Patt Morrison’s column on the film “Thelma and Louise” (“Get a Grip, Guys: This Is Fantasy,” Commentary, July 22) struck a chord. All women have a right to be outraged when one is treated disrespectfully or worse. All men should be--most are--offended too, and not only because of the woman’s pain.

Few men I know have any good feeling about a man who mistreats a woman, whether by battering, belittling or so-called banter. Such behavior requires no intelligence or education. Women and men need each other, to share hopes and dreams, to help each other make their dreams come true or just to get a job done.

Seeing a woman’s fantasies for the first time in “Thelma and Louise” may make a man uncomfortable. If it does, it should. Today, not only police officers, but most men--and most women--quietly lead lives of more desperation than Thoreau could have imagined. We owe each other understanding and respect.

JOHN K. FRIEBORN

Los Angeles