Mike Tyson’s Conviction

In response to your editorial, “Reclaiming the Meaning of ‘No,’ ” Feb. 12:

I was pleased that you made the point that when a woman says “no” to a man that is what she means. However, we need to take this issue one step further; namely, that at any point in time a woman says “no” (even in the middle of the act) that is what she means.

In the Tyson and William Kennedy Smith cases, the argument was made that the women knew what they were getting into. That may be true, but my argument is that even if a woman consents to a sexual encounter and then changes her mind, she must be heard and taken seriously. It is not so unbelievable that a woman could think she wants to have sex with a man, begin to engage in sexual activity and then gets scared or turned off by him. At that point, if she says “stop” or “no” and he does not stop, it becomes rape. We need to teach our young men that they do not have the right to disregard a woman’s “no” and continue to persuade, push, or force her into sex.

The line between sex and date rape is not so fine. It is based upon consent, not the timing of the consent.

MARLENE BRONSON

Beverly Hills