Letters to the Editor: Should men who were once sexually aggressive be in positions of power?

To the editor: Back-to-back letters in Thursday’s Opinion section sharply highlight the gender gap in how our society evaluates youthful sexual indiscretions.

In the first letter, a male reader initially casts doubts on the authenticity of the 30-year-old allegations of sexual misconduct by Supreme Count Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh (a fair assessment) but then says even if the allegations are true, they shouldn’t be held against him as an adult. This is the “boys will be boys” argument.

In the following letter, a female writer correctly states that is in not OK for a male of any age to force himself upon another person when it comes to sexual interactions, and she stresses that it is the responsibility of parents to counsel their sons and daughters at an early age on such matters.

I don’t know about the male writer, but when I was in high school and college, I instinctively knew where the boundaries were when it came to social interactions with women. That was true whether I was sober or had been drinking.

Moreover, when I think back to the guys in my youth who I knew or suspected were sexually aggressive, those are not the type of men whom I want as friends today or in positions of power.

Gary Vogt, Menifee, Calif.