What Boys Learn Now

I wonder what a young male growing up in this country might learn from the hearings in the Senate recently. 

He might learn that when you are young, you can travel in the circles of drunken partiers (we are loud, obnoxious drunks with prolific pukers among us) and use misogynistic language (“Renate alumnus,” “boofing”) and it will all be forgiven, even overlooked. What the heck. Why not? It’s cool. 

He might learn that even if you are belligerent, rude and disrespectful on national TV, it does not disqualify you for a lifetime appointment to the highest court of the land. Wow. My mom was wrong. I can act that way whenever I feel like it.  

Most unnerving of all, he might learn that failing to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth under oath is now perfectly acceptable in this country and will help you advance in life. This was a very sad and shameful episode in our history.

Carolyn Partridge

Eugene