Opinion | E. Jean Carroll against Donald Trump

[ad_1]

In the Editor:

Re In Vivid Detail, Trump Accuser Tells Her Story (front page, April 27):

Clear evidence suggests that Donald Trump sexually assaulted E. Jean Carroll. As is his pattern, he denies it from afar on social media but does not approach the court and face cross-examination. He did the same thing every time he was impeached: talking tough but hiding like a coward not to testify.

How many men would stay at home if they were innocent of such a charge? Will not go to court and deny it forcefully, deny it emphatically?

When I was a lawyer, a public defender, the hardest thing to deal with in a rape case was the question of why a woman would file a false rape case, why she would face all the accompanying charges if this did not happen. . It’s a difficult question to answer.

For all the distractions from defense cross-examination, from the constant detritus of commentary from the right-wing media, from Mr. Trump himself, the question of why remains unanswered in this case except for this very logical question: He did it! All other details are irrelevant.

I asked my husband if he believed in E. Jean Carroll. He said: Absolutely. No doubt. I suspect that most women and many men believe the same. His testimony has the ring of truth! If he did it and I believe he did it is just one more reason that he is not qualified to be president.

John E. ColbertDry Stream, NM

In the Editor:

In her stunning portrayal of rape victims’ interactions with the legal system, Jodie Comers’ one-woman show, Prima Facie, depicts E. Jean Carrolls’ harrowing experience under investigation by one of her attorneys. Donald Trump, Joseph Tacopina.

The #MeToo movement has brought us a long way, but our legal system still encourages victim blaming and shaming while asking women to publicly relive their most traumatic moments. Unfortunately, we still have a long way to go.

Karen DornRye, NY

In the Editor:

Re The Importance of E. Jean Carrolls Lawsuit Against Trump (Opinion guest essay, April 26):

Prof. may be right. Deborah Tuerkheimer in saying that the civil case brought by E. Jean Carroll against Donald Trump, in which Ms. Carroll’s claim that Mr. Trump raped her in a department store dressing room in the mid-1990s, is an important aspect of the #MeToo movement.

But it’s also important in another respect: In an attempt to redeem decades, if not centuries, of disbelieved claims by women who were sexually assaulted by men, the #MeToo movement broke a critical that aspect of the criminal and civil legal system.

The case involving Mr. Trump and Ms. Carroll is not one to involve DNA, and therefore it seems fair to say that we will never know the truth of what happened between them. But we know two things for sure: 1) the passage of a quarter of a century affects memories, including (even especially) the memories of trauma victims, and 2) the legal system has historically required parties to bring their legal claims vigorously both because memories become scrambled and because the passage of time can make it impossible to mount a meaningful defense.

Given his own loud and destructive statements, effectively bragging about forcing himself sexually on unwanted women, Donald Trump is not someone I want to defend. But like all those accused of wrongdoing, he has a right to a defense, and laws that allow civil actions to be brought decades after the alleged wrongdoing are undermining that critical right.

David R. DowHoustonThe writer is a professor at the University of Houston Law Center.

In the Editor:

I believe E. Jean Carrolls report that Donald Trump raped her and how it changed her life. After I was assaulted, it took me 15 years to get the assault out of my thoughts and stop being afraid of men.

I felt ashamed and didn’t want people to know that I was attacked. I also asked if people would say it was partially my fault even though I knew it wasn’t.

Being sexually attacked is a horrible experience.

L. DawsonSacramento

Gifted Teachers Inspire Lifelong Learning

In the Editor:

Re There Are Better Ways to Study That Will Last You a Lifetime, by Daniel T. Willingham (Opinion guest essay, April 23):

I am skeptical of prescribing methods. Great teachers inspire lifelong learning in their students not because they follow any prescribed method, but because they love what they do.

They privilege curiosity: They open their and their students’ minds and hearts. They dare to take risks, try classes and experiments that fail, and embrace out-of-the-box solutions and seemingly wild interpretations of texts.

Along with the method, they are innovative; they think again. They invest energy and time in nurturing the growth of their unique, challenging, diverse students.

Just as importantly, they love whatever they teach. They love it enough to make it valuable to their students. And that is why students study. The techniques are all well and good, but the real learning takes place when a student cares to dive in, falls in, starts swimming and keeps going. This happens when teachers do the same.

The methods are endless, but the passion for discovery, modeled by an inspiring teacher, is what truly ignites lifelong learning.

Ellen Handler SpitzNew Haven, Conn. The writer is a senior lecturer in the humanities program at Yale University.

In the Editor:

To encourage young people to be lifelong learners, let us awaken in them by our example an enthusiasm and praise for the beauty of good ideas and good stories, in all fields and in all forms, for these are the ones that do not broken discovery of deep imagination.

Michael L. BrownBoston The writer is professor emeritus of mathematics and statistics at Simmons University.

When Indigenous Values ​​Benefit a Forest

VISTA volunteers work with tribal leaders to set up the tribe for its economic future, using the forest as their main resource and the old sawmill as a place to turn that resource into dollars to support the tribe in the future.

We college volunteers have a different job: We will run summer programs for children, who will attend public schools instead of tribal schools in the fall. Our goal is to help them adapt to the new culture, especially to instill a taste for competition and individual achievement and to wean them from the collective and cooperative ethos of the tribe.

Having just finished my sophomore year of college, I didn’t know much, but felt that the Menominee values ​​were a welcome relief from the competitive environment I had come from. I am glad to know that Menominee values ​​have prevailed and the forest, which you report is considered by some to be the nations first sustainable forest, has been the beneficiary. I hope their wise stewardship of the land will continue.

Jane P. Bowers New York

[ad_2]