I've never been in an intimate relationship with a woman who wasn't raped. By intimate relationship, I'm not referring to a sexual one. I mean any kind of relationship where a woman is a friend of mine and who trusts me enough to tell the story. THAT's an intimate relationship. I've had many of these kinds of relationships: Platonic, good buddy type of relationships where we both share details we wouldn't share with men for reasons I don't need to explain to women and don't bother trying to explain to my fellow "dudes."

All men owe all women an apology for Trump's re-election. We didn't do enough to stand up to the bro culture or the rest of it. Those of us who tried didn't try hard enough. I don't quite know what the answer is, because, unfortunately, your antagonist actually had a point, as ugly as it is. The scary, nasty, ugly argument, "Yes, they are voting for a rapist but not because but not because they support rape but because they are against being called a rapist," is twisted logic, but probably holds as a reason many men voted for Trump. It seems that the more we say, "There is a rapist among us," the more they hunker down and say, "Not me!"

But my ad hoc, arbitrary stats that tell me all women who've known me well enough to tell the story have told that story tells me that if I'm in a group of two or more men, there is probably a rapist among us.

There is no getting around your argument. If you voted for a rapist, you have commited a crime against the woman or women you love, be they sisters, lovers, mothers, daughters, whatever. You are repeating their trauma, because trust me, it's very likely they've been dealing with trauma most of their adult lives as they cope with one kind of transgression from one of us or another.

All men should answer this most basic question: How is it that not all women hate men? How is it that they return our advances with kindness? Why isn't their response upon a first encounter with a man a slap in the face as a warning?

There are no arguments to be made against yours in your story. A vote for Trump was a vote for rape, misogyny, and the rape culture that acts as the foundation for sexual violence against women.

A lot of men will respond, "But women voted for him, too."

Stop that. I don't want to hear it. It's the argument that a pissant would make. It's the argument that someone who doesn't want to bear any responsibility would make.

Others will say: "But I didn't vote for him." I know. Neither did I. But I can't claim to have never mistreated a woman, at least psychologically (you don't need physical violence to be a complete jerk). And given what we know about the prevalence of rape culture, the very least we men could have done was see to it this derelict symbol of sexual violence was permanently sent far away from the political realm. Whatever efforts those of us who opposed him made wasn't enough.

Sorry for the long rant, Denise, but your antagonist pissed me off, and I'm in no mood for the lame excuses.

On a personal note, I'm sorry I've missed a few of your recent stories. I've been dealing with a health issue that started, ironically enough, on election eve. I've been told (by a woman, of course), that I tend to manifest things, and I think my body knew what was coming.