Letters to the Editor
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The good old days
However, I doubt anything other than imprisonment would have changed my maternal grandfather. Sexual abusers don't stop their behavior because of laws or changed social and cultural attitudes. My guess is that he might have dropped his Klan membership. He would have kept raping his daughters.
The beauty of it is that imprisonment is now possible. Back when my grandfather was a husband and father, he would have had the same access to any daughters as he did to his wife. Thankfully, he had no daughters.
The more I think about it, the more I wonder about those who are longing for the good old days. Are they like Katie Roiphe, who appears to be pining for a knight in shining armor to sweep her off her feet? Or would they like to have the free and heavy hand that my grandfather had?
The traditional family structure is still possible, it just has to be done without coercion. Non-traditional structures are also possible, and I strongly encourage those men who think the female role is so great to try it on for size.