Hi Ben,

I’m so sorry you were attacked. I’m even more sorry that then you were denied reality by the campaign’s initial statement where you were called “aggressive,” then called a snowflake by others, then served a self-serving apology by the perpetrator of the crime against you today.

I’m also sorry that this appalling ‘citizen’ won the election. It may have been because of earlier absentee ballots, or it may have been because of a shift in our culture toward barbarism. Either way, it is wrong. You were doing your job, asking a real, fact-based question in a reasonable way. Your job is important and I am glad it is still getting done. It must.

You have sounded shaken in your interviews on the air, and it is understandable. You are experiencing what I’ve felt many times in my life, being a woman. Sometimes there is an assault, sometimes just a slight, but there is nearly always the disbelief that this kind of thing can happen in a civilized society. It does. And. It sucks.

You need self care. You need to recover. Then, you need to fight. But, please, please, please don’t get confused, disengaged or shocked, or even feel this event is “surreal.” That means the bully wins. That’s the tactic.

Thanks Ben.