‘Be thankful that we only stage protests’

COLIN Beardmore has written two letters in a week on the murder of Sarah Everard. He seems to be downplaying the case and its implications.

He points out that more men are murdered by men than women are. It is clear that he dislikes ‘mass hysteria cheerleaders’ and supporters of ‘women’s lib’.

Without condoning a demonstration held during a pandemic, I must, in turn, point out that the number of men murdered by women is comparatively negligible.

There cannot be a woman in the country who has not, at some time, been frightened when walking home alone.

How many men can claim that they are frightened to walk alone at night for fear of being attacked by women?

Male aggression is far from universal, but its range – from catcalls to violence – is feared and resented.

A few years ago I was sitting in Hanley launderette listening to the other customers talking about the Jimmy Savile revelations. All the ladies were angry. Memories had been stirred up. It was clear that some barrier of silence had been broken.

What has been happening over the last few years has been that women are making more fuss – and rightly so. The Metoo campaign has attracted considerable support.

In primitive societies, where women are treated much worse, silent resentment can be stronger and expressed, if chance offers, much more savagely.

In both North America and Afghanistan, the men of the tribe would hand over male prisoners-of-war to the women who would torture them to death.

Sometimes British soldiers were warned that if they were in a hopeless situation they should keep the last bullet for themselves. Mr Beardmore should think himself lucky.

MARGARET BROWN BURSLEM