Los Angeles Times

Handling the ‘incel’ problem

Re “‘Incel rebellion’ is plain misogyny,” column, May 8

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I think Robin Abcarian missed an important point in her column.

When society tries to correct important problems such as the lack of female leaders and opportunit­ies in business and sports for women, it tends to turn toward demeaning those who once had those opportunit­ies.

Allowing girls the opportunit­y to play in a boys’ sports league when there is no league for girls is good. Forcing boys’ sports leagues into accepting girls simply because they don’t now is bad. Having a gym strictly for women is “good” in today’s society — not so for men. Other examples abound.

Yes, men tend to think of women as “potential sexual partners,” but evolution has spent millions of years encouragin­g males to think this way. Society evolved as a way to redirect and control this behavior.

We as a society need to realize that these “incels” are a sign of an emerging problem, loneliness, and take steps to encourage social interactio­ns to reduce that problem. Patrick Mullins

Harbor City

Every part of the “incel” credo is abhorrent to me, but one aspect really sticks out: The incels believe they are “left with ugly girls they don’t want to have sex with, even if they could.”

In other words, they are rejecting many of the women they meet and then righteousl­y furious at the women who reject them.

The hypocrisy and lack of empathy boggles the mind. Laura Owen

Pacific Palisades

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