Mr. Scott and Mr. Hegseth

I don't have any sugar to coat my feelings about Pete Hegseth becoming the next Secretary of Defense.   And given the fact that Mr. Rick Scott doesn't respond to my letters, I don't have any sugar to coat my letter to him either.  I feel terribly guilty about taking a position on political issues, mostly because my employer has for years pushed the idea that neutrality is the "high road" and strong opinion on political issues is a no-no.  But, that's a topic for another day.  

My letter to Mr. Rick Scott, Republican Senator from the Sunshine State, follows, sent a few hours before Inauguration Day 2025.  

Warning, the letter is not very sunny.   

Dear Senator Scott,

I am writing to you regarding your support of Pete Hegseth to be Secretary. of Defense during the Trump administration set to begin tomorrow --  January 20, 2025.   I doubt that anything I could say would sway your decision to vote in favor of his confirmation.  Since I am also largely unfamiliar with what it takes to be a fair and competent leader within the military, my opinion regarding Mr. Hegseth's suitability to the position is not as credible as it could be.

As a woman engineer who has spent many years in a male dominated field, however, I have a great deal of understanding of what being a woman in the military is like. Engineering is close behind the military in the rates of sexual harassment of women.  Harassment and assault are especially prevalent in out-of-office trips and events such as the conference where Mr. Hegseth was accused of sexual assault.  

Sexual assault, harassment, and other sex-based discrimination can dehumanize, diminish, and shame a woman.  It often steals a woman's potential and limits her many years after an incident(s).  Violated sexually, women understandably have a very difficult time coming forward at all and it is the rare woman who is brave enough to come forward in the current political climate, risking being profoundly shamed and dehumanized all over again.   Is it then truly "disgusting" for a woman not to come forward (as you stated on your interview with Jake Tapper) given what she might face?  Would you want your daughter to face a barrage of questions and an interrogation focused on discrediting and shaming her?  

Given all these things and the fact that only two people really know what went on in Mr. Hegseth's hotel room, I would like to strongly appeal to you that if you do vote in favor of Mr. Hegseth's confirmation, you also strongly advocate for and  actively support increased and improved measures for protecting women in the military from sexual harassment and assault  While increased misbehavior toward women may or may not happen as a result of Mr. Hegseth's confirmation, the fact remains that there is higher than usual risk given Mr. Hegseth's past.  And that risk must be addressed if the Senate chooses to confirm Mr. Hegseth's nomination.   The answer cannot be "it's not in our purview" or "the resources aren't there."  

I think we can all agree that we must protect the people who serve our country.   Protecting women from "friendly fire" in the military is as much a part of such protection as making sound judgements about when and when not to send our troops overseas.