Charlie, your excellent piece on the cat-calling video reminded me of something. Years ago, during the O.J. Simpson trial, we published a piece by (the great) Gertrude Himmelfarb. (When I say “we,” I mean The Weekly Standard, where I was working at the time.) I am going from memory, but I think I remember . . .

She said that there used to be a holy trinity on the left: race, class, and gender. But class had been dropped, really. And race and gender were kings.

Actually, race was king, with gender in a distant second place. (Forgive me for saying “gender” instead of “sex,” but modern ways will wear you down.)

What was the Left going to do about the O.J. Simpson case? Yes, an ex-husband had murdered an ex-wife, and her companion. Yes, the ex-husband had beaten the ex-wife, while they were married. But, awkwardly, the murderer was black — and the ex-wife and her companion were . . . not.

What happened is that race trumped gender. (Indeed, I believe that was the title of the piece: “Race Trumps Gender.”) No, race smashed gender. It was far more important to the Left that O.J. was black than that Nicole was a woman, who had been battered by the murderer while married to him.

Well, couldn’t we regard them both as human beings, for good or ill? Don’t be ridiculous. This is America.

In your piece, Charlie, you have given ample evidence that race is trumping gender still.

P.S. Hang on, Professor Himmelfarb’s piece turns out to be on the Internet: here. I should have Googled before writing my post. And I should change my post now, but I’m too lazy to. Professor Himmelfarb’s piece was titled “The Gender Card Loses.” Its opening line is “Race trumped gender” — she is quoting a professor of government.

P.P.S. When you have Gertrude Himmelfarb write a short piece for your magazine, that is what we call, in the opera world, “luxury casting” (even if she is the mother of the editor).