To the Journal editor:

After watching the confirmation process of Judge Kavanaugh on TV, I have a bipartisan question to ask your readers and the American public: “Are you comfortable with defining the character of a person by an event that (may or may not) have occurred during his or her adolescent years?”

If the senators on the Judicial Committee were judged on their worst behavior during their adolescent years, how many of them would have been elected?

Fortunately for them, consideration of their behavior during adolescence has been off limits. Whether or not you believe Judge Kavanaugh is guilty of adolescent sexual misbehavior (I do not), you are still left with the important issue, in this and future cases, as to whether or not a candidate is to be judged on his adult record or his adolescent behavior.

Or maybe this is just another case of the end justifies the means (including character assassination).

William A. Hoppel, Ph.D

Shelter Bay