If you argue that a woman can be traumatized by bawdy humor in the office or awkward come-ons in a bar, surely you would agree that she’s entitled to be fearful when trapped underground on a metal tube with an erratically behaving stranger twice her size.

But, no: instead, many of the people who once insisted that men who slid into DMs deserved the complete destruction of their professional reputations became passionate advocates for toughening up when it came to dealing with volatile people on public transit. Coverage and commentary from the Left downplayed the possibility that Neely’s behavior was frightening; instead, he was “acting erratic,” or “houseless and crying for food.” One viral tweet suggested that tragedy could have been averted with “a dollar and granola bar.” …

To sum up: a man who reposts an off-color joke is advertising his innate misogyny, to the point where women should feel uncomfortable sharing a workplace with him. But an agitated and clearly unstable man announcing to a crowded subway car—as Neely reportedly did—that he’s been pushed to the brink and is ready to die, or go to prison for life: why in the world would you find that menacing?

This sudden rediscovery of the merits of resilience would have been almost refreshing, if not for the whiplash of its promotion by people who up until very recently were arguing that a tweet made them unsafe.

[It’s absolutely absurd. *Of course* Neely’s behavior was menacing — he had a rap sheet with dozens of arrests, including several for violent crimes, providing a very clear look at the menace he presented. If New York doesn’t want subway passengers making snap decisions on whether they will be assaulted or worse, then they need to impose order and the rule of law in public rather than run away from its responsibilities under the social compact. — Ed]