At the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps, former volunteers attending the celebration in Washington were invited to their home-state senator’s offices. We met with Sen. Susan Collins to discuss issues relevant to the Peace Corps.

It was a fascinating meeting. Sen. Collins was keenly aware of all the issues we wished to discuss. During our conversation, we were a bit surprised by her depth of concern over the protection of single female volunteers from sexual predation. It was obvious how deeply she cared and, more significantly, how well-informed she was of the specifics. In fact, it was she who brought the topic into our discussion. It was obviously her greatest concern.

We came away from that meeting firmly believing that she had a far better handle on the issue than we did, and that she was very deeply committed to the protection of women from sexual predators.

It is quite clear that the proposed justice for the Supreme Court has the same negative attributes that Sen. Collins identified and expounded upon during our meeting. We find it inconsistent with her historical concern about predatory violence toward women to remain uncommitted to Brett Kavanaugh’s candidacy. By the current nominee’s own admission, he has had a significant history of drunkenness and temper  — exactly the same behaviors that Sen. Collins identified in our meeting.

We implore Sen. Collins to hold to her convictions and reject Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court.

Earl and Joanne Morse, Waterford