Newgo Lightly had a long and distinguished career as an executive at Boeing

until he didn't.

Gary Girls had a long and distinguished career as a curator of painting and sculpture

at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art until he didn't.

James Bennett had a long and distinguished career as an editor at the New York Times

until he didn't.

All three were canceled.

Their careers, their lives work ended in a virtual instant.

Go Lightly wrote an article 30 years ago,

objecting to women taking part in military combat.

It was published in proceedings.

The magazine of the US Naval Institute, somehow it came to the attention of an employee at

Boeing who found it sexist.

The social media mob got riled up.

Go Lightly apologized, of course.

His views had changed in the intervening decades, but it didn't matter.

He was forced to resign.

Girls conducted a presentation about purchasing art from more racially diverse

artists by saying that he would still continue to buy art from white artists.

This outraged the staff at the museum who found his remarks smacking of white supremacy.

Girls apologized, of course.

He should have been more sensitive to his colleague's feelings, he said.

...