I think you have it exactly backwards.
It is “old-school” to treat women with deference and politeness. This also happens to be the correct way to treat them, by the way.
The PC culture that has “ruined this nation”, as you are correct to point out, is that women are interchangeable with men and belong in politics and the work-place and hearings like this “going toe-to-toe” with the men, because they really are just men.
That creates the schizoid behavior that you see, and which the feminist “womyn” like. They expect to get to have it both ways.
This woman is disagreeing with you. It is not respectful to treat women like china dolls. It’s condescending which is how everyone from Senators to msm has been treating Ford. It’s disgusting. Ford is a full grown supposedly intelligent woman. She is not a fragile little three year old.