I think that you've got this right.
David
ORourke1 Signature
"Anyone
who thinks he has a better idea of what's good for people than people
do is a swine."--P.
J. O’Rourke
On 4/20/2010 3:01 PM, [email protected] wrote:
This is about as absurd as it gets. As much as I sometimes have
disagreed with Thomas Szasz,
the well known psychiatrist, he got it right when criticizing
trans-gender surgery. The result,
he said, was butcher shop genitals and even worse psychological
problems for the
individual than things were in the first place.
And now we have the governor of Massachusetts, as well as some
in the state's
Republican Party, arguing on behalf of trans-gender "rights."
Since when is it a
right to be mentally ill ? Since when is it a right to be
pathological ?
And, here, not at all incidentally, is where libertarianism
breaks down.
There is a false assumption built into libertarian logic, which
says that all choices
are equally good. However, all kinds of choices are sick,
stupid, crazy, criminal,
or otherwise wholly off the charts --like anyone who chooses to
become
a transgender, to perform such surgery, or to facilitate the
outcome.
A choice that injures an individual or society, which is not
based
on empirical research findings, is either ( or both ) immoral or
criminal.
The entire transgender "movement" is an outrage, it is criminal
in character
by reason of its gross irresponsibility, and because it is based
on utterly
false and injurious premises.
Which is precisely what we find in Massachusetts and, more
generally,
all kinds of places around the country now. All in the name of
"civil rights."
Which is the price we pay for a legalocracy, government by
lawyers.
Political reform ? Wasn't it Shakespeare who said, "we start by
killing
all the lawyers" ? I wouldn't go that far, but maybe we could
deport
them all to Zimbabwe or North Korea. We would be immeasurably
better off and those countries cannot get any worse.
Billy
===========================================================
Transgender bill opens door to party clash
Activists see ‘flip-flop’ by GOP nominee Baker
Charles D. Baker, who came to last Saturday’s state Republican
convention hoping to focus squarely on the economy, taxes, and jobs,
has sparked a heated debate over a divisive social issue by deriding a
transgender-rights bill cosponsored by his running mate, state Senate
minority leader Richard R. Tisei.
At issue is a bill that would make it illegal to discriminate on
the basis of “gender identity or _expression_.’’ Social
conservatives have dubbed it the “bathroom bill,’’ contending it
would sanction unisex bathrooms and locker rooms.
On Saturday, after critics of the bill highlighted Tisei’s
support for the legislation in phone calls to delegates and in
petitions at the convention, Baker quickly issued a flier calling it
the “bathroom bill’’ and saying he would veto it if elected.
Yesterday, gay rights activists accused Baker of a “flip-flop on
transgender employment protections’’ because Harvard Pilgrim Health
Care, which he led from 1999 until last year, has a stated policy “to
hire, train, and promote our employees without regard to race,
religion, gender, [and] gender identity,’’ the legal term for
transgender people.
“It appears Charlie Baker was for transgender civil rights
before he was against them,’’ DeeDee Edmondson, political director
of MassEquality, a gay rights group, said in a statement. “Given
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care’s history of protecting employees from
discrimination based on gender identity, which happened under Charlie
Baker’s watch, we were surprised to hear of his opposition to the
Transgender Civil Rights Bill.’’
A spokesman for Baker, Rick Gorka, said yesterday, “Saturday’s
comments stand, and that’s Charlie’s position on the issue.’’
State Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill, who is running for governor as
an independent, jumped into the fray yesterday by issuing a strongly
worded statement saying that he, too, would veto the legislation.
“While I oppose discrimination of any kind, the sponsors of this bill
wrote it with a sledgehammer approach that could radically change the
social landscape in the interest of protecting a small interest group.
That is wrong,’’ Cahill said. “My opponent Charlie Baker claims
he opposes the bill, but when he had to pick a running mate, he picked
Richard Tisei, one of the lead cosponsors of the bill.’’
Governor Deval Patrick has been a vocal supporter of the bill,
calling it “another step forward in achieving fair and equal
treatment for all.’’
It is a controversy Baker might have preferred to avoid as he
tries to run in the mold of past Republican governors such as William
F. Weld and Paul Cellucci, who campaigned as social moderates and
fiscal conservatives. Baker supports abortion rights and same-sex
marriage, and has picked Tisei, who is gay, as his candidate for
lieutenant governor.
But social conservatives remain a presence in Massachusetts, and
Baker must walk a fine line in espousing social positions that are
considered liberal for a Republican candidate.
Conservative activists applauded Baker for strongly opposing
Tisei’s legislation, which has not passed the House or Senate in the
three years since it was first introduced despite support from 104
lawmakers.
“We’re very pleased,’’ said Kris Mineau, president of the
Massachusetts Family Institute. “I know that Mr. Baker is very
concerned about family values. He has a lovely family and he’s
concerned about the environment his children are being raised in, and
he basically feels the bill goes too far.’’
Gay rights activists, meanwhile, said they were stunned that Baker
promised to veto the legislation and used the term “bathroom
bill,’’ which they regard as a scare tactic designed to raise the
specter of sexual predators dressing as women and entering women’s
bathrooms.
“This is his first foray into the tough and heated world of
politics in the Republican Party, and at the first brush fire he
sacrificed something important at the altar of political
expediency,’’ said Arline Isaacson, cochairwoman of the
Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus. “The bottom line is
you can’t be halfway for equality. You’re either for it or against
it.’’
At an awkward news conference after winning the convention and
knocking rival Christy Mihos off the ballot, Baker stood with Tisei and
played down his flier opposing the bill. “I picked a guy to be my
running mate who doesn’t always agree with me on everything, and I
don’t always agree with him,’’ Baker said as the Wakefield
resident looked on.
Baker denied he was trying to court the GOP’s socially
conservative wing, which has been cool to him and Tisei, although every
candidate in the race backs abortion rights and gay marriage.
“I think a guy who supports gay marriage and is pro-choice, and
has been pretty clear on those, and picked a gay fella as his running
mate, is pretty much not pandering too much of anybody,’’ Baker
said, putting a hand on Tisei’s shoulder. Tisei did not speak at the
news conference.
Supporters of the bill say concerns about different sexes using
different bathrooms are a distraction and have not arisen in the 13
other states that have enacted similar bills. They say the measure is
designed to protect transgender people from violence and from
discrimination in housing and employment.
“It’s a bill that simply adds gender identity to the list of
other reasons why you can’t discriminate,’’ said Nancy Nangeroni,
chairwoman of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition.
“Someone like me who lives as a woman will have the right to use
women’s rooms, as I do now. It’s not going to change anything.’’
Calling it the bathroom bill “is a scare tactic, pure and
simple,’’ said state Representative Carl M. Sciortino Jr., a
Somerville Democrat and lead sponsor of the bill. “It’s catering to
the right wing of the Republican Party at the expense of the civil
rights of all citizens. But we’re going to continue to move
forward.’’
Mineau, with the Massachusetts Family Institute, said it was
important for Baker to state his position on the legislation, which he
says would open the door to the sexes mixing in school bathrooms and
locker rooms.
“Our overall concern is we want to ensure the safety, privacy
and modesty of all citizens, and particularly among our most vulnerable
is children,’’ Mineau said. “And it certainly allayed a lot of
concerns when they took that position on the Baker campaign. We had not
heard Mr. Baker take a formal position and it’s obvious he has taken
a positive public position.’’
Jesse Ehrenfeld, chairman of the Log Cabin Republicans of
Massachusetts, a gay Republican organization, dismissed the
controversy, saying Baker and Tisei “are two separate people’’
and the “great thing’’ is that they both support same-sex
marriage.
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