If history teaches us anything (and it mostly doesn’t seem to), it teaches us that our fears can cause us to make some regrettable decisions. We have perfectly justifiable fears — of the new, of the different, of just plain change (we’re human after all). But then we let those fears run roughshod. A worry here, a concern there, and then all of the sudden the Japanese-Americans are being sent off to internment camps. Do you know what I mean? Fear is like a fertilizer for poor choices.
So what do you say we get ahead of it this time, huh? How about we think this one through and avoid passing any sort of legislation that marginalizes transgender people? We can do the right thing now and be proud ourselves. Or we can let fear rule and ruin lives until we come to our senses. C’mon, gang! One time ’round without the guilt and shame?
John Auchter draws cartoons. Lots and lots of them. You can find them at his incredibly popular website auchtoon.com.
Amen to that John Auchter. Clap, clap, clap!
I hear that Donald Trump is now welcoming Mexicans and Muslims into his campaign and into the U.S.
Hah, April Fools!
Ain’t foolin’ anyone with that one, Frank. Or if you said he was picking a woman as his running mate (which, you watch, he’ll actually do.)
Excellent! !
Whatever.
There are way too many more important things to spend our time and money and even our fears on. This kind of stuff is getting to be too much. In the case of students, I would guess that a few would take advantage of that law, most likely for the wrong reason; but at this stage in their lives, would they really want to call that attention to themselves? It was never needed before, it was never an issue, the students would not even think of bringing it up. If anyone thinks they are the opposite gender, that’s fine, but as long as they look like a boy, they should use the boy’s facilities, and the same goes with girls. Has their situation been confirmed by therapy or medical evaluation? When they are adults, they can do whatever they want. For K-12 kids, math, spelling and grammar should be the order of the day, not trying to figure out whether they are a boy or a girl, or who might be in that situation.
Give it up already. Let’s take care of the people who really need help.
I am working on it–first comes with waking up people like you who don’t see that a REAL thing is happening to A LOT of people, often children, who are confused by how what they were born with defines the reality they experience inside. Genitalia does not define where we take ourselves to relieve ourselves. On that logic, all penises in one room, all vaginas in another. Oh yeah, what about all the gay folks that attend the same relief room you visit? What’s this thing of fearing being assaulted by a rapist in my bathroom or public shower? You’re missing the deeper issues in this debate.
Tim, I am awake., thank you. I have a lot of gay friends and acquaintances and it does not matter to me which restroom they use. Please note that my concerns were more geared to school age kids. I think kids who might be dealing with this dilemma are also afraid, maybe many are not totally sure of what is happening and how to handle it. Also, I did not say anything about being raped or assaulted.
Agree completely with this cartoon.