Posted on 12/21/2016 6:42:08 AM PST by Altura Ct.
Kentucky governor Matt Bevin said last week that he hopes the Kentucky legislature won’t consider a transgender-bathroom bill in the upcoming legislative session; according to Bevin, “the last thing we need is more government rules.” He’s absolutely right, and I think it’s worth offering a conservative defense of transgender rights — which ought to be a conservative issue.
On the American political spectrum, conservatism is the mind-your-own-business ideology. I know smoking is unhealthy, but I enjoy smoking, and my health is none of your business. I know motorcycles can be dangerous, but I like the wind in my hair; whether or not I wear a helmet is none of your business. I realize that fireworks can blow up before they’re supposed to, but they’re fun and my fingers are none of your business. Don’t tell me what sort of car to drive, or what kind of light bulb I can buy, or what kind of milk I can drink, or how to raise my kids.
There’s a reason, when push comes to shove, most libertarians vote Republican. The Republican party is — more often than not, and should invariably be — the party of individual liberty. So conservatives have to ask, is it a good idea to empower the government to start lifting up people’s skirts?
The response, from many conservatives, is that it’s not a question of interfering with personal freedom — the freedom to live one’s own life however he’d like — but of preserving personal freedom — that is, the freedom to go to the bathroom among only people of the same biological sex. Allowing mixed-biological-sex bathrooms risks making adults uncomfortable, and risks opening the door to child predators, or so the argument goes. I’m afraid neither of those positions strikes me as well thought-out. Certainly not from a conservative point of view.
Unfortunately, the door is already open to child predators. So long as there are public bathrooms, bad people will use them (if for no other reason than evacuation). If child predators using your kids’ bathroom is your concern, you should be worrying about the male predators in the boys’ bathroom right now, not the male predators who might claim to be transgendered to get into the girls’ bathroom. (Or vice versa.)
Furthermore, it is a fundamental position of American conservatism that you don’t penalize innocent people in anticipation of criminal activity. It’s not my fault, as someone who wants a gun for self-defense, that someone else may want a gun to shoot his neighbor. Crime prevention does not preempt my right to self-defense. It’s not my fault, as someone who wants to contribute to a candidate he supports, that someone else might contribute to a candidate in order to buy political influence. Crime prevention does not preempt my right to political speech.
No thanks. I quit reading liberaltarian trash years ago.
Yes it is and this article sounds libertarian, not conservative.
Their right to be “Transgender” is not in question, their right to intrude on women is pushing that right on others. If they “Pass” as women no one will know the difference but it’s on the individual to adapt their public behavior to society not society to adapt to the fashion of the day. It comes down to the fact that there are NO group rights, only individual rights and when government pushes mob “group” rights on individuals that is where there’s infringement that must be stopped.
William F Buckley is spinning in his grave.
Mental disorders do not have civil rights. Nor should we confuse conservatism with libertarianism; conservatism recognizes natural law. Additionally, while it might be a libertarian position to allow someone to call themselves whatever they want, it is not a libertarian position to force me or others to go along with it.
Yesterday, I spoke to a friend in another state I had not talked to in over a year. She is distraught because her 15 year old daughter has abandoned Christianity, is attracted to girls, and has declared herself “trans”. She’s also indulged in drugs a couple of times.
I knew this kid. She was a wonderful, intelligent, polite, well-behaved, level-headed girl who never got in serious trouble - and although not perfect (no everyday human being is) - showed great promise for the future.
Now, her life is unraveling. Her mother is overwhelmed and terrified that her daughter will destroy herself. The daughter says, “God made a mistake. I was supposed to be a boy.”
I don’t know exactly what is causing this upsurge in “trans” but it ain’t natural.
A friend’s daughter/son is transgender and never had a problem with public bathrooms as an adult. Just uses the stall with the door. If there is only one, he just waits until one is available.
“Transgender” people have rights — the exact same rights that everyone else has. They don’t get special rights. If someone beats up a transgender person on the street, the police will arrest the perpetrator for assault. If someone steals money from a transgender person, the police will arrest the perpetrator for theft. If someone kills a transgender person, the police will arrest the perpetrator for murder. I am so sick of these groups claiming that they don’t have “rights.”
The person is either a daughter or a son. I’m presuming the former here.
Kids get confused—it is part of growing up and finding yourself.
If the society encourages that confusion then it can get a lot worse.
That is what we are seeing here.
I agree that helmets, cars, fireworks, light bulbs & milk examples given are freedom of choice type things that the government needs to leave alone.
But this transgender thing does not fit in there anyplace.
I agree with: ““Transgender” is a psychiatric disorder just as surely as is schizophrenia.”
While our freedoms must be protected, so must our security within certain limits. I really don’t want to see some tranny strutting about in the girls bathroom showing off his parts. We all deserve protection from this sort of mental illness as we do from other types where the sick person represents a danger to the public.
So no, there is nothing conservative about being a homo, a tranny or whatever they call themselves.
The National Review misses the point. By the new laws, a 'transgender' can walk into the female restroom dressed exactly like any male dresses day by day throughout the USA.
There is no law that says they have to be wearing a skirt.
I suppose that people have a basic right to claim to be "transgender" if they wish.At the same time *I* have the right to claim to be the King of Spain.It's when "transgendereds"...or those claiming to be the King of Spain...insist that their self proclaimed status gives them special rights that the problems arise.I've tried to gain entry,at all hours of the day and night,to the Royal Palace in Madrid but have been taken to a hospital by the police every time."Transgendereds" should take the hint.
Bizarre homosexuals in the news media, popular culture
and promotion by Hollywood are what is driving it. In
addition to tolerance by government through "anti-discrimination" laws.
Ah, the National Perv-view.
Transgender is an oxymoron.
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