Roy Exum
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, which I consider a pretty good authority on what words really mean, defines “freedom” in this way: “The quality or state of being free: such as, (a) the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action; (b) liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another; (c) independence -- the quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous; (d) Ease and facility -- the quality of being frank, open, or outspoken … “
So the question comes – Whose rights are being violated here? The rights of individuals who make a personal choice to be different, yet demand that everyone accommodate their self-centered motives? Or, do we violate the rights of men and boys, mothers and girls, whose privacy is indeed violated when a biological male or biological female selfishly invades a public restroom that is reserved for the opposite sex?
I can’t believe the United States has thrived for as long as it has without the transgendered people – three one-hundredths of one percent of the population – causing havoc and fierce descent among people who agree 100 percent that freedom is our greatest value and ideal. The whole issue is absolute absurdity.
Scholars tell us that a person’s sex is a physical characteristic but that gender is created in one’s mind. Men’s public restrooms – many including urinals -- are for people who are physically able to properly use them. It’s a physical thing, not mental, and if .03 percent of the American people are truly zealous in their efforts, let’s settle it the way we do in the Land of Freedom. Let’s vote as soon as humanly possible and discuss this no further.
On the next ballot let’s affix these questions:
* -- “Do you consider it part of freedom that you can live, worship, shop, enjoy fine dining and freely move inside the public confines of the United States without the hindrance of special-interest groups (Yes or No)?”
* -- “Do you believe you should be able to pick where you buy groceries, watch movies in a theater, have your oil changed in what is called Freedom of Choice (Yes or No)?
* -- “Do you believe that your Freedom of Choice should be altered by government mandates at the expense of the majority of the people (Yes or No)?”
* -- “Do you believe you should have the freedom to serve, work for, be employed or deliver professional services to those who you enjoy being associated with (Yes or No)?”
* -- “Do you believe the federal government, or its agencies, or any outside “human rights” group, should force you to cater to anyone who you feel may or could be onerous or objectionable in your opinion (Yes or No)?”
* -- “Do you believe you should stand aside, helpless, when faceless American corporations, entertainment venues, and large groups such as the American Counseling Association will indeed resort to blackmail and extortion by hosting events elsewhere if you do not heel to their beliefs (Yes or No)?”
* -- “Do you believe huge faceless corporations, country music singers, the ACLU, or any other entities has the credence to hold you up to judgement based on beliefs that are different than your own (Yes or No)?”
* -- “Do you believe that when faceless corporations, country music singers, the ACLU or any other entity goes instead to California or Massachusetts to foist their opinions and judgements it actually makes Tennessee a much nicer and kinder place (Yes or No)?”
* -- “Do you believe if you take your business (not a pun) to a Target store and there are two men washing their hands in the ladies room, that you will quit going to Target (Yes or No)?”
* -- “Do you believe if you saw a woman, dressed as a man, walking into the men’s room at a movie theater you might ask your 11-year-old son to “hold on” until the person in question exited the men’s room (Yes or No)?”
* --“Do you believe you will ever see questions such as these, that could end silly and trivial requests that only come from minorities, on a public ballot (Yes or No)?”
EXTRA-POINT QUESTIONS
* -- Do you believe, after having witnessing the actions and outcomes of the Hamilton County School Board in recent months, that the job of superintendent of the Hamilton County Department of Education should become an elected position for four years, like the County Mayor, the Country Commission, and the School Board members (Yes or No)?”
* -- Do you believe that the Board of Trustees of Chattanooga’s largest public hospital, Erlanger, should be chosen by election for four-year terms by districts such as the County Commission and the School Board (Yes or No)?”
* -- Do you believe the police chief of the Chattanooga Police Department, should be elected in the same way as the Hamilton County sheriff, all the judges of Hamilton County, both the city and county mayors and the City Council (Yes or No)?”
* -- Do you believe the time is overdue to combine certain city and county services in a way that would save millions of dollars (Yes or No)?”
* -- Do you believe, if some services could be combined, we should elect a Streets Superintendent, a Public Works Superintendent, a Parks and Recreation Superintendent, a Fine Art Superintendent and some other “Superintendents” in a way that would – at long last -- hold them accountable (Yes or No)?”
* -- Do you believe the city of Chattanooga should help fund the Hamilton County Department of Education, especially since the poorest schools are located in the inner city where the added millions would make a huge difference. (Yes or No)?”
* * *
Before you double-check your answers, please read Section One of the 14th Amendment:
“All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”
royexum@aol.com