Child abuse prevention month ended on March 31. In the Florida Legislature, every day is child abuse day. Not prevention. Perpetration, with almost every Republican legislator institutionalizing a system of predation that makes clergymen’s unzipped prowls seem monastic in comparison.
The frocked committed their crimes in hiding. The Vatican has been trying to atone. Florida’s legislators are out and proud. They’re giving naked discrimination, predation and violence the cover of law. Welcome to the Sunshine State’s Sharia laws. Few sessions have provided the legal framework for as much state-sponsored and citizen-empowered terrorism against children as this one. You’d have to go back to the Jim Crow era’s systematic dehumanization of blacks for anything comparable. Now it’s open season on LGBTQ kids. Let us count the ways.
HB1069 expands the “Don’t Say Gay” law approved last year to all grades through middle school, forbids the use of Safe Space stickers or LGBTQ flags (congratulations, Ms. Christy Chong), and forbids recognition of LGBTQ+ History Month in June. Black History Month is still OK, as long as you only teach the yes-massa version. School staff and students are forbidden from using pronouns that conflict with a child’s birth sex. The Department of Education has the authority to broaden the prohibition through 12th grade without legislation. Last week, it did so.
Recall how in 2019 a Matanzas High School chorus teacher refused to refer to a trans student by his chosen name? The teacher was seen as callous or insensitive at the time. The case led to the student’s transfer and his parents’ (successful) two-year campaign to add gender protection in the district’s anti-discrimination policy. Now that teacher or the district would be violating the law if they were to accommodate the student’s chosen pronouns.
Those who criticize us fake newscrafters for using terms like “don’t say gay” are right in one respect. The phrase is misleading. It’s too gentle, too Birkenstock. This is not just about words. It’s the denial and erasure of people’s identities down to their most private core. It is the method of genocide.
We have precedent–not just in slavery times and Jim Crow: Florida law ostensibly makes it a requirement to teach Holocaust history (ostensibly, because the same legislators and our governor are no less rabid anti-Semites for it, as their Soros-coded vileness reminds us almost daily). In this regard the Florida curriculum might as well be written by a cherry-picking Josef Goebbels. Students will not be taught that before he took on Jews on his quest for an “Aryan master race,” Hitler criminalized all homosexual organizations, or that the ashes of gays and lesbians, not just Jews, gypsies and political prisoners, dusted the countryside around Auschwitz and Dachau.
HB 1521 and SB 1674 would ban non-binary people from using the bathroom of their choice, if it doesn’t align with their birth sex. We went through this in 2015. The bills failed then, because not all lawmakers substituted colon polyps for their synapses. But here we are again, with the same fabrications about trans people making bathrooms dangerous for your little boys and girls.
It is, in fact, the reverse. Trans are already hugely more victimized by sexual crimes than any other group. “One in two transgender individuals are sexually abused or assaulted at some point in their lives,” the U.S. Justice Department reports. “Some reports estimate that transgender survivors may experience rates of sexual assault up to 66 percent, often coupled with physical assaults or abuse. This indicates that the majority of transgender individuals are living with the aftermath of trauma and the fear of possible repeat victimization.” Call it an exaggeration if you must. It would still be appalling if the numbers were half as dire.
That’s before accounting for the consequences of these transgender-ban bills. There is no link between trans bathroom use and crime any different from the prevalent predation of heterosexuals, who don’t usually RSVP to assault anyone, anywhere. Nor would they absurdly put themselves through the hassle of passing off as trans just to enter an opposite-sex bathroom they can enter now, and have been violating for centuries, to attack. I’m sure you can find transgender predators. It’s basic math. But they can’t compete with heteros’ violence.
There is documented evidence that bans increase the incidence of sexual assault against trans teens–by 36 percent, according to a Harvard study. Put simply: Florida lawmakers who vote for these bills are not keeping the “demons” and “mutants” out, as Volusia County’s Rep. Webster Barnaby put it last week. They are the enablers of violence and crime. They are enablers of child abuse. And they’re turning the rest of us into the executioners.
The LGBTQ-erasure bill and the bathroom bill turn teachers and other school personnel, including counselors, into mandatory collaborators of state spying and denunciation of LGBTQ children or of transgressors of the legalized persecution: teachers must also denounce other teachers or administrators who don’t enforce Sharia. This is what our governor calls the Free State of Florida. The former East German name for it is more accurate: Stasi.
HB1421 bans health insurance companies from covering gender-affirming care for minors and prohibits “all healthcare practitioners, except Florida-licensed physicians or a physician employed by the Federal Government, from providing gender clinical interventions to adults,” according to a legislative analysis. As with abortion, which Florida now bans after six weeks, lawmakers believe they have a right to your body, not just to that of your child. So much for parental rights when they don’t fit the mullahs’ agenda.
There’s plenty of room for debate on gender dysphoria, just as there is on transgender athletes’ participation in competitive sports. Deep research is lacking in both and findings are evolving. Reasonable controls based in science and accommodations based in fairness can and must be the starting point of any regulations. We’ve barely reached that point. Sledge-hammer legislation, like DeSantis’s signature last year on a ban on all transgender girls playing on school teams or his coming signature on HB1421, will cause more segregation and cruelty than address either matter humanely.
But crafting fair and humane solutions to these dilemmas has never been the GOP’s intention. The legislative onslaught has barely got to do with transgender people or the alleged protection of children. The party couldn’t care less about either. (See above.) This is all part of a national strategy, honed with Florida’s always special hate sauce, to appeal to the right-wing base and whip up votes in a vacuum of governance and legislative accomplishments that don’t turn back the clock to the 1950s.
Demonizing gays had once been a potent turnout machine. It was key to George W. Bush’s re-election in 2004, when Karl Rove lured out the pitchfork voters by stuffing 11 states’ ballots with anti-marriage-equality initiatives. Citizens indifferent to Bush’s crimes against humanity in Iraq and Afghanistan could at least get excited about playing Taliban at home. The initiatives passed in all 11 states, including Ohio, which made the difference in Bush’s electoral-vote margin. He couldn’t win on fear alone. Loathing clinched it.
Courts then ruined it all by wedding the 14th Amendment to marriage equality, culminating in the Supreme Court’s legalization of gay marriage in 2015. Crushed and depressed, Republicans needed a new demon. “We knew we needed to find an issue that the candidates were comfortable talking about,” said Terry Schilling, the president of American Principles Project, a social conservative advocacy group, told The New York Times last Sunday. “And we threw everything at the wall.”
Lynching transgender rights stuck. Like the parable of the seeds, the rage grew best in Florida, land of DeSantis, Anita Bryant and moms for bigotry. We modeled Stand Your Ground for the rest of the country in 2005. We modeled union-busting a decade later. Now we’re modeling hetero supremacy. So here we are. Bathroom bans, book bans, drag show bans, pronoun bans, care bans, abortion bans, existence bans. All part of the same arsenal of sanctimony.
How can it possibly affect my neighbor’s life if my child borrows All Boys Aren’t Blue from the school library or chooses to go by the pronouns of his choice? It won’t, anymore than my neighbor masturbating to Tucker Carlson porn every night will make a difference in your life or mine. But in politics, there’s no business like schadenfreude business: Just as the blood of children from school shootings is liquid gold to the NRA and gun manufacturers, gang-banging trans rights is solid gold for Republicans scaling their wins to the misfortunes of others. Easier still when it’s against defenseless children whose parents you’ve won over as collaborators.
In Florida, abusing children is no longer just permissive, as has always been the case with the state’s corporal brutality allowance. If the child has the perversity to defy provisions in the bills outlined above, abuse is now a requirement. It’s not quite the orchestrated collapsing of walls on homos in Taliban stadiums filled with cheering sadists. Ours is a more pernicious, more systematic mandate that makes any of us lucky enough to be in the protected class of white hetero Christians free to marginalize, to demean, to demonize. Thanks to our god-fearing legislators and governor, the entire Free State of Florida is our stadium.
Onward, Christian Floridians.
Pierre Tristam is FlaglerLive’s editor. Reach him by email here. A shorter version of this piece is airing Friday on WNZF.
Robin says
We will remember in November.
Pogo says
@Pierre Tristam
Lucid, erudite, incisive. You would make a better world.
We live in the Christian Republic of Florida — as seen on the Christian Republic of Florid Channel:
Our taxes at work — purchasing 24/7 fundamentalist Christian holy war
https://thefloridachannel.org/
And so it goes.
Jon Hardison says
I think it’s really important that we pause for a moment. All of the above is true but there’s also an unaddressed benefit:
Restricting businesses’ and school boards ability to act with their own morality or lack thereof, will force them to make a choice. Comply or resist, but more importantly, stay or leave.
Those who choose to stay and comply will inadvertently but inevitably be creating a new generation of scared, uninformed voters.
From my view, all new legislation by this GOP is actually about making states they control “safe spaces” for them. Liberal free zones, if you will.
So yes, this is about votes and winning but not like it was before. This is what the long game looks like. This is government mandated indoctrination and they’re winning at every level. You may disagree with them but your children won’t. Their children won’t. And it won’t be because they’re awful people. They’ll just be too fucking stupid to know any better and every tax dollar, regardless of source, will have been spent to pay for it. Every resident of Florida is now a GOD donor. Congratulations!
My message to right-minded liberals and conservatives alike: GTFOT!
Your votes don’t matter. You’re not helping. You can do more from the outside than you can from within.
Florida needs an intervention.
Pierre Tristam says
I don’t disagree with almost every point you make, nor do several of my board members, past or present–as you well know–who have GTFO. I think of leaving all the time. But to what end? There’s nothing duller in journalism than echo chambers. I don’t have as jaundiced a view of children, at least those that may stay behind (mine either have or will follow you out), and certainly don’t think those who stay behind will be too stupid to know better: we witness our own resisting students in this district’s slouch toward mullah rule often enough to know that they, not the bigots, will have the last word on this score, as they ultimately always do. Florida does have its intervenors.
ASF says
Before retiring I worked as a front-line Social Worker. Child Abuse takes many forms and is committed on many levels by people of all persuasions.
Children should not be used as political shills or pawns by either the Right OR the Left to forward their agendas. I see both extreme sides of the political fence doing just that and I find that to be disturbing.
Deborah Coffey says
Could you please elaborate on how the Left extremists are using children as pawns to forward their agenda? I’m not seeing it.
Sherry says
Yes. . . ASF. . . I agree with Deborah. . . I do not see factual evidence that the “Left” is using children as political pawns. Could you please post an example?
ASF says
I have written a post in reply that offers in-four depth examples that pertain to this specific subject.
It is posted further down below. Read on and feel free to respond.
It Was Never About Protecting Kids says
This is very much like the 90s. People knew there were LGBTQ kids and people, no one said anything. It isn’t mentally healthy for LGBTQ people. It increases suicides because they feel they have no one in their corner. It makes everything a secret like it’s shameful and it’s not. There is no shame in being LGBTQ and no one is shoving anything down anyone ms throats.
If you think books and movies and talking can make someone LGBTQ, then it’s you that are the problem. Decades of heteronormative indoctrination hasn’t worked on the millions of LGBTQ people, you know converting them to heterosexuality. Because it’s not possible. LGBTQ are born that way just as you’re born straight. And yes, when you had your first crush on someone of the opposite sex, around age 8-10, that is when an LGBTQ kid feels those feelings too. They don’t wake up at 18 and say, “I’m LGBTQ.” They’ve known just as long as you’ve known you’re straight.
If you’re ok discriminating against LGBTQ, you’re ok denying anyone that isn’t like you the basic freedoms to live. Why all the hate? You think you’re impervious to being subjected to hate because you’re straight, white, Christian and cisgender? You’re not. There will be a day when discrimination is normalized again, that someone can and will deny you service because they don’t like the cross around your neck, or the color of your skin, etc. Openly allowing discrimination of any kind is a box we shouldn’t want opened.
Of course this harms kids. That’s their intent. They don’t want kids knowing the truth about anything.
“Is what’s happening to me sexual assault?” We can’t talk about that, maybe your friends, off campus.
“Is it rape?” Sorry, can’t discuss that either. Just guess.
“How do I prevent pregnancy?” Lalalalalalalala.
“What about safe sex?” Nope. Can’t do it. No sex talk here.
“Am I disgusting because I’m a girl that likes a girl?” I could go to literal prison for even listening to this and now I have to tell your parents. “But they will hurt me if they know.” I’m sorry but I can’t protect you from their abuse.
“Why are you taking my books? They’re mine. I paid for them.” You brought them into school and they’re banned so we need to confiscate them.
I could go on and on. What in the hell are we allowing to happen here and across this country. There are more people that are liberal minded and even those that are left-leaning republicans don’t agree with these draconian measures. If we don’t speak up and stand tall, we will lose what it means to be an American. Don’t listen to these “freedom” pushers. It’s never been about freedom. It’s about taking freedoms away and implementing authoritarianism. DeSantis can say he kept this state open during Covid but those of us that lived here know he signed off on allowing cities and towns and beaches to shut down. He advocated for vaccines and even masks in the beginning. He is the very definition of a flip-flopper, going whichever way the wind blows that will suit him electorally. He’s realizing though that trying to out jerk the jerk that is Trump isn’t a winning strategy. Some liberals may leave but I’m not. I’m staying. My family is staying and I refuse to let my country be overtaken by authoritarians who want to turn us into Russia or Hungary. It’s 2023, we should be looking forward to where we will go and who we can be and not wanting the hateful tropes of our past brought back to life. We’re better than this or at least we should be.
Deborah Coffey says
I’m with you. We’re staying put until we’ve chased every one of these haters back under their rocks.
Disgusted Citizen says
Another disgusting article written by far-left woke extremist, Pierre Tristan, where he once again attempts to cram his woke agenda down the throats of far-right Trumpers (and the rest of us stuck in the middle of this insanity).
Please, stop politicizing our schools and sexualizing our children. It’s disgusting.
Mom for education says
Disgusted, define “woke.” Look at the people that are politicizing schools, desantis and his ilk, the GOP, the Supreme Courts, the far right evangelicals/ white nationalists. They’re all up in our business and brainwash any sense out of those who’ve yet to learn how to think for themselves rather than through a red lens. Now that is disgusting.
Local says
Sorry Pierre both sides are doing it not just the right
Sherry says
@DC. . . Since you apparently do not like “Award Winning” Flaglerlive. . . please plaster your hate filled FOX BS “talking points” some place else! Thanks!
joe says
OK – you’ve got the talking points down…..use the word “woke” multiple times….I’d be curious if you can even define it except as anything you and the other cult members don’t like or understand.
Pissed in PC says
Please define the term “woke”, I’ll be waiting but I believe you’ll come to the same conclusion as me. It’s anything that you right wing nut jobs hate. I’d trust my kid with a drag queen before I trusted him with a priest, pastor or republican. Maybe try living by the motto “Live and let live” or how about “To each his own” instead of wanting to cram down others throats your vile hatred of if I don’t like it then I’ll tell you how I want you to live your life.
Deborah Coffey says
What’s really disgusting are today’s very fake Christians spewing lies and misinformation. Even more dangerous are the completely conned far right wing extremists who have learned from Donald Trump how to “PROJECT,” blaming every single thing on the Left that THEY are doing themselves.
Laurel says
People are not flocking to Florida because of DeSantis and his minions, and they will not leave because of them. Disney will stay put as well.
Far right wing Republicans, mommies for illiteracy, and “pro lifers” clearly don’t give a damn about the lives of children. This is totally a means of controlling women, and they have recruited dumber than rocks female supporters to push this agenda. These DTRs are uncomfortable with their lack of intelligence (they don’t read those books they are banning), and it makes them feel less inferior to dumb down others. This makes them useful idiots to push a darker agenda.
If any of them cared, really, there would be a ban on assault rifles, they would go after religious leaders who have been protected of their pedophilia crimes, with a vengeance. They would protect children who are a bit different (who have always been here) and give them a chance to grow up to the people they were really meant to be. They would allow young minds to blossom. Are they doing this? No, they are doing the opposite.
We are being distracted and abused by the dark money that is putting out this agenda. Look behind the curtain.
Save Our Children says
The sexualization of children under guise of “education” must stop!!!
Pierre Tristam says
When you show me one example of children being sexualized by public educators anywhere in Florida at any time in the state’s history, just one–or (1), as the police in Flagler Beach like to specify–including in Flagler’s allegedly Caligula-like classrooms (Catholic schools obviously don’t qualify as public education), we can take your claim more seriously and discuss it then. But until then, your claim is no more credible than when Alex Jones uses the word the. That goes for the “Disgusted” one as well and any other commenter using alternative facts here.
Sherry says
@SOC. . . Post credible evidence and FACTS for you outrageously, ignorant, ridiculous statement . . . or, we will ALL continue to know that you do not think for yourself, and that all you are doing is posting FOX BS, hate filled “talking points” because you are brainwashed!
Deb says
Hate was given a place at the head of the table by a charismatic bully, emboldening the other power-starved rodents to desecrate America’s progress. But all is not lost. Florida students are aware of why their school day is interrupted twice a year, to huddle in a darkened corner of their classroom, waiting for the “All clear.” They see their friends forced into closets as rainbow symbols disappear. They see their 1st ammendment rights trampled by book bans and Whitewashed “history” lessons. They will suffer as they learn what not having control over their own bodies really means. (And so will we.) But if my Alexa is correct, about 200,000 future voters graduate from Florida public schools each year. So keep it up, Republicans. You’re sealing your fate.
Gross says
Normalize homosexuality. Check.
Normalize transgenderism. Check.
Normalize mental illness. Check.
What’s next?
Normalization of pedophilia?
Normalization of necrophilia?
Pedophiles and necrophiliacs are humans too, right Pierre?
Pierre Tristam says
This Gross reasoning–or maybe a bit of trolling by a Webster Barnaby aide–makes even Anita Bryant sound like a progressive. Dumb as a dust mite, but still a progressive in comparison. We can see here a normalization all right, or rather the re-normalization of unrestrained bigotry that once made these stereotypes state policy (Florida used to fire gay teachers and professors in the 1950s and 70s, by legislative edict), and that are making them again. Thank you for being Exhibit G.
Sassy says
Wow it looks like you put way too much dark thought into your bucket list.
Jimbo99 says
Gross, that would be NAMBLA as a branch/fork of LGBTQI, the mentally ill that are that level of mentally ill that even LGBTQI won’t acknowledge them as one of their own as part of LGBTQI. Read the part in the link about ILGA & NAMBLA. Gotta give credit to LGBTQI & GLAAD, they were against NAMBLA from inception in the late 1970’s.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Man/Boy_Love_Association
Nancy N. says
What could you possibly have against normalizing mental illness? About a quarter of US adults suffer from mental illness, and stigma is a barrier to getting support and treatment. Many of our society’s problems are either caused or exacerbated by mental illness. We should be doing everything possible to make it easier for people to get help, starting with erasing the stigma around it.
Michael Cocchiola says
We all must resist!
Janet Sullivan says
I often wonder and worry about the children, grandchildren, or nieces and nephews of all of these hate-filled people. You know that some are gay, and some are trans, etc. What it must be like to have Gross, Save Our Children, or Disgusted Citizen in their family. Do these three posters think about that? Makes my heart hurt.
JoB says
Those who write legislation are supposed to be serving the citizens of our state. Instead, they are passing laws attacking the people who they are supposed to be helping. Their actions are cruel, heartless, and cold.
Peter says
DeSantis is doing a great job of ruining the State of Florida. He attacks Disney which will ruin his political ambition as will him discriminating against gays, people of color and anyone that disagree’s with him.
We will remember him at election time and his out look isn’t good.
BOB says
pierre you are a reprobate justifying sodomy just like
so many reprobates appealing to your depravity.
GOD CREATED MALE AND FEMALE . GENESIS 1-27
YOU PERVERTED PEOPLE
Sherry says
@Bob. . . you are so filled with hate. And, on top of it, sinfully using “cherry picked” bible verses to justify your ignorant, disgusting words. I sincerely hope you get the extensive counseling you so desperately need, and very soon.
Steve says
Your Bible is meaningless Fiction to those of no Faith in it.
James says
Sodomy is a fetish… it is not limited to the homosexual community. And the thought had occurred to me that you, and perhaps most of society (including myself) have been sold a group of assumptions that could be very inaccurate. Can you really know how all homosexuals conduct their lives? Are you one of them? No, right? I’m not either, so I don’t know how they live their lives… but it is their life to live.
I’ve come to the conclusion in life that usually people who hate others, hate themselves more. Find something you like about yourself before it’s too late.
At any rate, someone once said “love the sinner, hate the sin.” Sorry, I can’t quote you chapter and verse.
Just an opinion.
DaleL says
The bathrooms in my home have always been gender neutral.
Perhaps the solution is to move away from male/female binary restrooms completely. Divide up existing binary restrooms into individual private gender neutral restrooms.
In addition to resolving the real or imagined gender issues, such restrooms would provide privacy to individuals with medical conditions.
Wow. Just wow. says
I expect those who blame conservatives and Republicans for essentially every evil and problem will be happy when they get everything they want.
It will be glorious. For a peak at how effectively they deal with problems, try reading WHY MEADOW DIED. Spoiler alert, it is not so much about the evil guns as about the wonderful approach to problems by certain individuals, organizations and powers that be.
If only we could all just get along. If only we could all just fix the problems. But, being human, we cannot. We cannot even deal with violent repeat offenders in a functional way. But hey, blame that on old white men, dead or alive. You know. The people with privilege who cannot possibly experience anything but a wonderful life.
As to reality, I say keep pushing. Hard left. And as you do, watch the hard right response. Us poor citizens in the middle just wonder the stupid is so strong on both sides.
Of note about all this transition talk, the science everyone on the left talks,about just isn’t there, mass hysteria or not.
ASF says
I was asked by Deborah Coffey to supply some examples of how the Far left sometimes uses children as pawns in the pursuit of their political agendas. I tried to respond directly but the website did not allow for that so I hope this post will suffice (or, at least, appear.)
I will give four examples of the above that I find concerning: (1) There are chidren being found wandering at the border who are unaccompanied by an adult (which I consider to be a profound example of neglect/abandonment). Some of them are being used as “mules” in drug running and some have been otherwise trafficked. But to listen to the dialogue that comes from The Far Left, you would think that these children are more victims of American injustice than they are of the social problems that exist in the countries they originate from. As long as the powers that be ignore the originating problens, the problem will get worse–especially if ignoring and/or diverting attention away from it “pays off” to the people exploiting these children in the first place.
(2) The developmental and educational priorties of our children are not always well served by the Left’s insistence on pushing a “choose a side and take it to the limit” political attitude. I think the “everybody gets an award or nobody does” current Modus Operandi sometimes discourages/de-incentivizes achievement instead of honestly rewarding it. Children need to be prepared to function in a world that does not always provide “trigger warnings.” No one should be left behind–Everybody’s potential should be encouraged to the fullest but you do no one a favor by fostering childlike “magical thinking” so that adults can indulge in morally narcissistc exercises of their own.
(3) There ARE children being targeted for bullying in school settings (and elsewhere) simply for who they are and NOT just by those on the Right. Reports of Anti Semitic harassment are way up and many of these attacks are not being perpetrated by Far Right adherents. And if you don’t believe me, I suggest you Google the subject for yourself.
These attacks are being tolerated and too often are brushed aside and not properly acted upon. Children subjected to that kind of treatment often shut down and become depressed. They may cease to confide to adult authority figures out of hopelessness and/or a fear of the harassment getting even worse. Bigotry is a “Stupid Human Trick” of the first order. NO ONE is immune to either its causes or its effects.
(4) I have concerns about children gaining the impression that any feelings of fluidity as concerns their sexual identification while their brains and bodies are still in the proces of maturing are necessarily written in stone. Young people question and experiment. They should be given room to do so without being made to feel that they must commit irreversibly to anything they may not actually be ready/mature enough to decide. Self discovery is a process–sometimes a confusing and painful one. Increased Tolerance is not always best served by overzealous (abeit well-meaning) political propagandizing.
Sherry says
@ASF. . .
1. Regarding immigration- Our current immigration rules and regulations are beyond broken, they are convoluted and to the point that even expensive immigration attorneys cannot figure them out. It is NOT the President or their administration who writes the laws. . . that is up to Congress. The Democrats in Congress have been trying to get some form of immigration reform passed for many, many years. . . but, they have been completely stonewalled by Republicans who prefer WALLS to any kind of SIMPLE, unbiased legal immigration policy/laws. In fact, three Democratic members in the House of Representatives have currently introduced a bill to help overhaul the “legal immigration” system:https://pressley.house.gov/2023/03/29/pressley-garcia-casar-re-introduce-the-new-way-forward-act/
2. You can quote FOX all you want about the “everyone gets an award for just showing up” BS. . . which doesn’t really happen anyway. What’s much more damaging to education is the Republican take over of school boards and banning books. In addition, Republican legislatures are shifting millions of mandatory school tax $$$ away from “Public Education” to “religious” and “private” schools. . . although there has been ZERO conclusive evidence that shows consistent improvement in education across the board in those institutions.
3. Bullying – I loved the way you couched your words to say that not ALL bullying comes from right leaning cultures. . . certainly technically correct. However, statistical evidence shows more bullying in trump supported areas than in liberal ones: https://www.edweek.org/leadership/racial-bullying-rose-in-communities-that-favored-trump-in-2016/2019/01.
It’s very worrying to me that you apparently consider bullying to be more abusive than the mass murder that happens during multiple school shootings every year. Most evidence proves that the massive proliferation of guns in our country is a major contributor to the fact that: Dec 14, 2022 — Gun violence recently surpassed car accidents as the leading cause of death for American children.
4. Your concern for those who may have gender/sexuality issues is just that “your personal perspective”. . . unless you are a doctor or other expert in the field. . . consider the possibility that your “opinion” should be kept to yourself. Generally, it has been my observation that it is liberal minded people who are doing their best to accommodate the space for each and every person to do things like use the toilet without it becoming a huge “gender” thing. While Republicans are creating fear and xenophobic biases against anyone who does not fit into their particular idea of white, heterosexual and church going.
ASF says
Thank you for your response.
(1) I very specifically named two very disturbing situations that you have not addressed. One is the subject of human trafficking and the other is the fact that children are being abandoned at the border by people who are taking advantage of our confused policies and the political ruckus surrounding them. Children in these situations, once again, pay the highest and worst price. What is our government (or either political party) trying to do to address the Human Rights abuses that are occurring in the countries of origin of the people who are the vcitms of crime at the borders–especially children who have no voice? We need to focus more on policies to address the crimes of human trafficking, drug trafficking and child endangerment. I am not hearing either the Republicans or the Democrats addressing these topics to any great degree. What I do hear is both parties using the human misery that results from the border situation to score political points against the other. I was nauseated by Trump’s talk of “walls” but I was also put off by the spectacle of AOC making PR hay out of it and making speeches using “Concentration Camp” references. The irony in the case of the Left is that they were panning the very immigration centers that the Obama Administration was responsible for setting up but trying to use them as hammer points against the Republicans. That was truly a misstep.
(2). I am not oin the habit of watching FOX news so your no. 2. reference mystifies me. Over-arching attempts to “level” the playing field” across the board in educational settings can defeat motivational efforts and foster unrealistic expectations–especially when those attempts are mandated for political reasons which have more to do with the ego needs of adults who something to prove instead of doing the more thoughtful work of isolating what children really need in order to achieve their objectives in a way that they can then apply to real life situations. The last is what we need to concentrate on more
(3). I have seen where “cancel culture” can become a form of bullying. I have seen instances where children are being indoctrinated to adopt certain attitudes that have more to do with the prejudices of the adults around them than they do actual education. Unfortunately, I have seen that happen across the political spectrum. If you don’t agree with me, that’s okay. We will simply have to agree to disagree. As for gun control I have been always been a strong advocate for it. School shootings are not a Left or Right Party political thing. May I remind you that a very recent mass shooting in a school was perpetrated by a Binary individual who was not a Trumpster but certainly a very confused inidivual who, for we know, might have, themselves, been a victim of bullying at some point in their life.
(4) Just this past week, I read a very interesting article written by someone who underwent gender reassignment and who is a very strong advocate of children under 18 NOT being permitted to pursue hormonal or other life-altering treatments until and unless they reach majority and have received intensive evaluation, education and counseling beforehand. I used to work in a hospital setting that offered Bariatric Surgery but one of the pre-surgical requirements was that evaluation and counseling be performed ahead of the surgery. Why we would do any less with gender reassignment? Such decisions, once again, as far, as I am concerned, should not be made on the basis of political considerations but individual ones.
If you are assuming that I am a Republican or a Conservative or whatever other label you might be tempted to apply to those who disagree with you on certain issues, you would be wrong. The broad application of labels like that is, in itself, not what I would consider to be a “progressive” idea or an especially Liberal concept.
Sherry says
@ASF. . . While I most certainly agree that Democrats are not perfect by a long shot. They most certainly need to get their act together and find better/younger candidates for public office. Yes, the Democrats need to push harder to STOP illegal immigrants of all ages from being exploited. However, I will state again that exploitation of illegal immigrants cannot be stopped unless and until the “Republicans” in CONGRESS allow the passage of legal immigration reform. Our current convoluted immigration laws are actually the root cause of what is happen at our Southern border and beyond. The states must also hold companies that are endangering children criminally accountable.
There are plenty of other things I would like to see ALL of them in Congress do, like focus more on climate change.
However, ASF, although you have some valid concerns, those concerns do not offer proof that liberals/Democrats use children as “political pawns”. . . which was the statement I questioned originally.
It has been my observation and experience that Democrats generally are striving to support ALL children much more than Republicans. Both parties need to do better!
ASF says
We can agree to disagree on the points we disagree on. I would be willing to bet that we agree on more than you might think–especially the part where BOTH parties need to do better!
Sherry says
Right On ASF! Thanks for the discussion!
Obama says
Don’t waste your time, truth , points and Educated arguments have no resonance with lefty liberals. They will always deny and deflect and blame others just watch and read. It’s endlessly amusing
Pissed in PC says
That’s funny when it’s the right that wants to ban books, eliminate public education and only teach whitewashed history. Truth and education elude republicans.
Zuffa says
If you are a sentient being who values the fragile threads of democracy, equality, equity, compassion and empathy in this country, you cannot walk away or GTFO. Abdication is acquiescence.
Sherry says
@Zuffa. . . As a couple in our 70s we were both born and raised there during a time when “Southern Hospitality” was a major part of the cultural foundation. My wonderful husband and I greatly expanded our world view by becoming educated at the university level, and by living in other countries and states. We continue to traveling extensively and immerse ourselves in other cultural, social and political perspectives.
We returned to Florida and lived in Flagler Beach for 17 years. There we found the society of our beloved “home” state poisoned by the fear, anger and hate pushed daily by FOX and other right winged media outlets. Over time, our education, open world view, compassion and kindness became “suspect” in our increasingly close minded community. In the age of trumpism, the “hate” growing neighborhood became completely “TOXIC” to us. Through our experience, we knew we could easily live in a more positive environment during our golden years. We deserve joy, peace and love in our lives, and that was not available to us in Flagler Beach.
Although we “gave up” on Florida, sold our wonderful house, and moved to amazing Sausalito, California last Summer. . . I still support the passionate efforts of Pierre and Cheryl at Flaglerlive, and do all I can to point to “credible facts” when I see FOX lying propaganda posted by their fear filled “unthinking” cult.
Stuck In The Midde says
Insurmountable SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE exists suggesting Leftists are more likely to exhibit mental illness. Sadly, this article (along with its commentary) only reinforces science.
Now, before I’m attacked by the Lefties for the above statement, let me be clear: I do not support Trump, nor do I support Biden. Quite frankly, anyone supporting EITHER is part of the problem in this country. In my eyes, you’re all a bunch of whack job extremists.
Neither Trump, nor Biden, is fit to run America. Can we all agree on this?
WE MUST END GERONTOCRACY TO SAVE AMERICA!!!
We must impose age restrictions. If someone younger than 35 is considered too immature to run for office, we must consider someone 75-80 too old!
Those of us who’ve been stuck in the middle of this Left/Right madness for the past 8 years are the real victims.
We shouldn’t be forced to choose between a raging narcissist or a dementia patient in the next election.
IT’S TIME TO VOTE LIBERTARIAN.
Pissed in PC says
You are misguided. House of reps minimum age is 25. But apparently you have issues with older citizens. What we need is term limits of Congress and Supreme Court. I guarantee you that Biden runs circles around his staff. Trump just sat on his fat ass and uses a cart to golf. If you think liberals are mentally unstable apparently you haven’t been paying attention to the republicans lately.
Stuck in the middle says
According to Article II of the U.S. Constitution, the president must: Be a natural-born citizen of the United States. Be at least 35 years old.
Perhaps you’re the misguided one?
Stuck in the middle says
I don’t disagree with you about term limits.
Age-restrictions are essentially de facto term limits. We simply need a cap to the age range.
Pissed in PC says
With age comes wisdom and tolerance. I have no issues with the way Biden has handled things. I do have a problem with a orange blob that was retaliatory, was too friendly with dictators and basically screwed the army with his disastrous comment to pull us out of Afghanistan by a certain date leaving Biden with a huge mess.
Sherry says
@stuck in the middle. . . please post links to that CREDIBLE insurmountable “scientific evidence” that leftists are more likely to exhibit mental illness. There are “surveys” that indicate liberals, who are often better educated and self aware, seek psychological counseling more often. . . therefore, they may be more often diagnosed with psychological problems.
Here is an interesting article showing an analysis of the psychological differences between conservative and liberal populations. The indications that conservatives are often more fearful seems right on:
https://www.businessinsider.com/psychological-differences-between-conservatives-and-liberals-2018-2
I do agree that we absolutely need younger citizens as President, and also in Congress and the Judiciary. Term limits and a reasonable retirement age should be implemented across all government positions. However, voting Libertarian is not feasible for a successful outcome.
Stuck in the middle says
While I’m sure business insider is a credible news outlet, here’s some scientific research:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3809096/
Sherry says
Yes, I previously read that article . . . which does not empirically prove that liberals exhibit more mental illness than Republicans. Of course, the definition of “mental illness” verses what may be “normal” personality traits is always put through the filter of one’s own education, experience and life perspective.
Maria Konnikova interviewed one of the publishers of the article you refer to and here is her very interesting analysis. . . which seems right on to me:
https://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/politics-and-personality-most-of-what-you-read-is-malarkey
Thomas says
If you care at all about children, then you should care as much about the new slave trade/child trafficking being encouraged by the Biden administration. Where is coverage by Flagler Live?
“Alone and Exploited, Migrant Children Work Brutal Jobs Across the U.S.”. New York Times.
Sherry says
@Thomas. . . while I agree that much more needs to be done at every level to STOP Human Trafficking and exploitation. Certainly the Biden administration is NOT “encouraging” such mistreatment of anyone, much less children. Your words are inflammatory BS, at a minimum.
The blame must also include the Republicans in Congress who refuse to pass critical immigration reform. Law enforcement begins with simple, strong laws that are straight forward to enforce. A WALL is NOT the answer . . . reasonable legal immigration laws and processes are a vital necessity!! The Congress must act instead of pointing fingers!
The blame must also include the owners and managers of the companies that put children in such danger to begin with. There are laws on the books regarding child labor, where is the %^&*$# enforcement?
Thomas says
“The Biden administration received repeated warnings from both within and outside of the federal government in recent years about a rise in the exploitation of migrant children for child labor, but ignored the evidence it was presented with and in some cases retaliated against whistleblowers, an extensive report by The New York Times showed late Monday.
According to the report, officials in the Biden administration including Susan Rice, director of the U.S. Domestic Policy Council, oversaw the loosening of restrictions on vetting potential sponsors for unaccompanied migrants under the age of 18 as emergency shelters that were set up to house the minors struggled to meet demand in 2021. Reports of the problem also reached Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.
At least five staffers at the the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) told the newspaper that they raised concerns about the welfare of children who were sent to live with improperly vetted sponsors, and that they were retaliated against by officials who were growing “exasperated” with employees who insisted the department take steps to protect the minors in its care.
The report includes accounts from a former official at HHS who oversaw the government’s program for unaccompanied migrants under the age of 18, a senior employee at an immigrant rights advocacy group, and an immigration lawyer who worked in 2021 vetting prospective sponsors for unaccompanied minors.
The attorney, Linda Brandmiller, told the Times that she immediately flagged at least two suspicious potential sponsors who had contacted HHS to offer to take in some of the unaccompanied minors, allowing them to leave the emergency shelters that had been set up for an influx of young migrants over the U.S.-Mexico border.
One person explicitly said they planned to employ three underage boys at a construction company, and another said they could take in two children who would then have to work off the cost of their travel.
Brandmiller told the shelter she was working at in Texas that no children should be sent to the sponsors and warned that a 14-year-old boy had already been sent to one of the people, as well as emailing HHS supervisors and saying, “This is urgent.”
At least one boy was sent to one of the sponsors despite Brandmiller’s warnings, and she was abruptly fired from her job with no explanation a few days later.
As such instances of retaliation have been taking place, said Times reporter Hannah Dreier, “the number of children being trafficked or exploited has skyrocketed”
Sherry says
@Thomas. . . absolutely the Biden administration should be doing absolutely everything in it’s power to STOP this exploitation. However, again, saying that is administration is “encouraging” the mistreatment of children is outrageous!
In addition to the Republicans in CONGRESS refusing to reform the convoluted legal immigration laws which keep immigrants “illegal” with zero rights. . . setting them up for exploitation to begin with. . .. this report from the CBO says the Republicans want to cut the budget for the very departments that need to be helping these children:
Despite Republicans’ hollow promises, it is mathematically impossible to balance the budget in 10 years, make permanent the Trump tax giveaways to the wealthy, and avoid cuts to Medicare, Social Security, veterans’ programs, and defense without raising new revenue.
To balance the budget with no new revenues in 10 years and leave Medicare, Social Security, veterans’ programs, and defense harmless – even without extending the Trump tax cuts – Republicans would have to cut 86% from every other federal program, including food and housing support, Border Patrol and public safety, affordable healthcare and prescription drugs, roads and bridges, mental health and substance abuse, and Medicaid.
Spending cuts anywhere near this magnitude would drive up everyday costs for all Americans. For example, an 86% cut to health insurance from Medicaid and the ACA exchanges would leave tens of millions of people uninsured and increase costs for everyone else, and an 86% cut to federal research and development would drive up the costs of prescription drugs.
Last week, President Biden released his Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2024. It strengthens Medicare and protects Social Security, increases investments in kids and families, and lowers costs for Americans. By closing tax loopholes, ending tax breaks for Big Oil and wasteful spending for Big Pharma, and cracking down on wealthy tax cheats, the plan would also reduce the deficit by $3 trillion—without raising taxes on those making less than $400,000.
With the Republicans hamstringing the Biden administration at every turn. . . it is completely ridiculous to lay the entire blame for this terrible situation. . . which has been brewing for over 20 years. . . on President Biden.
Thomas says
The child abuse exposed in the NYT article is not a budget issue, it’s a policy issue. The administration created the problem with its border policies, and it appears that nothing is being done to fix the problem. The administration doesn’t even know where these children are. And while we are on the topic of child abuse, why is President Biden unwilling to recognize his granddaughter Navy? Totally shameful. What will be the impact on this child’s life, knowing she was an unwanted grandaughter?