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The sun must be shining. Another liberal has been mugged by
reality. This time, it’s Maya Dillard Smith, the head of the Georgia chapter of
the ACLU.
As you undoubtedly know, the ACLU has been vigorously defending all of the new transgender restroom and locker room laws. It’s in the constitution, don’t
you know?
But then, Smith had the following experience:
I have shared my personal experience of having
taken my elementary school age daughters into a women’s restroom when shortly
after three transgender young adults, over six feet [tall] with deep voices,
entered. My children were visibly frightened, concerned about their safety and
left asking lots of questions for which I, like many parents, was ill-prepared
to answer.
For wanting to protect
her children, Smith counts, in the world of the ACLU, as a bigot. One understands why she had to resign her position at the ACLU.
And yet, a solution to the
problem has just come into sight. It was recently enacted by the New York City
Council. In a grandiose display of New York Values, the City Council just
decriminalized public urination. It’s no longer a crime to pee on the street in
the Big Apple.
What could be more gender
neutral than the streets of New York?
3 comments:
Stuart: In a grandiose display of New York Values, the City Council just decriminalized public urination. It’s no longer a crime to pee on the street in the Big Apple. What could be more gender neutral than the streets of New York?
Being a runner, I attend events with hundreds or thousands of people all collected together and no matter how many porta-potties are brought in there's still long lines before a race starts. But usually the events are centered close to parks, and there's usually treed areas near by where impatient people can pee the way our ancestors did, men and women, although men can do it more discreetly.
My own standard would be (1) Don't be seen (2) Pretend you don't see when someone takes a few steps into the trees.
Even marathoner Paula Radcliff was caught on video publically peeing on her win of the 2005 London marathon. Maybe now we know why women runner wear such skimpy shorts?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6I2-YP42rs
But I'm assuming the more serious problem isn't elitist runners, who are winners, and homeless people who don't have free options for public urination.
Peeing on the open street certainly seems rude, or worse in stairwells (indoor or outdoor) that have more privacy but also less airflow for quick evaporation.
So what's NY deal anyway?
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/21/nyregion/new-york-council-to-consider-bills-altering-how-police-handle-minor-offenses.html
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Under the legislation, New Yorkers given tickets by the police for offenses such as violating city park rules, a misdemeanor now, would in many cases be steered to a civil process rather than criminal court.
In 1995, Mr. Bratton opposed an effort by state lawmakers to remove minor offenses — like public urination and drinking — from the criminal courts completely. Police officials argued at the time that doing so would hamstring officers who, without arrest powers, could no longer compel those given tickets for minor crimes to divulge their real names. This difference this time, police officials said, is that the criminal courts remain an option.
“We have been supportive of having a civil option for the police,” said Stephen P. Davis, the Police Department’s top spokesman, who said he had not reviewed the new legislation. “It provides us more discretion.”
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Ah, discretion is a good thing for police as well as those who really need to pee.
The definition of "bigot" seems to be expanding by the day. Reminds me of "Animal Farm."
IAC,
Isn't that when you know that the word has lost all value and has no meaning any more? The "bigot" card has lost its value. Most people now ignore it knowing it is used by people who lack the intellectual skill to present a well reasoned argumentation for their position. Maybe why Obama and his administration is constantly trying to replace words and their meanings?
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