I was reading today about a ruling by a Texas ‘judge’ blocking the Obama administration’s decision on bathroom policy for public schools.
As quoted in the story at CNN, the ‘Judge’ was quoted as saying:
O'Connor said the law "specifically permits educational institutions to provide separate toilets, locker rooms, and showers based on sex, provided that the separate facilities are comparable."
Excuse me, your ‘Honor,’ but permitting educational institutions to PROVIDE those facilities isn’t the same thing as enforcing and validating bigotry in which of those facilities a student must choose.
The article caught my attention because I had hoped to be able to write about a related article from USA Today several days ago (last Monday, in fact).
That article cited a survey showing broad millennial support for individuals being permitted to use the facilities of the gender they identify with. One 18 year-old from Florida articulated all-too clearly the bigotry we see so often.
I could say I identify as anything and doesn't mean that I am it, and that is seriously crossing the line of what is real or is not. I feel like in some years an idiot will categorize as a spoon and we will have to accept it because he feels like it.
Yes, in all the world I can think of only one idiot who has conceived of the idea of ‘categorizing’ as a spoon, and you’re it.
As anyone can see, the issue isn’t safety, it is using legislation to ‘hit’ people some perceive to be ‘different.’ The issue isn’t supposed to be safety, it is supposed to be validation of bigotry and hatred. The young person quoted above has no sense of just how successful conservatives have been in their indoctrination efforts. They could hardly hope for a bigger victory.
Listen here, young person. Transgendered individuals don’t identify as a gender because they ‘feel like it,’ because they picked today to subject the world to a ‘whim.’ They do it because that is WHO THEY ARE. The skepticism/cynicism you show does you no credit, and if everyone you encounter holds you to the same standard throughout your life, you will experience a very hard life, indeed.
Conservatives picked this bs to try to continue the fight of discrimination, hatred and marginalization they LOST with marriage equality. This will lose, too. But not before hurting very many good people who deserve to be treated lovingly and respectfully. The people feeding you this crap care only to perpetuate discrimination and hatred of difference in our world. They will lose. Their loss cannot come soon enough. Much of the damage caused by these politics will not be possible to reverse. End it now. There are important things we all need to work on, and this bs issue isn’t one of them. At least, it need not be.
On to tonight’s comments!
Brillig's ObDisclaimer: The decision to publish each nomination lies with the evening's Diarist and/or Comment Formatter. My evenings at the helm, I try reeeeallllyy hard to publish everything without regard to content. I really do, even when I disagree personally with any given nomination. "TopCommentness" lies in the eyes of the nominator and of you, the reader - I leave the decision to you. I do not publish self-nominations (ie your own comments) and if I ruled the world, we'd all build community, supporting and uplifting instead of tearing our fellow Kossacks down.
Note: Especially during this passionate primary season, please remember that comment inclusion in Top Comments does not constitute support or endorsement by diarist, formatter, Top Comments writers or DailyKos. Questions, complaints or comments? Contact brillig. (brillig’s disclaimer, but BeninSC did this formatting, brillig blameless!)
From CwV:
Just look at this hilarious graphic and comment from jwinIL14! (Ed. note: Usually we don’t publish comments from tr0ll diaries, but in this case we’re making an exception!)
This comment by hackeynut totally tickled my funny bone! (Ed. note: yet ANOTHER comment from another tr0ll diary! And the highlighted comment from Railfan, below, is from the same diary!)
In this comment, derleider explains the mechanisms and pressures behind why so many of us can't afford to live in San Francisco or many other densely built, highly desirable places.
In the middle, and growing out of it, there's a particular, wider insight that goes beyond mere pricing mechanics:
"This is actually a big part of why neoliberalism fails. Because the new jobs are in cities, but the coal miners and factory workers who got put out of work by technology and globalization don’t have valuable enough skills to be able to afford to live anywhere near whatever new jobs they could get."
The whole comment, to see this in context, is well worth reading. In Walter Einenkel's diary, on home prices in San Francisco and how few of us can afford them.
I would like to recommend this comment by Shovelbum as a top comment tonight, and not because it references me! It’s a cogent analysis of exactly how fundraising works for non-profits. This should get through to a few people (probably just educated and open-minded people, like DKos readers) the problem with intending to do good works.
Highlighted by g2geek:
For Sunday, August 21, 2016, first comments and tip jars excluded. Thank you mik for the mojo magic! For those of you interested in How Top Mojo Works, please see his diary on the subject.
1) He’s bleeding support even among his base now. I … by DarkSyde +113
2) Yes. Trump surrogate…. and former candidate for … by Dale +107
3) I still don’t get the Play-Doh thing. What were … by davidkc +103
4) What were they thinking … by okaawhatever +91
4) Trump's surrogates just keeping more deranged. by News Corpse +91
6) I watched that as well and was surprised how inc … by flatford39 +90
7) 20 million Americans with access to health care. … by orlandoreport +86
8) It is important that it be Mook, because as camp … by floridageorge +84
9) This is pretty funny, but also reassuring. The A … by khyber900 +83
9) We have not had a majority on SCOTUS in 45 years … by bear83 +83
11) There’s also probably a good bit of DRSD, Dimini … by Pirogue +77
12) McGovern and Goldwater, whatever you think of th … by barry s +76
13) Mook is perfect for this. My husband and I were … by igualdad +74
14) It’s time to kick it in gear for the 2018 Winter … by kerflooey +73
15) Yes, of course. Clinton’s success has *nothing* … by Chris Andersen +72
15) I’m very pleased to see the Clinton campaign go … by SpudRazor +72
17) Can anyone remember a time when one Party was so … by nicky +68
17) Try this one, from Nate, with state areas propor … by Mokurai +68
19) Thinking has got nothin' to do with it. by rudewarrior +67
19) “I will surround myself with great people, the b … by Chaplain M +67
21) Not 2-300 people. I have longtime faithful repub … by middleagedhousewife +63
21) Thanks for this Ken. … by high uintas +63
21) He’s still bitter about Joe Biden ending his pol … by leevank +63
24) Prescription glasses? … by JeffW +62
25) [image] by floridageorge +61
26) But instead of that carefully cultured story dom … by yellowdog +59
27) Will save wurld lader. Time fur mai nap. by FosterMomInCA +58
27) Come on man, there are sources all over the plac … by DarkSyde +58
29) I'm tired of this, can't we just be excited and … by melaka +57
29) “Racialist” is a word I’ve seen in a British con … by Apprenticegeezer +57
29) LOL! In Sekritarmy We Don’t Haz 2Wait 4Years… by leonard145b +57
29) It’s obvious what’s going on here. The strength- … by mstep +57
29) [image] by jwinIL14 +5
Top Pictures
2016-08-22, courtesy of jotter!