If the GOP is really concerned about perverts in bathrooms all of a sudden, maybe they could start by dropping the notion that “boys are boys.” People who have nothing better to do with their valuable time than go into bathrooms and do peeping tom acts are out there — and they come in all shapes and sizes. They can be men, women, gay, straight, Black, White — and yes, transgendered. If a pervert were to sneak into a bathroom and violate my privacy, my problem is not that they are transgendered; my problem is that they don’t understand boundaries.
We know these types of people are out there. But the GOP has nobody to blame but themselves for this state of affairs. We have taught our young men that it is OK for them to be boys and that girls are merely sexual conquests. So, why do they act shocked when other people do it?
We all know the type of person who doesn’t understand boundaries. We all have them, and we use them to create healthy relationships with other people. The kind of people who would do this sort of thing do not understand boundaries and don’t understand when they are called out on their behavior.
It all starts with respecting peoples’ space. Soft on Crime GOP politicians may act like our culture has denigrated to where human sexuality and gender roles are rocket science, but it is not. No means no. What one wears does not mean they want to go to bed with you. People under 18 or under the influence are not capable of consent. Silence does not mean consent. If you do get into bed with someone consensually and they tell you to stop, you’re legally required to do so. All of this is simply common sense.
A lot of these people might have Antisocial Personality Disorder. While I am not a mental health professional, the symptoms can be consistent.
Antisocial personality disorder is a mental health condition in which a person has a long-term pattern of manipulating, exploiting, or violating the rights of others. This behavior is often criminal. (emphasis mine)
Under this definition, this is a mental health issue that can be addressed through single payer. Many people don’t have the money or resources to get help for such personality disorders, and Bernie’s single payer plan would cover mental health. However, the Republican Party opposes Single Payer — and then acts shocked when there are rumors of perverts in bathrooms.
Everybody has the right to expect privacy when they use a restroom. But there are totally innocent reasons why men would enter the ladies room and vice versa — maybe someone is using the men’s room or the line in the ladies’ room is extremely long. Or maybe people enter the wrong restroom by mistake; I’ve done that.
Next, if the GOP is really concerned about this problem, then maybe we should end the failed War on Drugs. That would free up countless prison space, courtrooms, and police resources to focus on real criminals, like the sort of people who the GOP claims are a horror to our restroom peace of mind. Thirdly of all, we could require new buildings to have single stalls and family restrooms — so people who are afraid of perverts seeking to steal their innocence and transgendered people can both use the restroom of their choice. And it would benefit people like myself, who are particular about our privacy.
Next, I don’t have a problem (as long as it’s OK with the building owner or store) for a law-abiding citizen to concealed carry (I support background checks and keeping guns away from violent criminals and closing loopholes; that’s another diary). I may be in the minority here, but if someone needs to protect themselves, that is within their rights. And some places that don’t allow firearms might allow knives; and there is always the option of a can of mace or pepper spray — for as low as $21.95 from a quick Google search. And if none of these are feasible, a good self-defense class might give you good ideas.
Finally, we need more and better-paid cops on the streets. In too many places in this country, our cops are grossly underpaid, some as low as $10/hour. I submit they should be paid at least $30/hour. The last thing they need to worry about where dinner is going to come from when performing a high-stress job like being a police officer. With the higher pay should come greater responsibility — cops should be required to carry liability insurance if they want to be a cop. If you’re uninsurable because you’ve got too many lawsuits for being an asshole, you don’t belong in a badge and uniform. It’s just like having car insurance; if you get too many DWI’s, good luck finding someone who will insure you. Cops should live in the same neighborhoods that they serve, so that they will know when to stop someone and when not to. And cops should have body cameras for their own protection; that way, if there are allegations of brutality, they can come back and produce the film which shows they acted properly.
I suggest that one reason that we get cops like the one who killed Michael Brown or the one who killed Tamir Rice who aren’t qualified is because they are underpaid; therefore, police departments have a hard time attracting good people to fill jobs. Therefore, they have to scrape the bottom of the barrel and they can’t pick and choose who they can and can’t hire.
All of this costs money, but we can pay for it without a tax increase by getting rid of legalized tax evasion such as what the Panama Papers revealed and by getting rid of tax inversion. But certain politicians would rather keep the corporate welfare gravy train rolling rather than come up with a real plan to get tough on crime. The Koch Brothers may want to dismantle government, including our police, more than Grover Norquist ever dreamed of doing, but they are sure happy to take their money.