Transgender Movement and Children

 By Chuck Marshall

Published April 13  in  The Christian Post

One brief comment- the Christian Post chose to change a few things on my OP-Ed, I've decided to post it below on my blog in its original form. 

Original Title was;  "To This Decision We Leave Our Children"

We require 13 years of age for certain movies, 18 years of age for cinema with adult content and language, 16 years of age to drive, 19 years of age for a person to be drafted for war or to vote, and 21 years of age to buy a gun or to drink alcohol. However, we are OK with children making life-long decisions regarding their reproduction and their physical bodies regarding sexuality as young as their pre-teenage years. This is a decision regarding something they have almost no understanding of before puberty. They're children. Even during puberty and through adolescence the human body is a work in progress, not a finished physique. 

     Explaining and addressing concerns for children regarding their gender and their sexuality is like speaking French to an English speaker who has never taken French. They simply don't understand the situation. At all. So, why are we presenting them with the concept at all?   

     The role of parents and the schools is to prepare children for life. I fail to see how presenting and elaborating on the concept of “gender dysphoria” does anything but cause children confusion and stress at a time in their lives when they're just trying to figure out who they are as a human being. Suggestion is a powerful thing, and vulnerable children will tend towards solutions to uncomfortable feelings that are often not in their best interest. We are no longer the protector of our children when we suggest they can choose their gender. We are part of the problem. 

     This is the consequence of twisted adult minds in schools and abusive parents who see children as a project and a victim, not a person with a future life they are taking away. I can handle virtue-signaling parents and teachers when the consequences are minimal to anyone but themselves and those unfortunate enough to have to hear them. This patience stops when they start to suggest this change is a good solution for these young, confused minds.      

     I ponder where our society has gone in that our own children are not safe from us. I think about who should be the moral characters and authorities regarding all this, if not the parents? The Doctors. Where are the doctors and where is the Hippocratic Oath; “First, do no harm?”  How could any doctor, in their right mind and with the best intentions for a patient, encourage them to proceed with a life-altering procedure when the patient is incapable of understanding the consequences?  Is there any guilt or doubt in their mind while they do it?  When administering hormones or drugs that will sterilize the child for life, do they think about that fact? As they remove healthy body parts that will mutilate them for life, does it occur to them that this is a child they are dissecting?  The psychiatrists. Where are the psychiatrists? Why did they cede control over gender dysphoria to the drug makers and the surgeons when this is so obviously a psychological problem? The churches. Where are the churches? Words cannot express my horror towards the many churches that have shown such cowardice these last few years with their regard to modern society and its latest barbaric fad. 

     May these churches heed these words: “Your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that He will not hear. For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken falsely and your tongue mutters wickedly. No one calls for justice; no one pleads a case for integrity, they rely on empty arguments, they utter lies” (Isaiah 59: 2- 4).

     All puberty blockers should be banned. All gender surgeries should be restricted to 21 or older without exception. All directions or explanations regarding gender options should not be presented in any school whatsoever under college age. Those suffering or who think they are suffering from Gender Dysphoria under the age of 21 should get an abundance of therapy, fresh air, restricted internet access, exercise, and dietary review. Let's figure out what's wrong here. Only after all options have been reviewed and studied for these psychologically confused youngsters should anything else be considered. 

     All other actions should be categorized as child abuse by the parents and/or teachers, doctors, and psychiatrists. Mutilating young bodies to help them with a condition that is purely mental should result in the arrest and prosecution of the guilty surgeon. All pharmaceuticals selling puberty blockers and other gender “adjusting” drugs to children and young adults today, should have legal action taken against them for the irreparable and life-long damages caused to so many minors.       

     Sometimes I wonder at the reaction of our society to all this. I feel like a German citizen during the Holocaust, sitting in my home as the Nazis haul off my Jewish neighbors. The parents, surgeons, and child predators remove children from schools and convince them of something impossible. They then convince them to commit a form of suicide that will supposedly make them feel better. After it’s all done, the children and their families must deal with the physical and emotional consequences of the drugs and surgeries, often resulting in real suicides. The ordinary US citizen ignores this mental deportation of our children. They’re too afraid to speak up even in the face of brutal reality. 

          The good Germans must have rationalized their neighbors’ disappearance also.  They must have justified it because they too were afraid to speak up.  “Maybe it is for their best.  Maybe it is helping them.  Maybe they’re better off in resettlement camps.  Maybe the drugs do work.  Maybe they are sending them to Palestine.  Maybe they really can change their gender and be happy.”   German citizens are notorious for having uttered the comments “We didn’t know” when asked about the Holocaust after WWII.  What they meant was "We didn’t want to know".  Meanwhile the millions choked on the gas.   How many lives will be ruined after all this is over because we, the adults, convinced ourselves this is all somebody else's problem and maybe it's for the best ?  

      “So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance;  truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter.  Truths is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes prey.  The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice.  He saw that there was no one.  He was appalled that there was no intervention”    Isaiah 59: 14-16

 

USA: The Parties and Apathy are the Problem

 By CE Marshall 

     Democrats, Republicans and Bureaucrats  

                Apathy Allows Political Parties to Flourish Despite Their Abject Failure  

     It's common conversation today in both conservative and liberal circles to lament the "craziness" going on and how our country is in "serious" trouble.  I am no exception,  however as an Independent I I tend to focus much of my wrath on the political parties and all they represent.  Both parties have been leading our country for over 100 years and both parties have participated in establishing our gargantuan federal government, so blubberous and ineffective that nobody can even compute the national debt effectively.  Meanwhile our cities are decaying and government programs can't  keep the homeless off the streets.  Court decisions that don't go the way of the left result in riots in the streets.  There is no order.   There is no safety in the streets.  There is no peace.  There is no justice. There is only the Republicans, the Democrats and the Bureaucrats.  

     Our country is being run by unelected bureaucrats and political lobbyists.  If anyone doubts federal agencies are  running our government  I suggest they watch President Biden for a few minutes.  He's certainly not running the government - it's doubtful he could run a copy machine.  But someone is running it, and they've been doing it for a long time.   They've been doing it for so long that the media of DC would never dare question their authority and power, so they ignore it, or probably participate.  The true and decent search for truth is long dead.  Now they are owned by mysterious corporations who pull the strings of power and money to their own benefit.      

     The fact that nobody really focuses on why we continue to vote for these people is testament to the fact that the media and the parties are partners in crime.  If the media focused on the ineffectiveness of both parties it would be in public conversation enough for the people to have some confidence in considering alternatives.  As it is, independent candidates are mostly ignored and if they show any sort of chance to win an election, they will scrutinize the candidate and magnify their faults to the point of forcing doubt into the peoples' minds.   The parties must go on, I suppose.  

     That's all I have to say for this blog.  The parties are the problem.  I don't offer any solution and all I can do is try to vote Independent when I can.  I am a registered Republican ONLY because Florida is a closed primary state so I cannot vote in primary elections unless I'm a member of a party.  I am also a supporter of bringing power back to the states through the Convention of States movement  (As I've written in this blog several times) but I'm appalled at how many well educated people have no idea what I'm talking about.  The only solution is for people to stand up and start fighting back.  Our founding fathers risked hanging for speaking against the King- what do we risk here today, in our time?  Hardly anything except time and high blood pressure.  Both are well worth the risk.  The meaning behind this country is too important to let it die to apathy.  

IMHO.  

     

Wealth of Nations.... Leaders

 Chuck Marshall's Humble Opinion regarding;  

Donald Trump's troubles & the media's lack of interest in the wealth of our existing leaders.   

Nancy Pelosi-  net worth is well over $150 million - internet search reveals it's all from her husband's real estate ventures  "apparently"  and her "wise stock trading" (what journalism !).  Couldn't be that she had insider information on legislation and capitalized on that, huh ?  She hardly seems like a Wall Street guru.   Almost always,  you cannot get a clear picture how she - her- Nancy Pelosi became so rich so quickly on $237k per year. These are the same people that wonder why independent journalism is gaining so much attention.   Because independents ask real questions, that's why.   

     As usual, Donald Trump is in the news.  Today it is for his legal woes with the state of New York and his tendency to "cook" the books as most rich people do.  I'm not excusing it, if he did wrong then he needs to be penalized as the law dictates.  My problem is this sort of scrutiny is never laid out for "career" politicians.  Our "so called" leaders who've been in power for decades and somehow became very wealthy on salaries of around $200k per year.   If they're going after  Donald Trump then they need to go after the rest of them.  Those who are in power right now !   They are getting rich but are NOT doing their job and yet are still above reproach from the mainstream media.  Most especially the Democratic leaders.  

    Today I wrote a letter to the Orlando Sentinel regarding all this.  It reads; 

"Regarding the headline of Donald Trump's financial troubles as a consequence of court ordered penalties, if he did wrong as was outlined, then he should be in trouble.  My only concern is this sort of scrutiny is cast towards all political actors that upset the "status quo" of our modern big government and their corporate overlords.    The cronyism between big media, big government and large corporations is obvious.  The same scrutiny is rarely placed on left leaning career politicians, many of whom miraculously become wealthy on $150k per year salaries.  I never hear or see that questioned or scrutinized by the media, the justice department or the courts."

    We'll see if they print it- in their defense they did print my last letter regarding taxes and the obsession the left has with taxing the rich- their favorite talking point.  It reads; 

Printed January 30, 2024 The Orlando Sentinel  

 Taxes – rich vs. poor

 "Interesting editorial regarding the tax rate percentages where the Sentinel and Sun-Sentinel cite a “progressive” organization’s information, data, and opinion as total fact — I guess because it leans left?

At the core of the opinion is that all people should pay the same percentage of property taxes. If you make $10,000 per year you should pay $100 in property tax whereas if you make $100 million per year, you should pay $1 million in property taxes. Never mind that property tax is supposed to be to cover basic civil usage — roads, garbage collection, schools, police control. Does the millionaire get more out of the roads than a poor person? In addition, wealthier people don’t even typically send their children to public schools?

Federal income tax is already “progressive” and “fair,” but still our federal government is many trillions of dollars in debt. In other words, that does not work. I suggest a luxury sales tax. If you’re so determined to take from the rich and give to the poor, go after what the one can’t afford and the other can’t live without.

Chuck Marshall

Clermont"

Anybody doubt Donald Trump would hesitate paying taxes to get another yacht ? (If he could still afford one, I mean).  

In My most humble opinion....  have a great day.  

Argument for a Convention of States- Part 4 of 4 - Pigs at the Trough

This is the last of a four part series regarding the Convention of States- first published on May 26, 2020.  

By CE "Chuck" Marshall  

Argument for a Convention of States- Part 4 of 4 - Pigs at the Trough

By Chuck Marshall 

                                                        "Mad King George"- Hard at Work 

     So, what's to be done ?    Hopefully the previous three parts of this blog have outlined the problem of federal government that's out of control and the many consequences of such power.  The 50 states have the ability to remove a lot of that power,  especially the power to spend but also the power to legislate within each state according to the tastes and customs of each state.    Why do we have laws preferred in California applied to the citizens of Georgia if the people of Georgia are offended by that law ?   We're 50 separate states for a reason.   In fact, the advantages of spending and laws springing from the state level would be an opportunity to truly visualize what works and what doesn't work for the governing of our people.   A convention of states would allow the most peaceful and effective way to drive power out of Washington, DC and back closer to the American people.  Best of all,  there's no work to be done to set up this "day of jubilee".    There's  no need for revolution,  or civil war,  or riots in the streets until our leaders hear our demands.  It's already in the constitution under Article 5.  

      There are many ideas for Amendments to hold power in check at the federal level.  An organization exists for moving forward on the Convention of States and they have a list of tentative objectives for the first Convention.    The link to their organization and it's list of objectives is at the end of this blog.  This is not the only idea 'nor the final decision because Article 5 is owned by the people not any one organization.  But we need a path to go, so if it be this particular one then so be it.   The COS Action has the most established track for what this blog is elaborating on.   It's a start.  As Winston Churchill famously said "It is not the end, it is not the beginning of the end, but it is perhaps the end of the beginning".  

     The "powers that be" at the federal level of government , corporate and special interest  (ie, "Mad King George") will argue all day against such a thing.  Indeed I'm sure they would love to delete Article 5 altogether.   Remember, it's not just our government leaders but all those who benefit from unlimited trillions of dollars.    The fact is,  our Congress is a tool of all the pigs that feed at the trough of American bounty.   This idea, the COS,  threatens the smooth path to legislation that the special interests (think litigation legislation, medical legislation, corporate, etc...) have become so wealthy and comfortable with.   Moreover, these multi- national corporate interests are owned and operated by people and groups who are not necessarily interested in American liberty and justice.   You see, the corporate multinationals would  no longer have an easy path to legislation that favors them.  Why not ?   Because our leaders are no longer "for sale" if reelection is limited to one or two terms.  Imagine, they can actually start doing their job !  The media detests this idea because the power will no longer be cradled in Washington, DC but will be as significant in the state capitals making their job much harder and of much less influence.  Importantly, remember, the media giants are all owned by large multinational corporations who are beholden to a lot of things, but not the American people.   They will shriek ; "This will ruin us".   It will ruin them,  is what they mean.  "Mad King George" fears for his head, and he should.  

     Take the time to glance at the COS website below and join or contribute if you feel strongly enough.  The people must get their power back and that will only happen if real decisions tend to be made at the local level not the federal level.  The future of our children, grandchildren and all of posterity depend on it.  

https://conventionofstates.com/

In My Humble Opinion.  CM 

Argument for a Convention of the States: Part 3

 Dear Readers- 

As promised, here is the second of a four part series explaining the Convention of States and why I see it as the best hope for our future and our children's future.  This was originally published here on Blogspot on May 25, ,2020.  

By CE "Chuck" Marshall 

 So, today we have a federal government that has grown to proportions of debt that are not sustainable.  The national debt stands at around $24 Trillion and there is no end in sight.  That's equivalent to $69,000 for every human being in the United States.  Our leaders spend money as if there is no consequence to the debt.   I ask ;  "How could never-ending spending have no consequence" ?   Surely, there are consequences.  And, this begs the question;  "What would national bankruptcy look like ?"   I'm not an economist but most likely a world-wide depression would result with catastrophic consequences for our children and grandchildren including widespread poverty, war and disease.  (Read "The Grapes of Wrath" or watch "Cinderella Man" if you want to get a slice of depression era life)

There are other consequences right now;   

1)  The government creates an agency for every conceivable problem thus making that problem permanent.  Why permanent ?  Because where's the motivation for those directing or working for that agency to fix the problem ?  If you're successful you're putting yourself out of work.  So, they grow and grow and grow.   Like a massive corporation that solves no problem and builds nothing.  Never is there an end game.  

2)  The federal government spends money for wars, foreign support,  social welfare benefits, the arts, public buildings, university research, etc.... (the list could go on and on quite a bit)  with no attention to the economies of these endeavors and without bringing in money to cover the expense.  It simply spends money that's not its own.  Indeed, it spends money that does not exist hence the $24 Trillion of debt.    In addition, as with the problem with agencies above - what's the end game to all this ?   Is there an intention to fix the problem and find solutions or to simply spend as much money as possible ?  

3)  They wage wars and send our young people across the oceans to be killed and maimed in wars that often do not involve us directly and always cost quite a bit of money.  The Iraqi War cost several Trillion dollars alone.   Is spending trillions of dollars on a foreign nation's internal problems really worth it ?  Nation building is not in our constitution.  There have been exceptions in history, such as in standing up to the horrors of Nazism but that is rarely the case for the wars here in the 21st century.  There are other ways to influence the world with American integrity and decency that do not involve our young people getting butchered on foreign soil.  

4)   They don't raise taxes because it would cost votes.   They don't suggest minimizing social welfare because that would cost votes.   Certainly no reduction in our military because it never seems to be a good time and...... would cost votes !   So, nobody is willing to do the hard work and make the tough decisions because it's easier not to.  

     The national debt is but one problem.   The scope of the federal government's size is so large that protesting its actions seems hopeless.  Along with that enormous size comes enormous power for all involved.  The tentacles of such a powerful government can reach into many aspects of our lives, and with the onset of social media and the internet, it's even easier to "control" what people are allowed to hear.   So many elections have produced the same "do nothing" politicians that ally themselves with one of the major parties and nothing gets done  It's a never ending argument between them with the American citizen as the unfortunate victim.   

     In addition, many of our national leaders seem to get suddenly wealthy after working in the capital for a few terms.   I have no proof of nefarious actions but it certainly doesn't make sense to send people to DC who very quickly find financial benefit.  They leave their home states with bright eyed concepts of "fixing things" only to morph into the sleaziness of our modern day Rome- Washington, DC with its bureaucrats and corporate lobbyists who make them mysteriously wealthy.    "This is for the benefit of the American people" they seem to convince themselves.  Especially the American people sitting in the halls of Congress- Mad King George again !  Is that being a representative ?  It's all farcical !  

   

In My Humble Opinion.  CM