California bans Mom and Dad, or Not

The right-wing blogosphere (which I am part of, I guess) is going nuts over a specious, overtly skewed and mostly preposterous article posted at World Nut... err, I mean World Net Daily. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed SB 777 (which can be read here) that basically says the state prohibits any "instruction" or school-sponsored "activity" that "promotes a discriminatory bias" against "gender" – the bill's definition includes cross-dressing and sex changes – as well as "sexual orientation."

The words Mom and Dad appear nowhere in the bill. The town criers prattle on something like this: "With this decision, Gov. Schwarzenegger has told parents that their values are irrelevant. Many parents will have no choice but to pull their children out of the public schools that have now become sexualized indoctrination centers."

It is fear mongering that is not without merit but I think the hand wringing goes too far. Fear mongering has been perfected by the liberals with all this George W Bush is Hitler talk claiming he is shredding the constitution and personally torturing Arab babies. Neither are true by the way. You have to take all hysterical rhetoric with a grain of salt. The opponents of the bill SB 777 have had a long fight. Gov. Schwarzenegger refused to sign it a year ago, but as you can see much of the original language was stricken.

The fear is that phrases like Mom and Dad, husband and wife are too exclusive for non-traditional lifestyles and will therefore be shunned in lessons and text books. This may well happen. I doubt children will ever stop using the terms Mom or Dad no matter what the Governor says, but that's not really the point. Could we be forcing schools and school children into the courts with threats of prosecution over bruised sensibilities of gay and lesbians? I think so. More importantly it's another step toward labeling average (dare I say normal) people as the freaks. They have already accomplished this with Christians.

A lot of this is regular everyday folks who have become sick and tired of PC (political correctness) making victims out of everyone. One blogger on the other side, who apparently can't make a point without resorting to foul language, tries to call the backlash against PC a right-wing propaganda campaign. Well, as I said in a previous post Mr. Kettle, meet Mr Pot. But I think his minor concession as he wraps it up goes right to the heart of the fear:

"bill #SB777 adds "sexual orientation" to the state anti-discrimination statutes. There is also a clause that the minuscule amount of transgender students be allowed to use restrooms of their chosen gender..."

Eeeewwww. Enough said.






CW