That's understandable where concern is actual rather than largely crowbarred into the political. My hope with a social media post like this would be that it's a warped type looking for a reaction rather than genuinely holding such repugnant views. Who knows how realistic that is though. It will likely been reported and passed on either way. If someone feels confident to blurt this stuff out, I doubt it would be hard for authorities to find out what is precisely behind it. Protecting the vulnerable trumps all other considerations with someone making comments this disturbing about children, so the consequence should squarely be on him, rather than waiting until he unleashes horrors upon others.

Just from today we saw the terrible story of a young autistic girl, who took her own life after her mother shacked up with a known American White Supremacist. She then found herself both radicalised and sexually groomed by far right types planning terror attacks [Link] Badly handled by all, it had shades of the Shamima Begum situation to it. Both left and right, serious blind spots come about when we're only able to view these issues politically or through political senistivities; as we saw with grooming gangs. We wear such blinkers at our peril.

Edited by MrWhyNot (04 Jan 2023 2.50am)

Noise from all sides tho. The 'respect my 97 pronouns or you're a hate monger' crew, and the sudden contention that the only person in life you ever have to worry about is a drag queen, are both contrived and blinkered world views spawned from the filter of social media rather than every day life.

There are certainly very real issues around medical transition at a young year age. Several LGB groups are in full agreement with that and the JK Rowling type outlook; also the whole 'gender is that you decide this morning regardless of your genitalia' view totally goes against those who fought to have same sex attraction recognised. Concern for erosion of womens spaces too, perfectly understandable. We do a disservice though when we push a contorted, tabloid level take of wider issues for political or sticking it to 'the left' or 'the right' sake because it then distracts from what should be front and centre. That was my earlier point.

I think whether racial, sexuality or whatever realistically 'the noise' and obsession with groups, can often initially come from the majority and a feeling that looking down on minority groups should be the default (no black, no irish). The flipside of this is that within said groups this can often then become an entrenched grievance type outlook even when there is wider acceptance. The apparatus is then already in place. That's why to my mind pushback in this direction or that makes sense depending in where we are at the time; it's not all about the individual, but rather society as a whole. But as you say it does help to realise that what the volume is turned up on shouldn't always be our focus or priority, as it's often media generated and not a genuine 'day to day' issue at a time where we certainly have plenty of those to worry about.

Edited by MrWhyNot (06 Jan 2023 5.58pm)

When I read the likes of Tim Pool trying to push the idea that the terroristic murder of innocents at a bar may have been due to recent 'grooming events' in bars this would seem to be rationalising or making room for that conduct.. When he then hosts Milo Yiannopoulos and co without question (someone who spoke favourabaly about adults in sexual relationships with kids) and is a big cheerleader for the likes of Matt Gaetz (investigated for sex trafficking and allegations of paying a teenage girl for sex) you have to wonder how much of these 'heart felt concerns' are actual and how much entirely political.

There should be no sexualised environments around children - full stop - from drag shows in adult environments with vulgar language and performance to creepy rural beauty pageants that doll kids up like grown women on a night out to be gawped at by god knows who. The context of what is actually taking place and where is a factor of course rather than what can be conjured up for effect. Where kids are put in sexual settings in an adult club environments the place should be shut down. My point was that we should learn to separate and get in proportion the actual and level of that, with what is a political push to the exclusion of all else, where so very many other situation are also concerning, whether online, within the family, certain communities and so on. The frenzied all in, single focus is often political. It's an 'in' in the same way that the mantra of anyone with immigration concerns as 'racist' was for years. Another 'whatever works' that goes from 0 - 100 to the exclusion of all else.

Edited by MrWhyNot (06 Jan 2023 7.48pm)

It's centre stage as result of both one side wishing to push it, and another banking on it being so far gone to the average person that it will turn people off of voting in that perceived direction. Realistically actual trans people have the least power and say in society. They're in perpetual threat of a beating if they can't 'pass' and as much a pawn in a cultural game as anyone else; more so really. That includes those who view them as public enemy number one, and also those who as a fashion just coin themselves as he/she/that/this without in any way, shape or form doing anything visually that would lead to someone being able to recognise them as such.

Personally I think it would be useful to create a distinction through politeness if anything of those who will never feel comfortable within their own skin so seek to address that, and those who seek to adopt an identity that expresses how they feel this week or whatever.. That and a sane, adult age at which these decisions can be made. That's why I view the Scottish move as a step back. It's not listening to all voices.. Sports people, those who detransitioned etc. their input is valuable too.

Much of this is pointless to express really, as online considered view is kryptonite to both 'sides'. It's the regurgitation of the stated line that gets the perpetual high fives. A desperation to be part of something, rather than your own person.

Edited by MrWhyNot (07 Jan 2023 6.53am)

There was a quote I saw once that I rather liked stating, or words to that effect, how the British Labour party is defined more by Methodism than Marxism. So let me add a single word to my original statement...

The Progressive Left... but otherwise, stand by every word.

Edited by Matov (07 Jan 2023 9.43am)

"The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command." - 1984 - George Orwell.

'Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped.' (Lawrence Fox)

[Tweet Link]

Edited by Stirlingsays (11 Jan 2023 8.12am)

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)