John Andrist: Transgenderism Needs a Love Test

It was a steamy Philadelphia summer in 1787, when delegates from the 13 colonies gathered to study needed changes in the Articles of Confederation.

America had won its independence 11 years earlier, and the old Articles had simply not been working.

In the early discussions the delegates quickly concluded they needed a real U.S. government, not a loosely gathered collection of individual colonies.

Translated: That would be a federal government established through a constitution.

[mks_pullquote align=”right” width=”300″ size=”24″ bg_color=”#ffffff” txt_color=”#000000″]Transgenderism, however, has created more legal and social issues we must resolve together. But the starting point is to recognize it is a biological force, not one about morality.[/mks_pullquote]

Then they fought and debated as they hammered out our basic governing document.

When they decided on a president, I wonder which one of them insisted, “We need a person who is strong enough to take a stand on transgender bathrooms in public schools?”

Who would have “thunk” it would come to this.

I don’t really understand transgender. It’s taken me a good while to learn that gay people love others  just as genuinely as the rest of us.

Truth is, I don’t even fully understand the power of human sexuality. I can’t explain my own, how quickly and totally I “fell” for Elaine, when I was so young and immature.

I was so active and had so many interests. What is it that made all of them subordinate to the girl who would eventually become my mate and the center of my life?

I also remember, as a young Jaycee the strong bond I had with my fellow directors, and how worthless they became during the period when they were in the business of falling in love a few short years later than me.

Now I wonder why it took me so long to realize I don’t have to understand everything about the love bugs other people have.

Transgenderism, however, has created more legal and social issues we must resolve together. But the starting point is to recognize it is a biological force, not one about morality.

In a world with so much evil and hatred, so many problems with the power that alcohol and drug addiction holds over us, we would be better served by celebrating the power and the joy of the many dimensions of love .   .   . even those we don’t understand.

Anaphylactic?

My, what a big word. It’s really been in the news this week.

It’s a word which explains a violent human reaction to folks that have an extreme allergic reaction that can quickly kill. You know, bee stings and stuff like that.

When it happens it needs almost instant injection of adrenalin.

The safe thing for folks who have a life threatening allergy is to carry a loaded injector called an EpiPen. And the pharmaceutical company that makes it has unconscionably increased the price. Shame on them.

But there is a second page to the story. In our market system economy anybody who can get away with it will. The thing that prevents it is competition, and in the pharmaceutical industry there often is no competition for a life saving drug.

There have been others who have attempted to develop a competing device, but the FDA has dragged it’s feet, and refused to approve any of them.

The FDA is charged with the responsibility of protecting us from new drugs that can in some cases be harmful.

The process is too exacting and too long, because there is so much variability in us for the way we react. Even when a drug is judged safe we are warned of side effects that could in some instance be harmful.

And the FDA occasionally approves a drug, then withdraws its approval because of new findings.

Life and medicine have always been a crap shoot. They tell me an injection of penicillin would be as certain death for me as cyanide.

And yet penicillin has saved untold millions of lives.

My logic tells me it is worth the risk to shorten the FDA approval process, and grant a certain amount of legal immunity in order to get more drugs and more devices on the market to prevent gouging.

We know it will cost lives. We also know it is likely to save lives.

Sure, we want safety, but there is no safety when a cure is simply unavailable, whether it be because of price or any other market factor.

I googled this link. You should do the same.