Pretty When You Cry

[redbrunja]

Sacramento Radio Hosts Encourage Violence Against Transgender Children

 

I almost threw up when I read this.

 

I just... I think of the posts I made yesterday and I just want to laugh. Just laugh incredibly bitterly.

Comments

Diatribe Ahoy! Part Two

[nimblnymph.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, these people are celebrities; their voices have been given power and authority through radio executives, business sponsors and the people listening in on it. As celebrities, they are doubly responsible for everything they say and do BECAUSE of the authority given to them. That means they need to be EXTREMELY mindful before running their fucking mouths what exactly they're saying because no matter how many official apologies are offered by their bosses... they can't erase the fact that their voices were heard and acknowledged.

I read the comments left for the article and, as can be expected on a topic like this, some fucktards were screeching "freedom of speech!" Sure, let's take a look at freedom of speech. Freedom of speech is the right to voice your opinion, whatever it is. It is the right to disagree with the majority and make it known. it is the right to have YOUR voice count. However, this is perhaps the MOST abused amendment in the constitution. People use it as an umbrella cover to write slanderous articles, behave in ways they would NEVER dream of doing were they standing face to face with a person ratehr than conversing through the safe anonymity of the internet. That's what's happening hear; the minute people started lashing out in protest and outrage, the radio show ran for the cover of their freedom of speech umbrella.

Freedom of speech does NOT condone the spreading of malicious, violent intent or thought. It is not intended for use by companies to boost ratings or stir up advertising through vile and disgusting dialogue. Freedom of speech was purposely written into the constitution so that positive and progressive actions could be discussed and implemented. It is designed to protect the sharing of ideas and beliefs FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY from being shut down. And when freedom of speech is being used to promote negative, hurtful ideals-- such as abusing a child, transgender or otherwise-- then it is NOT being used for its intended purpose. By violating one of the founding amendments of our country they are, in fact, participating in act of a criminal nature. They are threatening not only the individual right to pursue happiness but they are URGING THOSE LISTENING TO VIOLENT ACTS ON OTHERS. Last time I looked, isn't criminal intent a violation of federal and local laws? Huh... that's something to think about.

Now, hitting directly on the transgendered portion of this: Children between the ages of 2-8 are, developmentally speaking, in their exploring stages. This means experimenting, poking at things to see how they work, getting themselves into anything and everything they can. It's what children DO. Any GOOD parent will tell you that. It's how they learn about their world and what comprises it. So, if your son happens to put on one of his mother's dresses, it does NOT mean that he's gay. And if your daughter prefers to play with G.I. Joe dolls (admit it, men... it's not an "action figure" when you can take its clothing off. it's a fucking doll)rather Barbie, that doesn't mean she's a lesbian. It just means they're being curious, which is NORMAL CHILD BEHAVIOR.

Diatribe Ahoy! Part Three

[nimblnymph.livejournal.com]

With transgendered children, it's different. They don't feel right in their own skin. It's not a gay or lesbian thing at all; it's that, for some biological reason, these children were born into a body that doesn't suit them emotionally and developmentally. I don't agree with parents immediately giving their young children sex changes at the merest hint of them possibly being trasgendered. After all, they're still young. But I DO think it's a parent's duty to let their child explore and see where they DO fit in and, if it becomes necessary, defend their child against bigots who seek to hurt them-- like those morons on the talk show. And if by the time their child has grown a bit and is still convinced they are the wrong sex... then, and ONLY then, should they sit down and discuss what to do about it. Jumping the gun and getting your five-year-old son a sex change so that he can become a girl is NOT good parenting. What happens if, down the line, that child realizes that they were really meant to be a male? What do you do then? A parent's job is to not only allow their child to be who they are but to ALSO exercise authority when need be-- IN A NONVIOLENT AND EMOTIONALLY DAMAGING MANNER.

So... yeah. That's all I'm saying about it for now. I'll probably go through and refine some of these points later, seeing as I'm writing it on the fly and from work, but those are my basic thoughts on all this.

Re: Diatribe Ahoy! Part Three

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Your 'basic thoughts' are nicely thought-out and articulated.

That's a full week later. Looks to me like some greedy bastards were hoping to milk the shock publicity cow for all it was worth.

In my experience? There is no self-regulation among broadcasters. Unless someone else is screaming about it, they are not going to care.... unless it's about, I dunno, dissing white Christian folk, which I'M SURE they would be bothered by.

I can't believe one of those idiots is a father, firstly for the fact that it saddens me he bred and secondly for his attitude concerning his own child. What parent in their right mind would EVER, jokingly or otherwise, say they would beat their kid for finding the courage to come to them and tell them how they feel

That father. That father and all the people who are so bigoted and hate-filled that they CAN NOT see the child they raised and loved past that child's sexual orientation and life choices.

So, during the hours of work and school commute, you're going to try and spread your hatemongering ideals and then claim that you don't have the type of influence people are saying you do? That is total bullshit. BULL. SHIT.

Word. You DO NOT get to speech publicly and then claim it doesn't matter. You're dead-on about free speech being abused, but you know what?

Freedom of speech is in our first amendment. Our country was literally born under the idea that words are powerful enough to create countries, incite revolutions, and is SO IMPORTANT that our right to speak freely is one of the first rights given to America's citizen's.

So yeah, you fuckers, what you say matters, and you owe it to your country and your fellow citizens to use your right wisely. Which you aren't. In any way. At all.

So, if your son happens to put on one of his mother's dresses, it does NOT mean that he's gay. And if your daughter prefers to play with G.I. Joe dolls (admit it, men... it's not an "action figure" when you can take its clothing off. it's a fucking doll)rather Barbie, that doesn't mean she's a lesbian. It just means they're being curious, which is NORMAL CHILD BEHAVIOR.

Yep.

. And if by the time their child has grown a bit and is still convinced they are the wrong sex... then, and ONLY then, should they sit down and discuss what to do about it. Jumping the gun and getting your five-year-old son a sex change so that he can become a girl is NOT good parenting. What happens if, down the line, that child realizes that they were really meant to be a male? What do you do then? A parent's job is to not only allow their child to be who they are but to ALSO exercise authority when need be-- IN A NONVIOLENT AND EMOTIONALLY DAMAGING MANNER.

Agreed. With surgeries like that, it is really, really important that it's something that's been fully considered and, like you said, it not done at a very early age when a child is still exploring who they are.

Re: Diatribe Ahoy! Part Three

[qualapec.livejournal.com]

I agree with you on every point. If I met these guys...I'd want to hit THEM with a shoe, probably wouldn't, but I'd WANT to. Also, all of the statements you made about how it is NOT good parenting to treat your child like dirt just because they are different.

There was one point you made that I wanted to discuss further...

"I read the comments left for the article and, as can be expected on a topic like this, some fucktards were screeching "freedom of speech!" Sure, let's take a look at freedom of speech. Freedom of speech is the right to voice your opinion, whatever it is. It is the right to disagree with the majority and make it known. it is the right to have YOUR voice count. However, this is perhaps the MOST abused amendment in the constitution. People use it as an umbrella cover to write slanderous articles, behave in ways they would NEVER dream of doing were they standing face to face with a person ratehr than conversing through the safe anonymity of the internet. That's what's happening hear; the minute people started lashing out in protest and outrage, the radio show ran for the cover of their freedom of speech umbrella."

While I agree that in THIS case freedom of speech was abused because it could potentially incite violence (and that IS a crime)...Freedom of speech is generally one of the things I feel strongest about. I mean, I understand that it is horribly abused by some people (Rush Limbaugh, the dickwits on the radio, the list goes on) I believe in MINIMAL government control and only when it's potentially dangerous to someone else.

It just seems like a slippery slope. When the government starts controlling what celebrities can or cannot say (again, short of violence)then that just opens up TOO MANY avenues for censorship, to me that's where everything starts spiraling out of control. Once you lose free speech to the government THEN you lose the whole kitten kaboodle. It seems that the first opinions to go will be the unpopular opinions, the opinions that I, myself, find morally reprehensible. People will be "Oh, cool. So the Neo-Nazi's can't spread their crap anymore. That's all good". Before long it's books being taken out of public libraries and one government-mandated news station.

Now, I understand how that might sound a little crazy...but that's the worst-case scenario. I have long been of the mindset that once we lose rights to the government...they don't like to let those rights go lightly. Whether it's intentional or not, they tend to take more than they are asked to. There are exceptions to this, such as prohibition and alcohol. But one good example is how drugs (marijuana in particular) has affected certain police procedures. Originally, before they searched someone or a place of residence, they had to knock and provide a search warrant. Later on, they enacted the no-knock laws. That basically means that they just need to SUSPECT that someone has marijuana or some other drug to break into their HOME. Now, I'm not saying that all cops or government officials abuse this law, but there's no denying that it HAS been abused. There have even been incidents where it resulted in someone dying (ie: shooting someone with a remote control because they thought it was a gun). Despite all of this I don't see these laws being reversed anytime soon.

I went on a bit of a tangent here. My point is that, while I agree with you that free speech has been abused and it is NO BLANKET for these guys to hide behind...government intervention is out of the question in my opinion (unless inciting violence, then it's a crime).

Now HERE'S the beauty of free speech. The radio station waved free speech in the faces of the protesters. Which is DUMBASS on SO many levels...mostly because the protesters are exercising THEIR freedom of speech to counteract the power the radio station has. That's the way it should be in my opinion. People speaking out when someone says something bad and explaining why it's bad. Getting out there with their flags and SHOWING those hosts how many people they tried to hurt and how many people are pissed about it.

Re: Diatribe Ahoy! Part Three

[nimblnymph.livejournal.com]

I'm actually gonna address freedom of speech and its abuse in my own post rather than here on red's page, partially in response to your points here and partiall because it's something I've been thinking about for quite some time now.

I DID want to address one thing though: If you look up the actual constitutional right to freedom of speech/assembly, it stresses that it is to be done PEACIBLY. Inciting violence, encouraging listeners to go out and beat their children, is not peacible in the least. Therefore, as far as I'm concerned, that IS a violation of the amendment, which DOES technically make it open for government to step in since it goes against the founding principles of our country.

I definitely do NOT think the government should step in every time there's discord between differing factions. You have the right to protest outside of an abortion clinic and you have the right to debate/argue heatedly about same sex marriages. But when you cross the line and try to stir up acts of violence and promote ideas that are harmful to the populace... then you need to be shut down.

Re: Diatribe Ahoy! Part Three

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Sweet! I am really looking forward to reading that post.

Re: Diatribe Ahoy! Part Three

[nimblnymph.livejournal.com]

YOU!

I had this really awesome, long response to your comment on here and... I hit the wrong button and lost it all! *wails*

I'm too ticked off at my stupid, stubby fingers to retype it so I'll just say "WORD!" and call it a day.

Re: Diatribe Ahoy! Part Three

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I have done that as well.

It's like, fuck it, I'm not retyping all that.

Re: Diatribe Ahoy! Part Three

[nimblnymph.livejournal.com]

*nods* It's exactly like that. And it pisses me off that I did it.

Re: Diatribe Ahoy! Part Three

[qualapec.livejournal.com]

Yes, I agree completely and one hundred percent about inciting violence. I'm pretty sure we're on the same page with this. I suppose free speech is just one of those MAJOR Hot Button issues with me. Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Religion are the ones that are most likely to get my debating cap on.

And It's SUCH A Lovely Cap, Too!

[nimblnymph.livejournal.com]

It's all good! Everyone's got their Red Button and I just happened to be pushing yours a little. And ANY time you wanna debate or disagree with me, please don't hold back. I LOVE a good debate, especially when it's with someone I have mad respect for.