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The Red Snapper Series
[Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5]

Two weeks ago
General Warrants

Next Week:
Stay the Course

March 27, 2017

In the last months in office, the Obama administration bypassed the legislative process, and issued an executive order on bathroom access.  It stated, “Federal agencies occupying space under the jurisdiction, custody, or control of GSA must allow individuals to use restroom facilities and related areas consistent with their gender identity.”

In May, the President had issued executive orders requiring school systems to allow access to the bathroom the person felt or believed was their gender without regard to their physical gender at birth.  Approximately 0.5% of American school children consider themselves transgender.  Obama failed to consider the rest of the population (99.5%) who accept their birth gender.  

There is a much larger group who understand the issue of safety especially for women and young girls from men posing as women for illicit purposes. The order refuses to consider the rights of those “who may have suffered from sexual abuse in the past and don’t want to be exposed to male anatomy.”
 
Shortly after Obama issued this order several states, led in part by Texas, filed suit enjoining against enforcing this order adding, “This president is attempting to rewrite the laws that were enacted by the elected representatives of the people, and is using the threat of losing federal funding to get schools to fall into line. That cannot be allowed to continue.”

President Trump rescinded the former ruling moving the issue back to the states where constitutionally it always belonged.  Press Secretary Spicer recently remarked, …all you have to do is look at what the president's view has been for a long time, that this is not something the federal government should be involved in, this is a states' rights issue.”

While both sides square off we believe this mother made it clear: "I don't believe that tolerance means that we have to give up our rights or our freedoms for another group.  To be compassionate, let's accommodate.” Many have suggested a variety of approaches including adding private restrooms  and the use of existing private facilities.  

It seems to us that the Obama executive order was based on the premise that government once again can mandate moral beliefs in a manner that smacks against the religious beliefs of most Americans: our birth decides our gender for important and divine reason.  To mandate condescending rules by mandating moral beliefs is both a poor choice and unconstitutional.  

But something else equally bothers us.  When North Carolina was considering a “bathroom bill” companies threatened to boycott them and not have conventions and sporting events in that state.  As a similar bill moves through the Texas legislature the same threats are being raised against Texas.  The question is: “Since when do we place the privacy and safety of women and young girls behind the importance of getting another super bowl or other sporting event in our state?”  The choice is clear, the privacy and safety for the ladies and girls in our state comes before the almighty dollar!  We pray that you concur!

Bill, Mark, and John